How far do you agree that the cause of the American Revolution was the introduction of the Tea Act in 1773?
The introduction of the Tea Act in 1773 was a leading cause of the American Revolution — but it wasn’t the only cause. Growing American opposition to the British, and fundamental differences in ideology between the British and Americans also contributed to causing the American Revolution.
The 1773 Tea Act did cause the American Revolution in that it sparked huge opposition amongst the colonists. It was the third time that the British had tried to tax the Americans — both the 1765 Stamp Act and the 1767 Townshend Duties had been repealed due to such opposition. The Tea Act was the final straw for many colonists — the Sons of Liberty organised a huge protest in which they boarded the ships carrying the East India Company’s tea, and threw £10,000 worth of tea into the sea in defiance. This was known as the Boston Tea Party and demonstrated to the British that the Americans were not willing to accept British taxation. The slogan ‘no taxation without representation’ was frequently used, showing how the Americans felt the British, in trying to tax them, were attempting to impose a tyrannical rule. The Boston Tea Party provoked outrage in Britain, with many of the politically conscious calling for the Americans to be punished. This then led to the Coercive Acts in 1774, which aimed at isolating Boston — although it only resulted in increasing the tension between the
In 1773 parliament passed the tea act in which the British pay less for tax to ship places. This made the prices of tea lower from Britain. Since Boston's tea would be more expensive nobody would buy it from them. The tea act was just another problem adding up between the colonists and britain. This made the colonists want to be independent from Britain. The colonists decided to rebel and dumb three hundred and forty two chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The act was given the name the Boston Tea Party. Most of the British thought of the Boston Tea Party as an act of terrorism. Really the Boston Tea Party was just another step to independence for the colonists.
The Tea Act was passed by Parliament on May 10, 1773. This was the last straw for the colonists and led to the revolutionary movement in Boston. The act was not intended to raise revenue in the American colonies, and did not impose new taxes. The act was designed to assist the East India Company which was not doing well financially and was carrying eighteen million pounds of unsold tea. The tea was to be shipped directly to the colonies, and sold at a cheap price. The Townshend Act was still in place, and the leaders in America had reason
Colonists like Samuel Adams and Paul Revere used the event as a propaganda tool to outrage the colonies and increase anti-British sentiment. Parliament repealed all the taxes on the colonies, except the tax on tea. Although the colonists loved tea, many boycotted it because of the tax. The Tea Act in 1773 “was an effort to bail out the bankrupt East India Company by granting that corporation a monopoly on the tea trade to Americans”.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Do you hear that? That’s what led to the revolution. Some events that led to the revolution are: The French and Indian War, The Battle of Saratoga and many other events. The American Revolution was between the Americans led by George Washington , and the British led by General Howe and General Cornwallis. The two enemies have been fighting for several of years. There are series of wars that led to the revolution. These series if wars lasted for several of years also. This is were the war begins. The Navigation Act was passed between 1650 and 1696. It limited colonial trade by using the system of merchantalism. It forbade colonist from trading specific items such as sugar and cotton. The colonist reactions were different though. They would end up protesting about the unfair taxes, and requirements they were expected to follow under the act. England responded to these protest by saying it would benefit everyone because there was was a steady market for these goods in England. Not all colonist agreed. Some resorted to smuggling items in and out of the colonies because of the way the British were treating them. Do you know what the French and Indian war was over? The war was between the British and French over the fur trade. The trade smacked the British and the colonist right in the face. Prime Minister, George Grenville, asked parliament to pass higher taxes on the colonies to pay for the war debt and protection. Colonist believed that
The Boston Tea Party was a very hectic occasion in United States History. “The American Revolution created heroes- and traitors- who shaped the birth of a new nation: the United States of America. “Taxation without representation” was a serious problem for the American colonies in the late 1700s. Great Britain imposed harsh taxes and did not give the colonists a voice in their own government. The colonists rebelled and declared their independence from Britain- the war was on.”(Somervill & Burgan 5) The people in the colonies consumption of tea dropped drastically as a protest towards the British Parliament, therefore, the tea company; “British East India Company” was going bankrupt because their tea was not being sold. To stop them from going
In the late 1760s, America was dominated completely by Britain. England viewed the colonies as meek and expected obedience towards whatever arbitrary law or tax that was thrown at them. The taxation tyranny fueled a group of men, known as the Sons of Liberty. Also known as tea-partiers, the group of men were viewed as radicals for their paramount dumping of over 300 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor on December 16th, 1773. The Boston Tea Party defined the independence that the colonists were struggling for. Without this event, an act of defiance this crucial may have never occurred and the colonies may have never have found the strength to become a sprawling, thriving nation. Ultimately, many more revolts, riots and boycotts led to the Revolutionary war. The Boston Tea Party was the trailblazer that induced combat and bloodshed, but the colonists couldn't deal with the oppression any longer. The anti-British uproar made the colonies look stronger and more unified. The dumping of the tea was a turning point in America’s relationship with England. The stand The Sons of Liberty, and the colonists, took showed that “The Land of Liberty” was becoming a strong force to be reckoned with on their
It is our opinion that the one event that had the most significant role in causing the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party. We believe this because it made the British mad, showed them that we weren't afraid to strike back, and the Boston Tea Party was a turning point in history for them.
George R.T. Hewes wrote the following reminiscence of the Boston Tea Party almost 61 years after it occurred. It is likely that his memories included more than a few stories he picked up well after 1773. Hewes himself was involved in the protest in Boston harbor led by the Son’s of Liberty, so he has an actual image of what happened on that day. Nonetheless, Hewes provides a highly detailed account of this important event. As of the year 1773 in the British Colonies, the British Parliament passes the Tea Act, a bill designed to save the East India Company from bankruptcy by greatly lowering the tea tax it paid to the British government and, thus, granting it a de facto monopoly on
In 1773, the British Parliament passed the "Tea Act", which it wanted to confirm the inviolability of their rights to levy taxes on the colonies. Immediately thereafter in the colonies a broad movement for boycott of tea.
During the early American Revolution, Boston was a place where at the time colonies could not find peace. After gaining their independence from the French and Indian war, they had been put so far in debt that the British began taxing them to pay it off. The colonies were so angry about these taxes that they began to revolt against them. They were angry because these decisions were made without their consent, they didn’t have any one to speak for them in the parliament. All the revolts on taxes like the sugar act, tea act, and stamp act lead to the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. A big group of Bostonians marched to the Boston Harbor and threw 340 chests of tea into the water. As a response of this, British passed the Coercive Acts
their financial loss they create and pass the Tax Act. This act directly taxed the American Colonies’ Citizens. The colonists had a miniscule revolt against this act and later that year, the Stamp Act Congress added that Native Englishman could only be taxed by their own representative(s). The very next year the Declaratory Act was created as a mean to make peace with Britain. One of the final actions that sparked the Revolution occurred on December 16th, 1773 with the Boston Tea Party. The British sent three ships carrying a total of over 300 chests of tea was to be sent to Boston Harbor. When the ships had been landed, Radical Bostonians threw around 340 chests of tea into the water of Boston Harbor.
Each time taxes were increases there was a rise in rebellion in the colonies. In order to reestablish control over the colonies Parliament attempted to exercise their authority in the colonies with no challenge to them (Writer, Leaf Group). This further angered rebels in the colonies, using the slogan “no taxation without representation” they continued to boycott taxed goods. This made no sense to Parliament, as many large cities such as Manchester had no representation, yet they did not complain or rebel against their country (“’Iron Tears’”). Resentment grew on both sides as the crown jewel of the British empire began to break away from its dependency on its mother country. Refusing taxed goods, smuggling, and going so far as to destroy British goods. When crates of tea were dumped into the Boston Harbor it was considered a horrendous act, even by some Patriots. The well-known Benjamin Franklin said, “This was an act of piracy and the Americans should repay the British for the tea” (“’Iron Tears’”). Despite the rising rebellion, the British continually attempted to control the colonies, though most attempts failed. The rebellion became rather violent around 1775; Loyalists were being attacked (“The American Revolutionary War from The British Perspective.”). The Patriots would use brutal acts of intimidation such as tarring and feathering any prominent Loyalist they could find. To tar and feather a man
Many pivotal events, people, and theories occurred within the eighteenth century which unmistakably lead the Revolutionary War. However, the primary event in which lead to the Revolutionary War was the taxes applied on the colonist after the French and Indian War. King George felt by imposing taxes on the colonists would replenish Great Britain's financial debt from the war. There were numerous taxes applied to the colonists such as the, Sugar Act, Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts. The colonist opposed all of these taxes because they were not regarded in parliament and considered this “Taxation without Representation.” Specifically, the Tea Act resulted in the Boston Tea Party were the colonists did not want to see any
Historically, there are many speculations as to why and how the American Revolution started. Most historians argue that “taxation without representation” was the cause of this war. The colonist were faithful citizens of the English empire, they both benefitted from each other. England provided protection of pirates, guaranteed markets and in return the colonist increased their wealth. The conflict began when the British conquered Canada from France, now Canada was not a threat to the colonists. The British became over 130 million in dept. And that is when they enacted the stamp, sugar, and Townshend Acts on the colonist, to pay their fair share in their depts. The colonists deputed these taxes, stating that they were taxed without representation in parliament. This was the spark of the revolution and what started the conflicts. However, there is controversy as to if the American Revolution was a conservative movement or if it was radicle. Robert Eldon Brown argues that yes the American Revolution was conservative stating that America had become a middle-class society and the separation from England was a rebellion about the overpowering political and economic control that they imposed on the colonists. On the other hand, Alan Taylor and Gordon Wood proclaims that the revolution was radicle explaining that the brutal tactics used during the war was radicle and that America was not middle class it was divided in strictly the upper elite and the poor commoners, which created conflicts. “The American Revolution was as radicle as any other revolution, but in a special 18th century way” is valid because of the extremely radicle guerilla warfare tactics used that was different than other revolutions, it was a peoples war against the western imperialism, and the class difference and conflicts between the elite and commoners the war divided the society into two. Firstly, the American Revolution was radicle because a never seen before radicle guerilla warfare tactic was used by the colonist to destroy the British. Secondly, the American Revolution was the first effective war against imperialism of the west that resulted in freedom of the people. Finally, America was not composed of middle-class; there were distinct
The origins of the American Revolution did not fall under one single event; tensions have been building up between the British Colonists (not under the title of “Americans” yet) and Britain for around a decade. The war would not begin till 1775 with the battle of Lexington and Concord. However, the Colonists “resisted” in other forms before this significant battle.