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Cato's Letters Dbq Essay

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After many years of neglect by the British, the colonists’ lives soon drastically changed. The British became more involved in the colonies and established unreasonable regulations. Influences by many events, the American colonists knew they had to take action against the British and fight for their independence. The Americans were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain because of unfair taxes, the social and economic life was harmed, the violation of inalienable rights by the British, and the colonists were not represented in government and treated as citizens. Taxes were passed by Parliament following the French and Indian War. To protect its colonies, the British were forced to fight against the French and the Native …show more content…

According to Locke, there were three natural rights: life, liberty, and property. English authors John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon wrote Cato’s Letters in 1723, under different names in fear of retaliation from the British government. In their work, Trenchard and Gordon expressed their thoughts on Locke’s inalienable rights and the role of government. In Cato’s Letters, they stated, “...liberty is the unalienable right of all mankind. All governments, under whatsoever form they are administered, ought to be administered for the good of the society; when they are otherwise administered, they cease to be government, and become usurpations.” Trenchard and Gordon mean that there are certain rights that should never be taken away and if the government fails to provide for the good of subjects, the subjects have the right to oppose the government. The colonists were greatly influenced by John Locke and Cato’s Letters which lead them to believe that the British violated these inalienable rights on two major occasions. The first event was the Boston Massacre, as referred to by the colonists. On March 5, 1770 British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing six colonists and injuring several more. However, the killings were not unprovoked. The British soldiers felt harassed and threatened by a number of boys who threw snowballs at the soldiers. Paul Revere, a colonist and a leader of the Sons …show more content…

The British practiced a policy of salutary neglect, where the colonists were free to do whatever they pleased. Following the unbelievable acts and taxes established by Parliament, colonists felt betrayed by the British government. Many colonists thought it was unfair to be oppressed by taxes without representation in Parliament. Despite many attempts to negotiate with the King of England, no agreement was accomplished. According to Thomas Jefferson in the “Declaration of Independence,” he stated, “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms; Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.” (Doc. 7). The colonists felt they were being ruled by a tyrant. As a result, The Continental Congress convened and Thomas Jefferson wrote “The Declaration of Independence” on July 4, 1776. In this declaration, Jefferson stated, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation [unlawful seizures], all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.” (Doc. 7). Nevertheless, Jefferson was not the only colonist to feel as if the king was a tyrant. One day later, the Second Continental Congress gathered and the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms” was presented. This document was

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