The British colonies in America from the time they were established up until around 1763 had a policy of Salutary Neglect. Salutary Neglect meant that the British would not interfere with the colonies national or even international affairs. This benefitted the colonies, they got to experience some forms of democracy, and they also were able to experience independence in a way though they took it for granted. The British after the Seven Years War, which was fought on American soil, for the
Huge debts were owed to Great Britain for supplying the colonists with military support and supplies. To pay the dues, there was the establishment of the Stamp Act, the taxation on domestic goods and services. A tax on domestic merchandise brought even more anger to the colonists. The Sugar Act, the Townshed Duties and the Tea Act were also all introduced with the same fundamentals: applying tax on goods whether it be directly or indirectly, domestic or international. “British commercial regulations imposed a paltry economic burden on Americans, who enjoyed a rapid economic growth and a standard of living higher than their European counterparts” (McGaughy). Each act resulted in irritated colonists. Some even retaliated by tarring and feathering certain English tax enforcers living in the colonies.
There were several acts that were passed without the consideration of the colonists that would force them to pay a ridiculous amount of taxes to the British mainland. One of these acts was named the Stamp Act, which was enacted in 1765, forced the colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper that they used. This would include legal documents, license, commercial contracts and newspapers in the tax. This tax mostly effected the wealthier and influential of the colonists and would force them to unite in opposition. There were several other acts that would be passed that would force the colonists to pay undue taxes to the British, such as the Quartering Act and the Tea
The colonists did not mind the taxes as much because some of the items that were taxed were unnecessary, however they did mind that the British were using their power as an excuse to tax the people for no reason (controlling them). The people’s money was not used in a useful matter, it was used for nothing, just extra money for the British to have. “The raising of revenue… was never intended… Never did the British parliament, (until the passing of the Stamp act) think of imposing duties in America for the purpose of raising a revenue. The Townshend Acts claim the authority to impose duties on these colonies, not for the regulation of trade… but for the single purpose of levying money upson us.” (Document 2). The British just decided one day to just tax the colonies for no reason and the people had no say in it. Also, the British soldiers would come to Boston and take the Boston colonists jobs. Men and women would lose their jobs because the British would take it away from them, they were stealing people’s jobs. The British were taking their money and now their jobs after all the colonists did for them in the French and Indian war. That is not fair for them to run the people like that and it had to be
When Great Britain controlled the colonies, the Colonists could not live the life they wanted to. They had low paying jobs, were not treated well by the king and his soldiers, and on top of that Britain posted extra taxes on goods. The colonists were already poor from low pay jobs, so taxes just added
The long-term causes of the war, salutary neglect and involvement in the French & Indian War, worked hand in hand and proved to be arguably the most influential of American independence. The term “salutary neglect” refers to the unofficial policy that Britain had with the colonists in the 17th & 18th centuries: British laws were not enforced in the colonies, so Americans learned to care for and govern themselves. This was especially prevalent when governing bodies like the House of Burgesses in Virginia were created as a means of government. But as the colonists adapted to live on their own, certain ideas became widespread throughout the land; these ideas in turn led to The Great Awakening and The Enlightenment. In The Great Awakening, colonists began to split from the Church of England and form their own Christian denominations as a revival of religion swept the colonies.
The passing of a series of laws regulating trade and tax, most notably the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), and the Tea Act (1773) increased tension between Great Britain and its colonies in the period 1763-1776. Near the end of the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in desperate need of money to pay for their war debts. The British Parliament believed that they had a right to tax their colonies. Their legislations placed duties on certain imports that had never been taxed before. By the end of 1764, tensions heightened between colonists and imperial officials as they were disagreeing more and more about how the colonies should be taxed and governed. These feelings of dissatisfaction would soon swell into rebellion, leading to the American Revolution.
After the French and Indian War ended in 1763, Britain had a huge debt that had to be paid. Unfortunately, the war had been a long and costly one and had taken it's toll on Britain's finances. In an effort to make up the debt Britain's Parliament began passing laws by placing taxes on goods purchased by the colonists in America. First, there was the Sugar Act in 1764, and then the Stamp Act the following year, as well as a variety of other laws enforced to get money from the colonists. Naturally, the colonists were not pleased with Britain's control and taxation. The colonists felt that they should not be held accountable for the debt and should not have to pay the taxes. The colonists felt that since Parliament was elected by people living in England and they did not take part in voting for members of Parliament then Parliament did not have the right to take their money by imposing taxes.
While the British leaders tried to increase control over their empire, laws concerning imperial trade were on the books for many generations. American colonists had been known to evade any such regulation and even traded with the French. Britain was unfair in many trade policies and began to reform the imperial system. They enforced higher taxes and costs for their own protection from the American colonists. They created additional revenue by realizing stricter control in navigation and trade. The Sugar Act of 1764 passed by the parliament attempted to increase the revenue of the colonies by incurring a tax on molasses. While this tax was in the books since 1730, smuggling and carelessness in enforcement couldn’t let the law win. As the tax was supposed to be enforced, it created a big uproar among those who were affected and therefore the American colonists created a large scale of boycotts of many British goods for the same reason. The parliament enacted stiff measures that were known as
People may refer to taxes as a bad thing, but in the late eighteenth century, taxes were good, in a way. If it wasn’t for taxes and restrictions, America might not be as it is now. The British being short on money from fighting the Seven Years’ War with France and the Indian’s, so they wanted to raise money to pay off their enormous debt. They looked at the Colonies in America as a way of doing this. They started to impose taxes on the colonies to recuperate some of that lost money. The taxes they imposed on the Colonies are the Stamp Act, The Sugar Act, The Intolerable Act, and the Tea Act. At the time, these taxes were detrimental to the Colonies, so they fought back to the British Empire, and wrote the Declaration of Independence. This was the official document that started the split from British control and the
While the British leaders tried to increase control over their empire, laws concerning imperial trade were on the books for many generations. American colonists had been known to evade any such regulation and even traded with the French. Britain was unfair in many trade policies and began to reform the imperial system. They enforced higher taxes and costs for their own defence from the American colonists. They created additional revenue by realizing stricter control in navigation and trade. The Sugar Act of 1764 passed by the parliament attempted to increase the revenue of the colonies by incurring a tax on molasses. While this tax was in the books since 1730, smuggling and laxity in enforcement couldn’t let the law win. As the tax was supposed to be enforced, it created a big outcry among those who were affected and therefore the American colonists created a large scale boycott of many British goods for the same reason. The parliament enacted stiff measures that were known as the Stamp Act and it increased tax on
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
Across the United States, history classes tell American children are told of the brave colonists dumping tea into the harbor in the name of democracy. There is no doubt that early Americans would go to any length to acquire a representative government. The American Revolution was not simply about gaining independence from Britain, but rather about facilitating becoming a democracy because of its independence. The colonists’ attempts to make America more democratic led to the need for independence from Britain through the American Revolution.
At first, England didn’t pay much attention to the creation of America, but later on, Charles II decided to help run the colonies. This event was historically significant because it led to the very first American Revolution, through the anger exhibited by the settlers of America. England sent Sir Edmund Andros down to head this new place, yet he was not very skillful and foolishly made all of these new rules that just infuriated the people of America. Hearing about the Glorious Revolution in England, the Puritans decided that they would also revolt. However, not everything went according to plan, yet the Americans were able to finally get rid of much of England’s negative influences. Even today’s Americans cannot be tied down to restrictions