“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people… ” as the Second Continental Congress, so famously declared. The Declaration of Independence was one of the most historically influential documents in the history of the United States of America. Great Britain was the mother of the thirteen colonies, a great colonial power in America. Over the years, the colonists had a growing distrust in Great Britain, which had led to much political conflict.
When the colonists were fed up with the Crown’s futile attempts to simmer down the tension, in terms of passing acts and laws that not only served as unfair but tyrannical to the colonists, they had issued the Declaration of Independence, declaring themselves a free country, which continues to affect the world even today. There were many reasons of they the colonists issued the Declaration of Independence, however, there was one umbrella terms for all those grievances the colonists had against the Crown and that was King George III was a tyrant.
Despite the colonists’ convincing cries, the King also had reasons for why he issued such acts, and that was because he wanted to reassert his authority on the colonies. Despite there being much conflict, like all arguments, both the King and the colonies had their reasons. The Declaration of Independence issued by the colonists on July 4th, 1776, was probably one of the most iconic and prominent causes of the tyrannical and radical ways of the British’s governmental methods. The colonists had refused to be ruled by what they had described as a tyrant, which is why they ceased fighting and declared themselves independent.
Before the Declaration, the colonists had been withstanding a lot of oppression from their government 3,000 miles away, the British Parliament. Starting with the Proclamation Line of 1763, issued by parliament to prevent the colonies from having war with the surrounding Native Americans, this was one of the first causes that had caused the seed of distrust in the colonists to sprout. Because this Proclamation was issued soon after the French and Indian War, the British were up to their ears in war debt.
As a result, the British had passed several acts raising colonial taxes. One of the first of these was the Sugar Act, which had set a tax on sugar purchased in the colonies specifically. The colonies had already been experiencing a multitude of financial difficulties, so a tax act to feed that struggle was indeed a burden. This was soon followed by the Stamp Act, which had placed a tax on every piece of printed paper they had used. The British were very relentless on reasserting their authority over the colonies, however, the colonists are even more so.
Boycotting the goods the British taxed, the colonists were successful in forcing the British to repeal their acts. With acts that were meant to collect more money to pay off war debt, had only caused a significant and drastic decline in the British economy until they were forced to repeal the acts they had placed on the colonies. As much more acts were placed and repealed on the colonies, such as the Tea Act, the Quartering Act and the Townshend Revenue Act, the colonists continued to fight the government bravely.
According to Document F, the colonists had “humbly petitioned” Parliament and the Crown to hold back on their what-could-bedescribed-as oppressive acts. However, the King would not listen, this began the political issue of “No taxation without representation! ” which basically meant that Parliament cannot tax the colonists if the colonists had no representation in Parliament. Overall, the main reasons of why the Declaration of Independence was signed was because the colonies were living under a tyrannical government.
However, like a mother to her child, Great Britain would find that losing her colonies would indeed be a great loss. Great Britain could not bear losing such a great moneymaker. During the American Revolution, According to Document D, the King described the colonists’ “treasons and traitorous conspiracies” to be insulting to “our crown and dignity”. This, the king’s urge was strong to defend his people and his wealth. Also according to Document D, the colonies had seemed to forget its loyalty to the authority that has protected them and supported them.
Being such an economical benefit, the thirteen colonies were immensely precious to the Crown and Great Britain, which only fed the Crown’s urge to reaffirm Great Britain’s authority over her colonies. In the view of a king, it could be found appropriate that the Crown issued such acts that were so strict. The British had also put so much time, effort, and money into obtaining the land the 13 colonies habited in the French and Indian War, adding to its value, thus casting even more urge on the Crown to protect and preserve the colonies from breaking away.
According to Document C, to think that such misled colonists are successful in such attempts to openly rebel against Parliament, in turn, leading to the “utter destruction of the public peace,” it is clear at this point on why the Crown had a burning passion to retain the Crown’s authority over its colonies. Great Britain could also not bear to watch everything they have raised be crumbled down, so they called for order and law.
Not only that, but the Crown also knew that if the colonists continued to inflict hostility on their own government and authority, it would surely lead to another war which would leave Britain in even a bigger financial struggle than what the French and Indian War had left them. Generally speaking, the British feared losing power and wealth in the Americas, especially when it’s the British’s own wealth and power breaking off themselves. In order to retain that power, they found it very ppropriate to retaliate, and in turn, reassert her authority on her colonies.
All in all, both sides of the American Revolution had their reasons for their hostile acts of retaliation. The colonists rebelled because they described the government they were living under a tyranny, and the Crown retaliated to defend its country, wealth, power, authority, and dignity. Although many had died in the American Revolution, both the British and the colonists, it had all led up to cause for independence that would brand its powerful mark on the world, its effects continuing to reach the modern-day America, and reaching to the farthest corner of the world.