The American Revolution should never have happened. The British were not tyrannical, oppressive rulers although the American colonies perceived them to be so. The American colonists misperceptions led to revolution and independence. Although Great Britain emerged victorious in the Seven Years War, it left Great Britain with significant debt. The British looked to America to help it. First the British began enforcing existing laws like the Navigation Acts, which put limits on colonial imports and exports. To enforce these laws better, the British passed the "Writs of Assistance" that gave officials warrants to search anything or anyone suspected of smuggling, anywhere or anytime. British warships would even patrol American harbors to …show more content…
Soon the Quartering Act was passed, directing the colonies to provide quarters for British soldiers. Americans found this oppressive because it meant that soldiers were placed in colonial homes. In 1764 Parliament passed the Stamp Act, putting a duty on most printed materials. This was a normal tax for the British as it had been going on in Britain for a long time, and it made sense that the rest of their empire would pay the same tax. This placed a burden on merchants and the colonial elite who did most legal transactions and read the newspapers. Also passed in the same year was the Declaratory Act, which stated that the colonies were subject to the will of Parliament. This made a lot of sense to the British, as Parliament was their ruling body, but, to the colonies who had become used to their own government during the years of salutory neglect, this was a direct threat to their way of life. Three years later more duties were imposed on the colonies through the Townshend Acts, which placed taxes on lead glass, paper, and tea. It reorganized the American Customs Service, which enforced the Navigation Act, the Sugar Act, and now the Townshend Acts. The Americans responded to this in many ways, but primarily by boycotting all British goods and by implementing a non-importation agreement. After losing much money, the British decided to repeal the Townshend duties and others, except
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “No gains without pain.” This could not be more of a true statement when speaking of the American Revolution. There are so many factors that are said to have caused it, that it's hard to determine what never needed to happen. Because of the French and Indian War, the British were suffering from debt. They needed the find a way out; therefore, new laws and acts were established. If the British would have treated the colonists as friends instead of their instant way out of dept, we could have never seen independence. Another reason that the American Revolution couldn’t have been avoided; because the colonists had already learned to fight, were tired of British
After the victory towards French in the Seven Years War, the political and social relationship of the colonists and Great Britain had shifted to a different direction. The colonists began to think of themselves as Americans. At that time, The British government felt that the colonies had become quite independence, and they wanted their colonies to start paying tax in order to help England pay the national debt. Not only were Americans forced to pay direct taxes, but they were also obliged to involve in strict regulatory acts such as Sugar Act and Currency Act. Sugar Act (1764) strongly affected American’s trading in which their oceanic vessels and cargos could be inspected by the British Navy and might be confiscated if the paper and the goods that being transported were in disagreement. Currency Act (1764) restricted colonial governments to print their own paper money. These two acts put some colonists in anger but they were not enough to result in civil disorder until the Stamp Act was passed. The reason that the colonists resisted government authority with the passage of the Stamp Act (1765) was because the Stamp Act collected taxes in all type of papers including newspapers, playing cards, licenses, and stamps. This outraged many colonists especially the educated and
After about 4 years the Townshend acts were passed. The Townshend acts were originated by Charles Townshend. They were meant to add even more taxes on all imported goods, which makes everything almost double the original price. Great Britain needed to pass this act because they still had so much of the debt to pay ofF. This was a huge financial burden for the colonists. There were many violent protests.This act eventually led to the Boston tea
To begin with, the British government abused its power. Parliament passed many laws and taxes which infuriated the colonists. They were imposed for power, regulation, and money. These new laws encroached the freedoms of the colonists. For example, the Sugar Act of 1764 increased the tax on sugar imported from the West Indies. The Quartering Act of 1765 required colonists to provide food and
The renowned enlightenment philosopher, John Locke believes in the same principles that the Americans faced when making their difficult decision in 1765. The American Revolution wasn’t just out of pure disagreement from the British, it was based upon Enlightenment principles. Locke, an Enlightenment philosopher, believed that people could improve themselves. The counterargument of the American Revolution not occurring discredits the Americans new way of governing and becoming independent. Enlightenment is entirely based upon questioning the higher power, the British monarchy did not settle to the Americans in the 1700s who believed that the British power was going overboard, in which they decided to revolt.
The Townshend Act was passed on 2nd July 1776. The act involved a series of acts that imposed duties on paper, glass, lead, paints and all tea imported into the colonies. The series of measures were introduced by the Exchequer Charles Townshend into the English Parliament. Although many Americans viewed the extra taxation as slavery and abuse of power, its initiator, Mr. Townshend hoped the act would provide money for imperial expenses in the colonies. The act eventually lead to imports from America being limited. After the many complaints and dissatisfaction from the American, the English Parliament finally amended the act in 1770. All duties were scrapped except the tax on tea. This was the last harassment that
The American colonies had good reason to suspect some other motives were at play in Britain and with their fears came more taxes. With their ever-growing belief that in some way Britain was devising a plan to seize their liberties, colonists started to boycott British luxury goods so Britain would have to stop the taxes since they would not be making revenue. However, this did not stop Parliament from adding new taxes to the list. In 1767, the Townshend Revenue Acts were imposed and set a new series of taxes on the colonists to offset the costs of administering and protecting the American colonies. Items taxed include imports such as paper, tea, glass, lead and paints. The restrictions Britain
The act was to set to try to stop the smuggling of goods so they required captains of colonial ships to post a bond that they would deliver enumerated goods to England or pay the "plantation duty" that would be owned in England. Similar to this Act was the Woolens Act of 1699, that Forbade export of woolen cloth made in the colonies, to prevent competition with English producers. In response, they wore their own products and refused to buy from British. Become desperate they even pass the Hat Act of 1732, which prohibited exports of colonial hats. This shows how well the colonies are to adapt to the changes. There is more like the Molasses Act of 1733, which was quite simply a tax on sugar from foreign sources. Their ideology was simple to tax and regulate what they can to maximize profit and minimize the influences the colonies had to other foreign countries. By taking away their rights to sell who they want to and what they could sell. The King and Parliament believed they had the right to tax the colonies. They decided to require several kinds of taxes from the colonists to help pay for the French and Indian War. These taxes included the Stamp Act, passed in 1765, which required the use of special paper bearing an embossed tax stamp for all legal documents. Other laws, such as the Townshend Acts, passed in 1767, required the colonists to pay taxes on imported goods like tea. Similar to a monopoly. British begin the main company and the colonies the company affected by
The Sugar Act of 1764 was imposed to prevent illegal sugar trade between the colonists and the West Indies. It lowered the duty on molasses which was detrimental to the market for sugar grown in the colonies. It also created a new court system, without juries, to try smugglers. The Currency Act of 1764 prohibited the colonists to issue paper currency, which they had used effectively during the French and Indian War. These acts were hurting the economy of the colonies and making them more subject to British rule. The Quartering Act of 1765 was an amendment of the Mutiny Act (Abdullah, M., et al 2014). This new provision forced colonists to house and feed British troops that were now permanently stationed in the colonies. They were also required to provide fuel and transportation. The American colonists were convinced, since the war was over, that the British troops were stationed there to keep an eye on them and this was further infringing on their liberties. The colonists opposed such regulations since they had lived primarily under smaller self-government for so long that they wanted desperately to protect that which they had become accustomed. The Massachusetts and New York Assemblies simply ignored the mandated Quartering Act. Charles Townsend dissolved the Assembly in New York as part of the Townsend Acts.
Throughout 1764 to 1774, the British imposed a series of new acts on the colonist which only created stronger unification and brought the colonies closer to rebellion (Schultz, 2010). The first act was known as the Sugar Act of 1764. Although this act decreased the taxed amount on molasses and sugar imported from non-British colonies in the West Indies, it was problematic for the colonists as it strengthened the enforcement of collecting taxes. Next, the British imposed the Quartering Act of 1765. The Quartering Act was disrupted the homes of the colonists because it required the colonies to provide food and shelter to British troops that were stationed in their territories.
As tension escalated between the British colonies in the New World and the British, many individuals began to reach their breaking point. Much of this tension created violence and unjustified actions. However, the colonists’ fight for independence was condoned as the colonies shifted from outbreaks and riots to a serious Britain-free government ideal post the American Revolution. Such acts of the Americans were justified because the colonists only wanted freedom and independence. Instead of giving them what the colonists wanted, Britain took advantage of them using taxes and controlled them with a leader on the other side of the earth.
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts named after Charles Townshend, that were passed by the British in 1767. The act placed a tax on all goods that the colonies imported from Britain. Some of these taxed goods were glass, paint, paper and tea. Charles Townshend believed that the bad behavior of the colonists made it more important to keep an army in the colonies. Because of that, he proposed the Townshend Acts to the Parliament.
By 1765, at a Stamp Act Congress, all but four colonies were represented as the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” was passed. They were determined to let Parliament know that they were equal to British citizens, that there would be no “taxation without representation,” and all efforts to stop tax on colonists would continue (Kennedy, etal 2011.) Although Lord Rockingham, the predecessor of Grenville, sought to repeal of the Stamp Act, this in no way meant Parliament was conceding their control. In fact, while the Stamp Act was repealed, another called the “Declaratory Act of 1766,” gave Parliament the authority to make laws binding the American Colonies, “in all cases whatsoever.” In 1767, George III passed the Townshend Acts to collect tax on glass, lead, paints, paper and, tea. Recognizing that tea was a favorite among the Americans, it ensured greater revenue the British government. Again, the colonists’ rights for representation were ignored and they started to boycott British goods and ultimately, smuggle tea. When the Quartering Act was passed, which specified that colonists were to give room and board to British troops, tension began to rise. For two years, the colonists tolerated British troops on their soil and their dissatisfaction with the British Parliament and King George III became evident through many violent riots, abusiveness of tax collectors and destruction of property. According to Kennedy, etal (2011), Parliament, continually met with
As the colonies and England grew further apart the resentment of additional taxes and tariffs increased the distance between the two. England came up with the Tea Act, Sugar Act, and Stamp Act, all of which were designed to regain the money England felt was due. All tea imported to the colonies was hit with an additional tax covered by the Tea Act. The Sugar Act allowed British troops to enter, search, and seize any items that they desired without probably cause, this supposedly allowed them to control the flow of illegal and untaxed goods. The Stamp Act was a tax placed on all paper goods including those materials that could possibly be made into paper. These three taxes were collectively known as the Intolerable or Coercive Acts. Probably the tax that hit
The irregular and disorganized British rule of the American colonies in the previous years led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans did not originally want to separate from mother England. They wanted to stay loyal to the crown. England’s unwillingness to compromise, mismanagement of the colonies, heavy taxation of the colonists that violated their rights, the distractions of foreign affairs and politics in England and the strict trading policies that England tried to enforce together made the revolution inevitable. The British were definitely expected to win the dispute because they significantly over powered the Colonists in most areas. They had more money, weapons, people, etc. However the American’s prevailed with