These famous words were shouted from the American colonies’ streets in rebellion against the new taxes being placed by the British government. But what was the real cause behind the rise in taxes and how did these new laws contribute to the American Revolution?
In the 1750’s the American colonies were still under the oppressive ruling of Great Britain. While the British had a desire to expand their colonies, they ran into trouble with the French and Native Americans. Both countries had expanded their trading areas, which now overlapped one another. This marked the beginning of the French and Indian War. The French and their allied Native Americans were now at war with Great Britain and its allies. The British found themselves losing the first
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They simply asked to have representation in the British Parliament (Henretta, 2017). This idea was quickly disapproved. The American colonies began protesting against the changes that Great Britain was making. Many individuals wanted to protest in peace so they began to send delegates to petition for the repeal of the new tax laws. Others did not care for peace and boycotted by using mobs to destroy British goods and stores (Dunkerly, n.d.). In response to the violence, Great Britain allowed for a small shift in power to happen within the colonies. Charles Townshend strongly supported the taxation on the American colonies and soon passed the Townshend Act and the Revenue Act. These acts caused a revival of the colonies to fight against unjust taxation (Henretta, 2017). This led to more boycotts, violence, and political uprisings. Great Britain grew fearful of the rebellious colonies and repealed the acts that Townshend put in place, which created some peace between the British and the colonies.
Many people, who did not approve of the way the colonies chose to protest, began to write popular books, letters, and pamphlets. This sparked the real political movement of the American colonies. Popular names such as Samuel Adams began to convince towns to meet up and start thinking of the rights that they should have (Milestones: 1750–1775, n.d.). British parliament had not learned from their mistakes with
There was no one event that started the American Revolution. This paper will address the problems that lead to the start to the American Revolution. The colonists believed that they should live democratically. Britain felt that they owned the American colonies and they could use their resources in any way that they wished. The colonists did not want to live being ruled by another country. The major events that led to the American Revolution were the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party and Lexington Concord.
Following its war with France, Britain decided that to generate income to pay off its war debt, it would levy taxes on the American Colonies. To raise revenue for the crown many taxes were imposed on the American colonies. The Sugar, Stamp, and the Townshend Acts, were imposed on the colonies in 1763. These taxes or Tariffs would contribute greatly to the American Revolution.
Did you know that the Boston Tea Party resulted to the Parliament Act? The Boston Tea Party was the night of December 17, 1773 when the colonists dumped Tea into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party occurred because the Colonists were upset about the British parliament putting taxes on the tea. The result of the Boston Tea Party was that Parliament passed the Coercive Acts.
The American Revolutionary War was caused by the political disagreements between Great Britain and the American colonies. Most of the Americans initially didn’t want to completely separate from England but wanted to regain the rights that Parliament had taken away from them. England made war unavoidable with its unwillingness to negotiate, heavy taxation of the colonists that violated their rights, and strict trading policies.
The French and Indian war, fought from 1754 to 1763, negatively altered political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American Colonies. Most of these issues can be connected to the large influx of land in North America, nearly everything to the East of the Mississippi River ( as seen in the maps of North America in 1754 and 1763 found in Document A), conquered by Britain and the Colonies by the end of the war. With the colonies rapidly increasing in size, it became more and more difficult for Britain to control them an entire ocean away. North American began to take on a life of its own as in became increasingly apparent to both sides that they had conflicting goals. Further complications ensued with Britain’s attempts to properly
America was born thanks to a tyrant. In fact, many of the laws that the King of England made were highly frowned upon by the colonists, and were resisted, as well as boycotted by many in the 1760s and 70s. After the French and Indian War, the British Parliament had passed a series of laws and taxes to the colonists. These very laws and taxes would bring conflict both sides. Two laws that resulted in the colonists to take action and request independence from England would be the Townshend Acts and the Intolerable Acts.
The taxation of the colonists was very important to what would eventually be the American Revolution. The people of the colonies were finally united, though they have not called for an army to be made or haven’t talked about independence, they are starting to come together, and make their differences blur.
Huge debts were owed to Great Britain for supplying the colonists with military support and supplies. To pay the dues, there was the establishment of the Stamp Act, the taxation on domestic goods and services. A tax on domestic merchandise brought even more anger to the colonists. The Sugar Act, the Townshed Duties and the Tea Act were also all introduced with the same fundamentals: applying tax on goods whether it be directly or indirectly, domestic or international. “British commercial regulations imposed a paltry economic burden on Americans, who enjoyed a rapid economic growth and a standard of living higher than their European counterparts” (McGaughy). Each act resulted in irritated colonists. Some even retaliated by tarring and feathering certain English tax enforcers living in the colonies.
The American Revolution took place during 1765 and 1783 and is what gave us the country that we now know today. The thirteen colonies cut all political ties with Great Britain and became their own independent states, known as the United States of America. As conflicts with Great Britain increased the need for Independence grew.
On July 4th 1776, a committee, formed to draft a letter to the King of England, formally signed a document containing a list of demands and statements of position that ultimately started the Revolutionary War. This action was not popular with all the citizens of the colonies but the majority of the people were in favor of it and the cause prevailed. This declaration was a poke in the eye of England and forced them to try to put the colonies in their place and reestablish the Empire.
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 irregular and disorganized British rule of the American colonies in the previous years led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans did not originally want to separate from mother England. They wanted to stay loyal to the crown. England’s unwillingness to compromise, mismanagement of the colonies, heavy taxation of the colonists that violated their rights, the distractions of foreign affairs and politics in England and the strict trading policies that England tried to enforce together made the revolution inevitable. The British were definitely expected to win the dispute because they significantly over powered the Colonists in most areas. They had more money, weapons, people, etc. However the American’s prevailed with
Many people have the misconception that the American Revolution occurred because British colonists did not want to be British citizens any longer. This may have been the case for a select few, but many British colonists desired to maintain their status as British colonists and citizens. The foremost reason that the colonists began protests, boycotts, and petitions against the British was because they believed their innate rights as British citizens were being violated. The American Revolution occurred due to a chain of events and a complex set of intertwined reasons.
Consequently, the British Parliament imposed taxation on the colonists in the 1760’s. The colonists resented this intrusion, for they felt they were not truly represented in the British government. Taxation without representation became the rallying cry of the colonists.
The British had control of the thirteen colonies for many years prior to the French and Indian War. After the war Britain took sole possession of the thirteen colonies. The French and Indian War had put Britain in debt so they began taxing the colonists. Britain also began to enforce laws made by the King of England. This led to the phrase "no taxation without representation". The colonists had no other choices but to try and settle their differences with Britain or attempt to break away.