What Is The Nature Of Growing Tension Among The Colonists From 1763 To 1776

The American Revolution was the first sign that the colonists were going to have extreme political and economical change. After the French and Indian War, British officials issued the Proclamation line of 1763 which banned the colonist from crossing the Appalachians and traveling west. In order to pay for the French and Indian War, the British had to tax the colonists with the Stamp Act of 1765. This brought up a lot of aggression among the colonist. They rioted, destroyed homes, and harmed government officials that supported this act. Important English colonist saw this as an opportunity to turn colonist aggression towards the British

al, 132). Any violators were going to be sentenced in front of a judge in England without a jury (Boyer et. al, 133). Britain’s prime minister projected this would make them 100,000 euros which would account for 20 percent of North American military expenses (Boyer et. al, 133). Unlike the the Sugar Act this was and internal tax which was literally Britain just trying to taking the colonists money whereas the Sugar act was supposed to boost the economies by trading within. The stamp act was one of the last things Britain did before the iconic American Revolution. This also is when the colonists came up with the slogan no taxation without representation. These unfair acts and taxes are key contributors that pushed the colonists over the tipping point to ultimately revolt from the British

The Proclamation of 1763 was completely and wholly unfair to the colonists, and can be considered one of the first events to incite the idea of an American revolution. The colonists were forbidden from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains after the Seven-Years War when British gained control of land in the west that the French had owned. The colonists were eager to continue exploring America and settling west of the colonies, but they were suddenly forbidden from settling in what used to be French territory. The Proclamation of 1763 angered a lot of colonists who saw it as unfair for the British to take land away from the colonies.

As a result of this, Parliament began issuing several Acts upon the American Colonies of which they could do next to nothing about due to Britain simply stating it was for the good of the Empire. Acts that they had issues were ones such as the Quartering Act of 1766, which required the colonists to house British soldiers at their own expense. They also put forth the Townshend Acts that would tax all imports into the colonies.

The American Revolution was the consequence of British dominance over the colonies. The French and Indian War ended the British policy of laissez faire on colonies, causing the British to sanction taxes in order to strengthen the empire and pay off its debt. Taxation without representation exemplified by the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Townshend Acts angered the colonists, who believed they were being unfairly punished. Additionally, events such as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party elevated British resentment and hostilities. The shared desire for independence united the colonists in fighting against the British, and encouraged them in shaping their own societies, causing political, economic, and social change. Politically, land rights

However, the colonists started to bite the hand that feeds them once Parliament imposed direct taxes like the Stamp Act of 1765. Colonists believed Parliament did not have the right to directly tax the colonies when the colonists had no representation in Parliament. "No Taxation Without Representation" became a slogan the colonists used to protest the taxes implemented by Parliament. Even though British cities also did not have representation in Parliament, they also were not 3,000 miles away from Parliament. How could Parliament impose taxes on the colonies when they were thousands of miles away and did not know how it felt to live there? Shaped by the Enlightenment thinkers, colonists thought that people were born with natural rights that the government could not take away, such as life, liberty, and owning property. The Stamp Act of 1765 required the colonists to pay a direct tax on the majority of printed materials, this tax threatened the colonists' liberty which spurred the colonists into various protests and only then did the British repeal the act. Furthermore, the Proclamation of 1763 forced colonists to remain east of the Appalachian Mountains, colonists felt this took away their right to property because why did they fight long and hard for the lands in the French and Indian War just to not colonize them? Why would the colonies be a part of an empire that constantly took away their

American colonists were most upset by the misrepresentation of the colonies in parliament when the Stamp Act was imposed. In a public letter to Secretary Conway, it is mentioned that the colonists are mostly discontent by the manner in which the tax was imposed and that they feel that they have been violated of their birth right as Briton, the right to be taxed only in a parliament in which they are represented (Doc B). The Stamp Act only taxed printed goods like newspapers, but newspapers were expensive and not a necessity of life, so it only affected the rich. However, the rich were not the only ones angry about the tax therefore meaning it was not the tax itself that angered the colonists, but more how the tax was imposed without their representation.

During the 1770’s Great Britain had made colonists feel as if they were tied down with the government. The king would make them change the way they live and as to how they work by restrictions of trade and often colonists would question their loyalty. Along comes the French and Indian war where the colonists had to settle on different lands due to the Proclamation of 1763 which caused them to settle back east. The ideas of American independence changed significantly from 1763 to 1783. In the beginning colonists had only thought of having representation once it came closer to 1783 colonists wanted full freedom from the British law.

The British government imposed many unfair laws to the colonies, such as the proclamation of 1763. This law stated that any settlers that settled west of the Appalachian Mountains and anyone already living there to return east. This was the British government’s attempt to relieve tensions with the Native Americans. The colonists didn’t obey this law and

By 1765, at a Stamp Act Congress, all but four colonies were represented as the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” was passed. They were determined to let Parliament know that they were equal to British citizens, that there would be no “taxation without representation,” and all efforts to stop tax on colonists would continue (Kennedy, etal 2011.) Although Lord Rockingham, the predecessor of Grenville, sought to repeal of the Stamp Act, this in no way meant Parliament was conceding their control. In fact, while the Stamp Act was repealed, another called the “Declaratory Act of 1766,” gave Parliament the authority to make laws binding the American Colonies, “in all cases whatsoever.” In 1767, George III passed the Townshend Acts to collect tax on glass, lead, paints, paper and, tea. Recognizing that tea was a favorite among the Americans, it ensured greater revenue the British government. Again, the colonists’ rights for representation were ignored and they started to boycott British goods and ultimately, smuggle tea. When the Quartering Act was passed, which specified that colonists were to give room and board to British troops, tension began to rise. For two years, the colonists tolerated British troops on their soil and their dissatisfaction with the British Parliament and King George III became evident through many violent riots, abusiveness of tax collectors and destruction of property. According to Kennedy, etal (2011), Parliament, continually met with

The colonists had many opposing attitudes towards Great Britain prior to and during the Revolutionary War. Some of these attitudes began to surface as early as the Seven Year War. When Great Britain began to try to recoup the cost of the Seven Year War, as well as support the new territories gained from the war as well as the old ones (5.4). After numerous costly encounters with the Indians in the newly acquired territory, Britain issued a proclamation. Proclamation Line of 1763 restricted the settlement of any territory past the Appalachian Mountains. This act was an effort to end the expensive conflicts that the Crown had to pay for (5.5). The act enraged settlers that had hoped to gain rich farmland after the Seven Year War and to help improve themselves economically (5.5). Many turned to attacking property and not paying taxes to taking over courthouses and harassing local officials (5.6). An uprising was beginning. Instead of having conflict among themselves, the colonists began to unite and turn on the authorities. As the colonists united, they came together on different issues from impressment of colonial men into the Navy to quartering troops (5.7). With the distance between the Colonies and Great Britain and the prosperity from colonial trade, Parliament often turned a blind eye to the colonies. Smuggling was often ignored as long as the Crown was prospering still. Due to the distance, Parliament also allowed local government make decisions for the colonies (5.9).

One of the British policies imposed on the colonies was the Stamp Act of 1765. The stamp act put a direct tax on all printed matter such as newspapers and legal documents. This caused many people, especially lawyers, to be frustrated and cause immediate colonial resistance. In the same year, colonists resisted by

The four major events during the period of 1763-17751 led to the conflict between colonial America and Great Britain are the Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act, Continental Congress. First of all, in February 1765, Grenville escalated his revenue program with the stamp act, precipitating a major conflict between Britain and the colonies over Parliament’s right to tax. The Stamp Act imposed a tax on all paper used for official documents —newspapers, pamphlets, court documents, licenses, wills, ships’ cargo lists — and required an affixed stamp as proof that the tax had been paid. The Act intensified the conflict between the colonial and Parliament Colonists’ believed that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies. Sons of Liberty stopped stamped papers from being unloaded at docks. Merchants organized a boycott of British goods. They demanded Parliament repeal the Act. In 1766 Parliament repeal the Act. Secondly, Townshend proposed new taxes in the old form of a navigation act. Officially called the Revenue Act of 1767, it established new duties on tea, glass, lead, paper, and painters’ colors imported into the colonies, to be paid by the importer but passed on to consumers in the retail price. Dozens of towns begin to boycott of all British-made goods. British Imports fell by more than 40 percent. In 1770 The Townshend Duties are Repealed Under financial pressure from the colonists ' non-importation policy, Parliament

Great Britain had gained a number of colonies in North America; many of the colonists viewed them self’s as citizens of Great Britain. Their living hood depended upon trade with Britain and many were governed by polices Britain set forth. After the French and Indian War Britain desired to control the expansion into western lands, the Kind set forth the Proclamation of 1763; which would prohibit colonists to settle beyond the Appalachia Mountains. Many Colonists had already been settled into those parts and had been ordered to leave. Parliament passed the quartering act which would require colonists to pay or find lodging for British soldiers stationed in America. After the war ended many colonists did not see the need to still uphold this act

The American Revolution was backed by numerous acts, taxes, proclamations, protest of civil disobedience, and even a massacre. It was by no means unnecessary or undeserved in the eyes of the colonists, and was completely uncalled for in the eyes of the British government, king, and citizens. There were a multitude of unusual acts passed that were unfair and cruel to the people in the colonies. For example, the Navigation Acts, the Staple Act, the Molasses Act, Sugar Act, the and the Townshend Acts to name a few of the absurd acts that were placed on the colonists as a form to show who has power. The Stamp Act was imposed upon all paper products including documents, wills, newspapers and even playing cards. A stamp was placed on the item after the tax had been paid off. This tax was not only tedious but placed at an exceedingly high price.