Causes Of The Revolutionary War

The American Revolution was not just a spontaneous revolt over taxes some may think . There were many things that led up to the outbreak of the American Revolution, such as the Navigation Act, the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre, and the Coercive Acts. It took many years for it to take place. This all started previously before 1775 with the first major event being the Navigation Acts of 1651.

The Continental Congress were trying to make a decision, and that decision was if they should become independent or not. Most of the delegates did not want to be independent though. Even so, in May 1776, Congress adopted a resolution authorizing each of the 13 colonies to establish its own government.

The French and Indian War caused Britain to go into debt. Parliament decided that the colonists had to take part in paying the debt. So, they passed acts that taxed British goods. When the colonists found out they had to pay taxes without representation, they were furious. One act that the colonists were upset by was the Stamp Act. The colonists´ reactions brewed up a lot of tension which led to the formation of the United States of America.

The Revolutionary War was the colonial struggle for freedom, liberty and independence. There were growing tensions between the colonial militia and the British military after the French and Indian War, which would intensify as a result of strict British legislation. Strict British legislation and unreasonably high taxes led to rebellion and boycotting British goods. The French and Indian war, British legislation and taxation and the ideologies of the Enlightenment altered the American perceptions of Britain, and contributed to the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

In a British law by the Parliament, they created the terms for the Declaratory Act (Document 3). The document states, “It said that the British Parliament had the power to… make laws… to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects if the Crown of Great Britain in all cases whatsoever. The British Parliament were saying that they had supreme authority over the colonies which angered the colonists. Due to this unjust legislation, the colonists and the Sons of Liberty decided to increase their boycott on British goods in response to the Declaratory Act. Additionally, in a resolution by the Continental Congress, they tried to restore peace between the British and the colonies (Document 8). The document states, “That the following acts of Parliament are infringements and violations of the rights of the colonists; and that the repeal of them is… necessary in order to restore harmony….” The Parliament laws violate the rights of the colonists and the Continental Congress want to them to repeal them. This led to further unification of the colonies which soon led to the American Revolution. Not only the allowance of taxation without representation but unjust legislation also led to the American

b) In response to this new levy, 9 colonial delegates were sent to meet at the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 held in New York City. At this meeting, they protested their loss of American “rights and liberties” caused by the issuing of the Stamp Act as well as others like it. The Stamp Act was challenged by the ideas of the constitution and eventually repealed in 1766.

From the end of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the American revolution, colonial resistance and commitment to republican values escalated. British imperial policies between 1763 and 1776, such as taxes and acts without representation and how the British treated the colonists, pushed these factors over the edge. Countless taxes were placed on the colonists in this time period, including the Sugar, Stamp, Tea, and Currency acts. These were placed on the colonists so that the British could pay back their debt that they acquired during the French and Indian War.

Until 1763 the British government and the colonists had peaceful relationships. The Seven Years War, known in America as the French and Indian War, was a turning point. Although Britain achieved victory and defeated France and its allies in 1763, the war left Britain with debts. British parliament decided to increase taxes in the colonies. The increase in taxes dissatisfied the colonists.

America was going through many changes in the years of 1775 to 1783. Americans were preparing to break off from Britain’s harsh oppression. The colonists felt like separation from Great Britain was necessary to gain their independence they always desired. Britain, after the French and Indian War (1754-1763), was left with a massive debt that had to be paid. Without compromising with the American Colonists, Parliament started to tax them without representing them in Great Britain's government. Some taxes imposed by Parliament included Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Act. These acts had one thing in common and that was to gain money from the American colonies to pay off the accumulated debt. Colonist saw this as a violation of their freedom

The Revolutionary War was from 1775-1783. The war was between Great Britain and North America. When the orders had arrived in america, British's orders were about two months out of date. Britain was fighting against us at war, while they were retaining the allegiance of loyalists. The war had ended with The Treaty of Paris in 1783.

British and colonial relation took a huge turning point after the French and Indian war (Tax Analyst 2014.) The French and Indian war was only the start of the many issues that had lead to the American Revolution. The American Revolution was a time where Americans gained their freedom and independence from the British. America gained their independence during political turmoil. The French and Indian war left the British nation bankrupt, leading to harsh taxation and eventually to the American Revolution. Following the French and Indian war, tax laws were established.

The relationship between the British and the colonist was destroyed after the war. The British did not see the colonist as one of them, but the colonist did. The Treaty of Paris restricted the colonist from taking land from the Indians. After the war the colonist wanted to move west of the Appalachian Mountain, the British rejected their request. The Proclamation Line of 1763 forbid them from moving to the land.

“ The British are coming, the British are coming!” This is a quote often attributed to Paul Revere and his ride through Lexington and Concord, when in reality it was more so the work of Samuel Prescott and William Dawes. This is just one of the many events leading up to the Revolutionary War. The major causes of the Revolutionary War include the Acts passed by Parliament, the colonists responses and actions to the acts, and the battles and skirmishes between the British and the colonies.

How far do you agree that the cause of the American Revolution was the introduction of the Tea Act in 1773?

Great Meadows: Lieutenant Colonel George Washington was sent with his militia to help build a fort, to assert British claims to the area. An Indian had assassinated French Commander Jumonville and a battle at Great Meadows commenced with Washington being forced to surrender. The first shots of the French and Indian War had been fired.