Taxation W/O Representation

The 18th century can be marked as a period of internal and external struggle for the American colonists. From improper representation, to unfair taxes, such as the Stamp Act, to being overall abused by Britain, the colonists were justifiably angry. From this anger, the slogan “No taxation without representation” was born and quickly began to emerge from the lips of almost every colonist all across America. The demand from colonists everywhere for no taxation without representation weighed heavily as a symbol for democracy, as it revealed the mindset of many – Britain was using the hardworking colonists and took their money without even giving them a say – and laid the foundation for the American revolutionary war, allowing more arguments and

The demand for no taxation without representation was the primary force motivating the American revolutionary movement, and for many it became a symbol for democracy. Throughout the late 18th century, the British colony of America was oppressed by Parliament from "across the pond". This oppression included unequal rights compared to English citizens that lived on the mainland, unneeded taxation, and no representation in Parliament, which resulted in many laws that were unfavorable to the American colonists. It was this "taxation without representation" that was a powerful catalyst in firing up the American revolutionary movement. America was "all grown up", and no longer needed to be monitored on by Britain.

Exasperated Americans saw that they had no sort of representation in England. No person of leadership was asked to sit in Parliament and voice any colonial concerns. The colonies did not have any sort of representation within the British Parliament. Without representation, the colonies were being taxed without any sort of consideration for the people. The Patriotic slogan for this particular upset was “No Taxation Without Representation”. Samual Adams used this phrase to gain more followers and to build a force against Britain. Adams was ready for a war, he wanted separation from England before others even thought

The best explanation for the causes of the Revolution were “A Democratic Movement” written by Robert Brown. “A Democratic Movement” claims that the main cause of the American Revolution was to protect the liberties of the colonies that were there before the British

The colonists began to question if independence was for them when parliament passed the Stamp Act. The stamp act was meant to raise money for British soldiers and also to pay off some of Britain’s debt. When the King/Parliament passed laws the colonists believed that if they weren’t there when the laws were passed they were illegal (according to the Bill of Rights), which is where the slogan “no taxation against representation” came in to play. The people wanted to separate from England because of how the king only passed laws that benefited him. Colonists had a problem with their government. Thomas Paine says that government is a necessary evil. He says that their government is being hampered by oppression; he believed, along with other people, that the King was leading cruelly and not caring about his people. The Declaration of Independence also says, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government”. Thomas Jefferson is saying that the laws that the King/Parliament were passing were becoming destructive and it was the right of the people to become independent or change their

Colonists sought independence from British government for a multitude of reasons. Tension quickly rose between England and the thirteen colonies due to the unjust taxing without fair representation in Parliament, the colonist’s rights to assemble were taken away by the British, and there were many unreasonable Acts and laws put into place in attempt to have complete control over the colonists as well as intimidate them. For these reasons and the suffering that the colonists endured at the hands of the British government, I feel that the colonists had plenty just causes to separate themselves from England.

In the year of 1776, emotions intensify in Colonial America creating an atmosphere prime for dissidence and a yearning for independence. The livid Americans, overtaxed and mistreated by the British after the French and Indian War, debate and argue amongst themselves about the fate of their fledgling colony. The American colonies interested in seeking independence from their motherland Britain, look abroad in hopes of finding moral and political reasons to justify revolution. In the pamphlet, Common Sense, Frenchman Thomas Paine conveys such reasons using rhetorical elements such as figurative language, rhetorical questions, and assertions in order to enhance the morale of the colonists and support the Americans in their revolution against Britain.

The American colonies were originally loyal to Britain. Early on, however, King George called for some actions that sparked feelings of revolution. The French-Indian War had left severe consequences for Britain such as debt. The colonists were angered by the taxes and unjust treatment they were given so they decided to declare war on the British to become independent. Although some argue that King George’s power protected them, the American colonies were justified in breaking away from their British forefather because of the tyrannical acts of King George and his levying of taxes on goods in the American colonies.

These elections of representatives foreshadowed the coming of a new government among the American colonist. Many colonists favored independence from Britain and by 1776 the American revolutions for independence was in place. Although the colonists where outnumbered by the British they refused to give up. This same year, a statement written mostly by Thomas Jefferson became adopted by the Continental Congress. This statement was the Declaration of Independence which stated why that the colonist rejected their main ruler and why they have decided to become an independent

The thirteen colonists wanted taxation without representation. The colonist wanted to have an opinion about the taxes that they had to pay to the British Empire. The colonist wanted someone to represent them. The British did not care how the colonist felt about paying taxes. May1776, Virginia wanted to establish a republic government because they wanted their independence from England. The Colonist did not want to have anything to do with the political connection with the State of Great Britain.

As our discussion post provided this week, the colonists responded with rebellion because of the new acts that were imposed upon them by the British (Schultz, K., 2013). Their attempt to reform the American colonies contributed to the growth of the Revolutionary movement because the British tried to enforce stricter policies and laws (Schultz, K. M., 2013). The British wanted to tighten the policies over the colonial officials so that it would reduce the corruption, the British wanted control over the area of land that the settlers occupied, and they wanted to raise revenue by taxing goods. Although the British were adamant about their purpose, the colonist believed that rebelling against them would help in receiving their independence.

In result of The Seven Years’ War Britain controlled American trade and territory. In order to pay for the expenses of the war several taxation acts and military presence were implemented such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act and the presence of British troops at the colonies. Consequently, Americans who thought these actions violated their political and constitutional liberties opposed these policies with petitions, boycotts, and resistance strategies known as the Imperial Crisis. In January 1776 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was composed to convince Americans of the need for independence from British rule and establishment of democracy. This pamphlet

When Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense, the war had already started, but many colonists neither approved of the war nor desired independence from Great Britain. Common Sense convinced many colonists that the colonies should gain independence from Great Britain, even if it meant war. The increased number of supporters undoubtedly helped the recruitment numbers. The Stamp Act was one of the most despised actions by Great Britain government if not the most. It added an excise tax to all legal documents, cards, dice, and tea; all this it did in the form of stamps required for the item to be legal.

Why weren’t the thirteen colonies willing to abide by England’s laws? While some people were horrified with the Stamp Act, others were completely accepting of this new act. Janis Herbert stated in her book, The American Revolution for Kids, that after the French and Indian War, England had many debts, which obviously needed to be paid (3). England’s Parliament decided the American colonists needed to pay their debts for them. England went about this matter by raising taxes and requiring a stamp for fifty different documents (Gale Encyclopedia Par. 2). Since America was not yet a country, and had no representation, they were trapped with the laws Parliament passed. Even though England was trying to pay off their debts from the French & Indian War, they went about it the wrong way, because they expected the American colonists to pay by increased tax dollars. This is an example of taxation without representation, because the American colonists didn't have representatives, or the opportunity to vote.

The Americans in the colonies decided to break away from Great Britain for many reasons. One reason was the taxes being put on items. This made the colonists come up with the phrase "no taxation without representation". (Doc #1)