1776: Unraveling the American Colonists' Independence Declaration

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On July 4th 1776, the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain The reasoning behind this decision is complicated and multifaceted. Once we dive into historical and economical evidence, we will better understand the perspectives of the American colonists and their logic behind declaring independence. When it benefited Britain, their policies treated American colonists as citizens, for instance colonists were taxed heavily and forced to fight in the British army. The American colonists, however, were technically not considered British citizens, and did not receive many of the benefits of a British citizen. British laws prevented American colonists from free trade and restricted the growth and expansion of many industries. “The British government had made the most arbitrary attempts to enslave America by restricting the trade and commerce of America.” - William Drayton. In the early 1600’s the British Empire established monopoly …show more content…

This law generated even more animosity towards the British, and was another convincing reason for the colonists to declare their independence. Many farmers and settlers had already set their minds on acquiring new fertile land following the Seven Years War against France. They were now told by a government thousands of miles away they could not move to land they believed were rightfully theirs. (145) This was especially frustrating because the American colonists had been forced to fight in the war.. Newly acquired land, previously owned by the French, was instead designated for the Native Americans. (146) At the same time, in order for Britain to repay its war debts, the British further increased taxes towards in American colonies. (151) Consequently, the American colonists not only had to fight in the Seven Years War, but also ended up being forced to pay for it all while receiving none of the

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