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Colonists Grievances

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After 100 years of British colonization in the new world, a new sense of loyalty was developing. With merchants making riches in thirteen English colonies, wealth increased in the new world. Without taxation, salutary neglect fostered independence and self-sufficiency. However, these colonies were supposed to make the British Crown wealthy. Suddenly, the British entered a war with the French and money was drastically needed. In order to pay off the debts, the British Crown turned towards their colonies for financial support. With increased and forced taxation, these colonists refused to pay taxes. As the British continued to demand taxes, these colonists continued to refuse to pay. Suddenly, the colonists had to determine or not to remain …show more content…

During the Seven Years War between France and the British, the French desired to take territory and land away from the British Crown. As the French had controlled land adjacent to the 13 colonies, the French recruited Native Americans to fight for land in North America. Thus, to defend the colonies, the British passed the Quartering Act which would station soldiers in the colonies. According to Edmund S. Morgan, the Quartering Act was a “billeting act that required the colonial assemblies to furnish food and shelter to soldiers stationed within their respective provincial boundaries.”(33) As this act sheltered soldiers, it protected the colonists.With soldiers stationed in the 13 colonies, the colonies would be prepared for an attack from either the French or the Native Americans. However, according to many colonists, this act forced colonists to support soldiers against their will and for no reason. Thus, the colonists failed to reason the vital protection these soldiers offered. Ten years later, as colonists began to sow the seeds for a new country, they met in Philadelphia for a Second Continental Congress. In this Congress, a grievance that they had stated was the failure of the protection of the British. According to the writers of the Declaration of Independence, the British Crown,“ Has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose …show more content…

After 100 years of a lack of taxes or control in the colonies, the colonists though that they were moving into Locke’s state of nature. According to Locke, men desired a government to stop the independence in a state of nature. Thus, Locke believed, “Men would agree in a social compact to end the complete independence that existed in the state of nature and to form a society under supervision of government.”(Morgan,73) As Locke believed that men would strive to form a government, the colonists would desire a government. However, government existed in the colonies. As assemblies had been formed and voted on by the people, the colonists were not in a state of nature. Thus, the colonists had a supervising force. As these assemblies were under Parliament, Parliament supervised society. As colonists argued over taxation without representation, many colonists forgot to remember that as Locke believed everyone should have, they had representation. According to Morgan, “ The English and their colonists almost alone among the peoples of the world actually did enjoy the rights Locke believed all peoples were entitled to.”(74) As the colonists had a supervising force formed by themselves, the colonists were not in a state of nature, but rather in Locke’s supervised state. Since the colonists believed that the state of nature was imminent if they wanted to form a new government, the colonists believed in

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