Inevitability Of Independence

Many colonists, in the soon to be United States, felt that the English government under which they lived was not fulfilling the needs of its citizens. The poor governing of the British parliament and king left the colonies in a position where seceding from great Britain was the most logical solution. Colonist is a term used loosely in reference to the revolution. The people responsible for the declaration of independence and other important revolutionary acts were not the average colonists, rather they were the rich and powerful land owners. These men, like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, were interested in making money and their only real barrier was England. Taxation without representation separated these men from their money and they felt that it was unfeasible to continue living under a government which such absolute power. England claimed that the colonies were virtually represented in parliament but the government in England was looking into the best interests of England and not the best interests of the colonies. The forefathers of our great country were interested in forming a new government utilizing the ideas of the enlightenment period but they were also very interested in making money. England was making it increasingly difficult for these men to get richer. In 1765 a document called “Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress” was written. Within it the colonists pointed out several discrepancies in their governing powers, one of which was this excerpt.

IX. That the duties imposed by several late Acts of Parliament, from the peculiar circumstances of these colonies, will be extremely burdensome and grievous; and from the scarcity of specie, the payment of them absolutely impracticable.The powerful men of America certainly felt that they were not going to be able to make money, in fact from what they told the British government, they stood to lose money.They also felt that they might not only lose the ability to make money but also the ability to survive. This next excerpt is from the 1775 “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms”The commercial intercourse of whole colonies, with foreign countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of parliament; by another several of them were entirely prohibited from the fisheries in the seas near their coasts, on which they always depended for their sustenance.When one thinks of revolution, one may conjure up images of angry citizens bearing arms with a mind set to gain political change.