American Revolution: What Range of (Long and Short Term) Causes, When Combined, Provides a Satisfactory Explanation for Why the American Revolution Broke Out in 1775?

Many colonists were angered because of high taxes England chose to enforce on them. These taxes were a result of the British participation and victory in the French and Indian war. However, what made the colonists even more angry was the fact that they were being taxed without representation in England’s Parliament. The colonists thought that, in order to be taxed by the British, they should have representation in it. They saw it as unfair to be taxed by a government they had no say in. As Patrick Henry said in his speech made to the Virginia House of Burgesses, “We can under law be taxed only by our own representatives...The Stamp Act is against the law. We must not obey it…” (Doc. 1). Since many colonists thought this taxation broke the law, some of them chose to protest by going to the House of Burgesses, boycotting imports, or simply not paying it in response. This response is justified; if

These stamps were required on bills of sale for trade items, and on various types of commercial and legal documents, anything from playing cards to diplomas to marriage licenses. Grenville claimed that the Stamp act was needed in order to help defray the cost of keeping British troops stationed in the colonies in order to protect them. To the colonists this was an invalid answer, because the French were out of North America, and they no longer needed protection. Instead, this Act was viewed as a tax solely to make money for England: "A right to impose an internal tax on the colonies, without their consent for the single purpose of revenue, is denied..." (Document B). Also, anyone that disobeyed these laws was tried in the admiralty courts, were juries were not allows, and you were guilty until proven innocent. In response, the colonists formed the Stamp Act Congress, in which the members drew up a statement of the rights and grievances of the colonists to send to the king, however it was ignored by England. Instead, they started a steady boycott of British goods. It is after this that the colonists realized that they were being used by England, and began their cry of "no taxation without representation!" Parliament had thought that it was making easy money off of the colonies; instead it had started the fire of rebellion burning, and the Stamp Act was soon repealed.

Many know the American Revolution as a war of independence between Great Britain and the thirteen colonies in the United States. During this war, the thirteen colonies with the help of the French and others won their freedom from Great Britain. According to history the actual war started in 1775 and ended sometime in 1783. Although the war was fought in phases there were several factors that lead up to the war long before 1775 and a few immediately preceding 1775. The revolution was inevitable based on the long-term causes. The short-term causes are what solidified the war.

The colonists believed they had a right to be represented in Parliament before being taxed or at least vote for the taxing officials. The phrase “no taxation without representation” began to become popular within the colonies.

This meant families were forced to shelter soldiers and feed them from their own pockets without any type of compensation, and without any appeal. This obviously angered the colonials, they felt they were being used.

The 1765 Quartering Act was placed on the American Colonies of Britain on March 24, 1765. It mandated that British soldiers and officers were to be accommodated in barracks in the town or city that they were situated in. The act itself stated that the town or city would be notified beforehand so as to have time to prepare for the housing of the soldiers. Under the circumstance that any officer was found to be housing on their own accord and not on the townspeople’s then that officer would then be punished. There would be no compensation for housing the soldiers and they would also have to provide the soldiers with necessities of that time including food, liquor and salt. However if there wasn’t enough housing for all of the soldiers in the barracks only then would they be housed in public houses of the likes of local inns and wine houses. The act was to be held for a total of two years where at that time it would then be adjusted.

In other words, to help decrease England’s spending on military purposes, they passed the Quartering Act which was self-beneficial to England’s debt at the time. This act was created to protect the colonist from the French and Native Americans after the French and Indian War, but this act also asked the soldiers to enforce Parliamentary acts and the Proclamation Line of 1763 in the colonies and colonist were asked to provide food and housing for the British Troops. The Quartering Act document, which was written by the parliament and passed on May 17, 1765. This document is reliable because it’s written in the parliaments words and also it’s in third person. This document said “to quarter and billet the officers and soldiers, in his Majesty’s service, in the barracks provided by the colonies,” (Quartering Act Document).

In 1765, the British Prime Minister Grenville passed the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act obliged the colonists to purchase particular stamps to put on paper utilized for business or legal documents, newspapers, deeds, and pamphlets. This law was seen as the first time that Parliament was not trying to control the trade of the colonies but was attempting to obtain funds to get out of debt. At that point, in time, Great Britain obviously wanted an income from the American Colonists. Documents were used often; therefore, the prime minister was clever in placing a tax on paper. The colonists relied on paper documents and they had developed an economy based on written and legal documents, pamphlets, and many transcribed documents. As a result, of the Stamp Act the majority of the colonists objected. The Stamp Act also resulted in a high resentment of monarchy and distant rulings that would lead to conflict. Even though this tax would be seen as usual to the British, it was an inexperienced idea for the majority of the colonists. The idea of being taxed for paper was strange and unknown by the colonists. This tax was a major checkpoint for the American Revolutionary

They were required to enlist in the army as well as provide shelter and necessities to British troops. However the colonists resisted these orders, were unsupportive of the cause and at times threatened to bring the war effort to a stand still. Pitt eventually extracted some of his policies and reimbursed colonists for the materials they gave soldiers but it did not change the roots of resentment beginning to grow on both sides of the imperial relationship. British government and war officials saw the colonists under a new light. An illumination of the defiant way in which the colonies refused to work with its motherland. They realized that to maintain control they were going to need a tighter grip on their colonies and a stricter method of enforcing laws. To increase authority over them they decided to reorganize the system on which the colonies were built so they could be in closer contact. Colonists, contrasting to the British, wanted to further themselves from British authority. The war increased Britain’s debt and to minimize their costs they decided tax the colonists who as a result responded angrily, saying that the British had no right to impose taxes when they were not fairly represented in their government. Also, colonists in the army did not feel unified with the troops sent from England; in fact, with a lack of connection, they felt

On February 17, 1765, the Stamp Act was inaugurated by the Parliament of Great Britain. The Parliament thought it was requisite to pass the Stamp Act due to debts from the French and Indian War, or the Seven Years’ War; Britain had a national debt of 140,000,000 British pounds after the war was concluded. Consequently, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which got many of the colonists agitated. The reason being was because they stated that they had no voice in the government, and this is often phrased as “No taxation without representation.” Furthermore, the Stamp Act declared nearly all paper goods which were printed in the colonies to be taxed; except for books, any printed document, such as the newspaper, legal documents, licenses,

    Due to the Colonists not having a say in this tax, they would proclaim “No taxation without representation.” Colonists infinitely wanted to be able to vocalize their opposition to the taxing. As a result, most Colonists decided to boycott buying British goods. Some even organized attacks at placed like the Custom House, and homes of the tax collectors. With all of these protests in the Colonies, Parliament decided to repeal the Stamp Act in March, 1776.

Even though the colonists were on new land, the same rules applied to them and they did not possess the freedom to reject Parliament’s decree. Parliament wrote the Quartering Act of 1765 that the colonists “are hereby required to billet and quarter the officers and soldiers, in his Majesty's service, in the barracks provided by the colonies.” The colonists were forced, by their “Majesty” across the ocean in England, to provide the soldiers with food, shelter, transportation and other necessities while they resided in America. This action took away the colonists privacy and the right to object the commands placed by the British. The Quartering Act was put into action merely for the benefits of the Parliament and interfered significantly with colonists’ rights.

In the Seven Years War between England and France, for rule over North America, the English triumphed. And, though England prevailed, a series of misfortunes would then follow. In that event, the British saw a large number of casualties in combat. And, after spending large amounts of capital on the battle, Britain's pockets weakened and their national debt doubled. As a result, the American colonists would be the ones to suffer the consequences, as the British began implementing tax laws on them, to pay off their debts.

With the French and Indian War brewing from backcountry conflict, England relied heavily on American militias. This caused resentment on both ends. With the loss of many men, especially from New England, the colonists became wary of fighting a war that was not theirs. They took down the French Fort of Louisbourg, but England gave it back for other concessions at the war’s end. Colonists grew bitter feeling as if their participation was unappreciated. England’s debt growing

There were many causes of the American Revolution. ¨Taxation without Representation is Tyranny,¨ James Otis. Three important ones where the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere and William Dawes ride and the battles of Lexington and Concord also the Declaration of Independence. Those are just three of the cause of the American Revolution.