At first, the colonies were proud to be a part of the British empire. Years later, after the results of the French and Indian War took place, the colonies realized the British wasn’t all what it seemed. After seeing the British lose the first two years of the war, the colonies thought that they could possibly have a chance to beat them. King George decided to start taxing the colonies to pay for the war debt from the French and Indian War. This outraged the colonists because they felt they were being taxed with representation.
The American Revolution largely began because the American colonists wanted to prevent the British from increasing taxes and violating their rights as Englishmen. The British and American Colonist both had political differences in many ways after the French and Indian war took place. British was hit hard financially and because of their debt the British government decided to start taxing the colonies to cover the cost from the war. With the power of the British government they created a tax known as the Stamp Act one of the first taxes created. In the Works of John Adams, Vol.
III, 1851, written by John Adams as a colonist in mass was a complaint that the Stamp Act was unconstitutional because the British were creating acts to make money from the colonists (Document 1). In a Declaration made by the parliament explains that the British made a law binding the colonies under their full control and making them pay for taxes (Document 2). John Dickinson a colonist in Pennsylvania wrote a letter explaining that a new act had been passed called the Townshend Act that taxed British goods imported from England and the colonist were taxed without consent (Document 3).
The colonists wrote a resolution to the parliament and King George explaining that the acts that had been passed were against their rights. A new conflict started to rise when Britain started importing tea to the colonies and the colonist were happy because people made money off of the tea but now they wouldn’t. The colonies refused the tea but it was still imported so about 300 cases of tea were dumped in the river and this became known as the “Boston Tea Party” (Document 5). Social issues between the American colonist and the British were very conflicting after the French and Indian war.
Fights broken out between the American Patriots and the British Loyalists. A number of outrageous taxes were being placed on everyday supplies. The Stamp Acts placed taxes on printed documents including legal documents, licenses and newspapers, John Adams an American colonist wrote a resolution to get his other fellow colonist to protest against the act (Document 1). The Declaratory Act helped secure the colonies and keep the colonist under Britain’s control. However, this just created more violence from the colonist for the taxes (Document 2).
Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre 1770, was used as Propaganda at the time shortly after the event to show that the British fired on unarmed colonist. Colonist try to make it look like the British just fired for no reason but really some of the them were antagonizing the soldiers. Yet, the colonists made the attack look like British were the bad guys (Document 4). Geographic issues were included between America and Britain because of differences in the way they thought. American colonist thought of the British as monsters after the Boston Massacre because they killed and wounded unarmed colonists.
The picture by Paul Revere shows the interpretation of the horrible event (Document 4). As a result, of the Boston Tea Party Britain decided make another law called Intolerable acts which closed the ports and stop trade. Stopping trade meant no food trade and other supplies. This took away their right as an American Colonist (Documen 5). The financial costs for the British were through the roof after the war. The British deciding to tax the colonists seemed like an okay thing to for them to do since they didn’t care about the colonists opinions.
Money was a huge thing to the colonists especially because of taxes. Instead of spending money on food and other supplies the colonists need they have to pay for ridiculous taxes because Britain is in too much of a debt (Document 1). The British were furious with the American colonists attempts to rebel against the acts. To make sure Britain was in full control British soldiers started coming to stay in the colonies. British soldiers didn’t make very much money so they started taking the colonists jobs which made the hatred even worse (Document 4).
In conclusion, the cause the American Revolution was when King George decided to start taxing the colonists to help Britain with their large debt after the French and Indian War. The colonists became furious with the British orders and tried several different way to rebel. Another historical event that can relate to The American Revolution is the French Revolution. The French Revolution was around the same time as The American Revolution and both French citizens and Americans citizens were fighting to end the spiteful monarchy and be free from orders.
