After fighting in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), Britain was left with an immense debt on its shoulders (Chapter 4). It was up to George Grenville to help reduce this debt and save England from a disastrous future (Chapter 4). His plans were set into motion when parliament passed different acts that they hoped would raise money to pay off the debt (Chapter 4). However, they did not foresee that these actions would lead to the American Revolution. Although the change in British imperial policy involved taxing and placing acts on the colonists to raise debt money, these actions displeased the people and caused them to revolt creating events like the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party. These factors were of many that brought about the …show more content…
Charles Townshend presented a way to the House of Congress to gain income from the Americans (Chapter 5). His idea turned out to be more of a scheme when these Revenue Acts involved placing duties on American imports of paper, glass, paint, lead, and tea (chapter 5). The chancellor realized that without the proper enformentents, his plan to collect money from the Americans would come close to failing. To insure that his plan would continue to “grow”, Townshend created an American Board of Customs Commissioners (Chapter 5). He managed to convince Parliament to order New York's governor to veto bills passed by the colony’s assembly until it allowed British troops to stay with the colonists, an act known as the Quartering Act (May 1765) (Chapter 5). The act angered the Americans because it violated their rights and they had to provide the troops with certain necessities. The American saw the act as “taxation without representation (Chapter 5)”. Just like the colonists refused to follow Grenville’s Stamp Act, they refused to pay Townshend's duties. Just like previous revolts, the Sons of Liberty organized boycotts of British goods (Chapter 5). The Revenue Acts caused people to take oaths before their neighbors, promising one another that they would not purchase certain goods until Parliament revoked such an act (Chapter 5). Yet again …show more content…
In order to save Britain's largest business, the East India Company, from going bankrupt, Parliament passed the Tea Act in May 1773 (Chapter 5). Although the Act lowered the prices, the Americans preferred the cheaper leaves that were illegally brought in from Holland (Chapter 5). Parliament allowed the East India Company to sell directly to American retailers, which cut out “middlemen” and it also eliminated duties that were paid in England (Chapter 5). Like all the other acts, the Tea Act was none other than a scheme for Parliament's support to tax colonists without any representation (Chapter 5). Another problem that occurred was that the act threatened to place powerful colonial merchants who smuggled Dutch tea, out of business (Chapter 5). This of course would not settle down well with the Americans considering their love for cheap Dutch tea. In the colonies, the colonists turned back the tea ships before any problems occured (Chapter 5). However, in Boston, Governor Hutchinson would not allow the ships carrying East India Company’s tea back to England (Chapter 5). The ships remained in Boston Harbor until a drastic event occurred. On December 16, 1773 a group of colonists men, dressed up as indians and dumped the tea over the Boston Harbor (Chapter 5). It was a reckless idea considering they were dumping tea worth than thousand euros (Chapter
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Show MoreIt was not all as good for the Colonies as it seemed, however, for with that came the Declarative Act. The Declarative Act states that, “That the King 's Majesty, by and with the consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons of Great Britain, in parliament assembled, had, hath, and of right ought to have, full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever” (Temperley). This nullified any progress the House of Burgesses had accomplished. There was still hope however for the King George III appointed a new minister. He made a name for him self in the Colonies in the French and Indian War. He was sympathetic to the Colonies and was a supporter in repealing the Stamp Act. His name was William Pitt. Unfortunately for the Colonists, he fell ill shortly after taking office and passed and was replaced by Townshend. Townshend had quite the opposite views as Pitt. He supported generating yet even more revenue from the Colonies. He adds taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass, and tea. He also set out to quell the power of the upstart American assemblies. He used the New York legislature to set a bold example. The New York legislature was not recognizing the Quartering Act. Townshend suspended the Assembly until they submitted and agreed to recognize and follow the act. Such
Parliament imposed more Acts on the colonists the more they voiced their opinions. American colonists were not, “Ungrateful people,” (D) but rather felt that Parliament did not care about them and treated them more as slaves that British citizens. Exhausting all efforts to change the Acts of Parliament, the colonists had, “No other alternative but to destroy it [the tea] or let it be landed,” (C) so the destruction of the tea was, “Absolutely and indispensably” (C) necessary, as, “They could not send it back” (C). If they were to let the tea land, then they “Would be giving up the principle of Taxation by Parliamentary authority, against which the continent have [had] struggled for ten years” (C). So, as a, “Last effort of the Patriots,” (C) they with, “Dignity” (C) and boldness, committed the, “Most magnificent movement of all” (C). Colonists, not in the cloak of darkness, but rather in the, “Light as day, by the means of lamps and torches,” (B) worked together dumping the tea overboard and, “See[ing] that no damage was done except to the tea” (B). Running around and causing terror was not the Patriots objective and to demonstrate this they even, “Swept clean,” (B) the deck and did not meddle with anything, “But the teas on board” (B). Therefore this act of revolt did not happen overnight but rather
It has been said that the American Revolution was a direct result of the French and Indian War. Throughout this essay, this statement can be proven by a line of supportive occurrences such as the acts, taxes, laws, and drastic events that the colonists suffered from and endured first-hand that can back-track the cause of the revolution (proving, again, that the war debts from the French and Indian War directly raised conflict that would build up through the years). Tensions immediately start to build in the colonies right after the "7 Years War", or the French and Indian War. Before hand, the American Colonies had just begun to somewhat prosper from comfort of the distant of the monarchical rule of Great Britain when everything ran right into
John Adams believed that the America Revolution was in the mind and the heart of the American people. The war for independence was part of it but it was not solely to the America Revolution. By 1815 the United States defeated England twice; one to secure independence, then second time to defend its honor. This was the two great superpowers of the world England and France went to war in 1754. It was the first global conflict known as the Seven Years War or the French and Indian War. England won the war in 1763 but it was tremendous financial and human cost. In an effort to replenish its depleted Treasury Great Britain decided to impose a series of taxes on the colonist to help pay for their own defense. English eyes this seemed fair but to the American colonist this was new and
After the Portuguese and Spanish made a name for themselves in the New World, the English decided to start exploring and colonizing, too. Some of the main reasons the English came to the New World were the English economy, land, and religious freedom. Mercantilism was the main source of money for the economy, but when the European market collapsed in the 1550s, merchants had to find other ways to get the materials they needed to be able to trade. Land was also valuable because that was how people made their living, but when all the land in England was taken up they had to look elsewhere, which is why many of them sailed to the New World. One of the biggest issues was religious freedom. This was especially true for the Protestants who believed
The American Revolution was a chronicled occasion that occurred in the time of 1775-1783. The progressive war was for american provinces to get freedom from incredible Britain. Receiving the arrangement that the provinces should pay an expanded extent of the expenses related with keeping them in the Empire. England proposed a progression of direct assessments took after by different laws that were planned to show British experts. Since the provinces needed chose portrayal in the representing British Parliament, numerous homesteaders viewed the laws as ill-conceived and an infringement of their rights as Englishmen. In 1772, gatherings of settlers started to make social occasions, which would prompt their own Provincial Congresses in a large portion of the states. Over the span of two years, the Provincial Congresses or their counterparts dismissed the Parliament and viably supplanted the British decision contraption in the previous settlements, coming full circle in 1774 with the organizing First Continental Congress. In light of challenges in Boston over Parliament's endeavors to declare specialist, the British sent battle troops, took away self government, and forced direct administer by Royal authorities. Subsequently, the state's activated
The American revolution took place during the years 1775-1778. During this time, America claimed their independence towards Britain. Britain’s was colonist and government explanation more territory the United States of America In April 1775 the American and British soldiers when a conflict in the colonist. The British want to have a power and control the all states with the government laws. The Continental Congress Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain. The first major American opposition to British policy came in 1765 after Parliament passed the Stamp Act, a taxation measure to raise revenues for a standing British army in America. The Continental Congress in July 1776 Richard Henry had been the Proclamation Act and the Quebec. The British do it the monarchy told who to do in America, but America civil don’t want
The American Revolutionary war, a war thought to have been fought to free a land from its oppressors, but was it fought for other reasons? The 1700’s were rife with disagreements between colony and mother country, most prominently disagreed upon were the legal actions the mother country were enacting in the colonies. The laws and decrees England made for the colonies were not outrageous by any means, the taxes in the colonies were lower than those in England and the colonies even had religious freedom to an extent. The disagreement first festered within the people beat down by the laws and those making profit off of breaking England's laws, as England lowered the taxes smuggling and other illegal means of making money became less and less
To date, the American Revolution occupies a special place in the history of Western civilization. Occurring between 1765 and 1783, it was a political revolt of American colonies against the British imperialist tendencies around the world. The ultimate results of the rebellion led to the defeat of the United Kingdom in America. Most importantly, the United States of America attained its independence. It marked a serious attempt to portray a fight over ideas of enlightenment. After the revolution, the U.S. through its constitution became the first nation on earth to practice progressive ideas. Subsequently, many European nations were inspired to implement reforms in their respective countries. Therefore, this explains the emergence of similar revolutions such as the French revolution (1789-1803) and the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution (1917-22). Many historians have argued that the
In October of 1765, the same year the act was passed, the Stamp Act Congress met with delegates from nine colonies and petitioned the King of England, along with the two houses of Parliament. This petition and reaction to the act became the first formal cry for reformation with regard to England’s control over America. In addition to the Stamp Act of 1765, other various taxations aroused a spirit of revolution in America. One year before the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act of 1764 lowered the duty on molasses and raised the duty on sugar. While this act was designed to raise money, the majority of the Americans did not view it as any different than traditional taxations. Another set of taxes, known as the Townshend Duties, taxed goods imported to the colonies from England. Townshend judged this to be more practical because the duty was on “external” goods (those imported to the country) rather than “internal” goods, which the Stamp Act had attempted to address.
By the start of the American Revolution, over half a million African Americans, mostly enslaved, made up the American population. Some may say that America won their freedom from Great Britain through the efforts of supreme and elite white male leaders, but as Gary Nash argued, the true radicalism of the American Revolution was advocated by those who felt the most dissatisfied with their living conditions. This sheds light on the important issue of whether or not the American Revolution benefited those who were the most discontented in their situation. Some may argue that the American Revolution changed the lives of many citizens, such as the higher class citizens and the middle class citizens, but those who were oppressed did not socially
Freedom was the embodiment of the colonists’ ambitions and efforts who lived hundreds of years ago. Even now, soldiers fight and die to secure the liberty of American citizens. The American Revolution was a turning point for the 13 soon-to-be-independent colonies of the New World. Who knows where America would be if those colonists did not step up and battle for independence? This shift of authority is key to the development of the new country.
The Black American Revolutionary Era in the late 1700’s is a big part of what makes the American culture today. There were petitions for liberty and heroic African slaves that played roles in the revolution to get to the newly independent America. African American slaves who participated in this era were revolutionary heroes who fought for their freedom that they believed to so strongly deserved.
The American Revolution gained momentum throughout the Colonies due to popular belief that Great Britain was a tyranny. Because of this, a revolution was founded on the idea of freedom. The founders envisioned a country where their “Constitutional and political freedoms” (“Road to Revolution”, 25:10) would not be threatened. Which they believed where endangered by British Parliament. Giving the revolution a conservative label. Conservative, meaning they were not an oppressed population revolting against a higher power, but common people concerned over their Liberty’s. But considering this took place in the middle of the 18th Century, America indeed was doing things radical, compared to the rest of the world. Abolishing an anarchy and moving to a system that had checks and balances. Likewise, the slave population in America were attempting to gain their freedom as well. Slaves, like America, were equally justified to claim their right to freedom.
The tea act was passed, that made British tea cheaper than colonial tea. The colonists were ordered to purchase tea from the British East India company only. Colonists made a protest they decided to dump British tea into the Boston Harbor. This made the British mad and they had to pay the British back.