The American Revolution was a very important part in American History, because it is when the colonies of America gained independence and became the United States of America. Enlightenment thoughts had been floating around, giving people many new ideas - one of them being independence of Britain. Colonists were ready for independence, they had a population consisting of 2.1 million people by 1770, and compared to Britain, there were many more opportunities for people to take advantage of in America because the English class system was absent. The colonists had a lot of independence already; they were generally self-governing, and made many of their own laws. Independence of Britain was definitely not impossible for the American colonists at this point.
In 1763, Britain defeated France in the French and Indian war, which led to major economic debt for Britain. To appease their debt, Britain tried taxing the colonies starting with the Stamp Act. According to the Stamp Act, colonists had to pay for authorized stamps on all of the public documents. In an act of rebellion towards the British as a result of the Stamp Act, there was a boycott on the goods that Britain was taxing, which later pushed Parliament to revoke the Stamp Act in 1766. Despite this, the British still needed money to pay for the French and Indian war, so they taxed colonists on glass, paper, paints and tea. This impacted merchants the most, and when they tried to boycott, British troops were sent to America to manage them. British troops arrived in America to keep all the colonists from revolting and keep everything under control. In 1770, among all the tension between the soldiers and the colonists a fight broke out and 5 men were killed by British soldiers – this ...
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...uture because now we know that strength is not in numbers, but in the amount of motivation the people have towards their destination. This story is interesting because it is how The United States of America was born, and without the American Revolution, The United States would not exist.
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After the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in tremendous debt and had additional land to rule. By cause of their debt and their obligation to their new land, they began to put taxes on the colonists living in that land. The colonists were enraged because they were getting taxed without representation in British Parliament. Two acts that caused some of these reactions are the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts. Overall, British actions after 1763 caused numerous reactions from the colonists, which led to the American Revolution.
The British were facing economic difficulties after the French and Indian war; therefore, they passed taxes on the colonies to help repay the debt. Initially, the British introduced the Sugar Act in 1764. The colonists did not approve of the British taking control over them. The colonists opposed the Sugar Act because they had to pay three cent tax on sugar. In addition, the Sugar Act increased the taxes on coffee, indigo, and wine. This act was the start of colonist frustration. Subsequently came the Stamp Act the following year in 1765. The Stamp Act was the mind changer for many colonists known as the Patriots. The Patriots started forming as a result of England enforcing acts. The patriots believed the colonies should go to war and separate
(140) It was during this time period that “the government in London concerned itself with the colonies in unprecedented ways…to help raise funds to pay for the war and finance the empire.” (Forner 141) The British government was heavily in debt after fighting the Seven Years War on several fronts. The need to raise funds was paramount and the colonies were a ready source. The British government started imposing taxes on the colonies as a means of income. This was a change in the relationship between America and the mother country. Many Americans opposed these taxes. (Forner 142- 143) According to Forner, “Opposition to the Stamp Act was the first great Drama of the revolutionary era and the first major split between the colonist and Great Britain over the meaning of freedom.” (142) This act was eventually repealed by Parliament in 1766 after great opposition by Americans. (Forner 144) The Stamp Act was just the beginning of several events and taxes on the colonist leading up the Boston Tea
Without colonial consent, the British started their bid to raise revenue with the Sugar Act of 1764 which increased duties colonists would have to pay on imports into America. When the Sugar Act failed, the Stamp Act of 1765 which required a stamp to be purchased with colonial products was enacted. This act angered the colonists to no limit and with these acts, the British Empire poked at the up to now very civil colonists. The passing of the oppressive Intolerable Acts that took away the colonists’ right to elected officials and Townshend Acts which taxed imports and allowed British troops without warrants to search colonist ships received a more aggravated response from the colonist that would end in a Revolution.
The imperial tactics of the British Empire were exercised on the colonists through heavy taxes trade restrictions because of their mercantilist economy. The Stamp Act taxed the colonists directly on paper goods ranging from legal documents to newspapers. Colonists were perturbed because they did not receive representation in Parliament to prevent these acts from being passed or to decide where the tax money was spent. The colonists did not support taxation without representation. The Tea Act was also passed by Parliament to help lower the surplus of tea that was created by the financially troubled British East India Company. The colonists responded to this act by executing the Boston Tea Party which tossed all of the tea that was imported into the port of Boston. This precipitated the Boston Port Act which did not permit the colonists to import goods through this port. The colonists protested and refused all of these acts which helped stir the feelings of rebellion among the colonists. The British Mercantilist economy prevented the colonists from coin...
As an American observes the life around him, noting the many advancements made in merely the last century, he must wonder how America climbed to such a level. The 21st century technology, the military and political power, education and ethics, all came from such meager beginnings, solidified by the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War proved to be a significant turning point in the history of our country, but what caused America to win? What were some of the most significant factors in the victory of these American patriots? By examining these three particular factors, America’s military assets, it’s aid from other countries, and its own spirit of independence, one’s understanding of the Revolutionary War, an essential root of this nation, is truly increased.
The war had been enormously expensive, and the British government’s attempts to impose taxes on colonists to help cover these expenses resulted in chaos. English leaders, were not satisfied with the financial and military help they had received from the colonists during the war. In a desperate attempt to gain control over the colonies as well as the additional revenue to pay off the war debt, Britain began to force taxes on the colonies. Which resulted in The Stamp Act, passed by parliament and signed by the king in March 1765. The Stamp Act created an excise tax on legal documents, custom papers, newspapers, almanacs, college diplomas, playing cards, and even dice. Obviously the colonist resented the Stamp Act and the assumption that parliament could tax them whenever and however they could without their direct representation in parliament. Most colonials believed that taxation without their consent was a violation of their constitutional rights as Englishmen. Which is where the slogan “No Taxation without Representation” comes
The later 18th century was a time of crisis for the old regimes of Europe and their economic systems and political agitation sometimes breaking out into revolts. English Industrial Revolution vaulted Britain to the fore. France was the most powerful and the most typical of the old aristocratic absolute monarchies of Europe. (lower taxes off backs of lower classes).
The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most other countries as well. On the other hand, Schama viewed the French Revolution as unproductive and excessively violent.
George Washington once said, “Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” England took advantage of its colonies and tried to enforce unfair policies. In 1775, the political mistreatment needed to end and the United States needed to separate from Britain to develop successfully as a country. The American Revolution changed the history of the world. To understand it’s the importance of the American Revolution it necessary to understand pre-war America, the cause of war, Britain’s mindset, United States’ mindset, the economy, significant events, and how the war ended.
The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.
Kelly, Martin. "The Boston Massacre - American Revolution and the Boston Massacre." About.com American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
This chapter provided information from the trial of Captain Thomas Preston. The chapter asked the question, “What really happened in the Boston Massacre”. Chapter four focused on the overall event of the Massacre and trying to determine if Captain Preston had given the order to fire at Boston citizens. The chapter provides background information and evidence from Preston’s trial to leave the reader answering the question the chapter presents. Although, after looking through all the witnesses’ testimonies some might sway in Captain Preston’s favor, just the way the grand jury did.
The American Revolution (1763-1783) was a pivotal period in the history of the United States. During this tempestuous era, the thirteen English North American mainland colonies were able, against seemingly overwhelming odds, to secure their independence from Great Britain, to design a revolutionary philosophy, and to create a government and society that implemented the revolutionary ideals of freedom, liberty, and equality. The root cause of the American Revolution was taxation without representation. The British Parliament was exploiting its colonies to pay for the war debt accrued from the French and Indian War. The Americans felt the British had too much control over them with all the taxes they imposed, so they went to war. Money was certainly one of the major causes of the American Revolution. The Americans won when Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown when surrounded by American and French troops. A peace treaty wasn't signed until two years later, when Great Britain formally recognized independence.
As soon as people left England to come to the United States, there was a smell of revolution in the air. The Revolutionary War was a way for the United States to make a statement and move forward as a country that wasn’t under the British rule. John Adams, the second prime minister of the United States, explains how the American Revolution began when he says, “The Revolution was affected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people”. Adam basically means that everyone was thinking about the revolution and in their minds they were already there, wanting to break free from the British rule.