DBQ American Pageant #3 Essays

The 18th century can be marked as a period of internal and external struggle for the American colonists. From improper representation, to unfair taxes, such as the Stamp Act, to being overall abused by Britain, the colonists were justifiably angry. From this anger, the slogan “No taxation without representation” was born and quickly began to emerge from the lips of almost every colonist all across America. The demand from colonists everywhere for no taxation without representation weighed heavily as a symbol for democracy, as it revealed the mindset of many – Britain was using the hardworking colonists and took their money without even giving them a say – and laid the foundation for the American revolutionary war, allowing more arguments and

1. From the perspective of Native Americans, the Spanish and English empires in America had more similarities than differences. Assess the validity of this generalization.

Anglicization of the Britain’s American colonies was a big event for the course of not only American or British history, but world history. The colonists adopting many British ways and becoming very patriotic towards the “mother country” had a large effect on the events that unfolded in the late 18th century. While it is true that the American colonists were incredibly British during the beginning to the mid-18th century, the colonies had been around long enough to develop their own culture and way of doing things. The series of events and acts that were imposed on the colonists post French and Indian War got the ball rolling on what came to be known as the American Revolution. The colonists were so fed up with the way in which the British were tightening their hold on the colonies to the point where they were driven to rebellion. The combination of British and underlying American ideals in the pre-revolution era were a necessarily pre-requisite and important component of what would become the American Revolution.

4. What was the Revolutionary movement, at its core, really all about? Was it about the amount of taxation, the right of Parliament to tax, the political corruption of Britain and the virtue of America, the right of a king to govern America, or the colonies’ growing sense of national identity apart from Britain? Was the Revolution truly a radical overturning of government and society—the usual definition of a revolution—or something far more limited or even conservative in its defense of traditional rights?

There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create

Slavery is an institution that has existed since ancient times. To argue over its immorality is irrelevant, as its ethical and moral implications are blatantly evident. However, to say that the main cause of disdain of the institution from the North stems from its immorality is inherently incorrect, due to the fact, that as previously stated, slavery has existed since ancient times, perforce its immorality could not simply be the main cause of hatred toward this withstanding system from the North. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that their disgust toward the peculiar institution (a common name used to refer to slavery) is related to its ethical implications. However, the question still

For a better part of the eighteenth century, the American colonists expressed vexation and disapproval of the "coercive " acts, which the British Government perpetrated on the colony through series of legislative acts by the British Parliament. Prior to the acts that the colonists in America termed as atrocious and oppressive, they were willing to cooperate and reaffirm loyalty to the King of England. Some of the legislations and declarations that colonists participated in was the sustenance of British soldiers in the colony, payment of import tariffs and other forms of taxes to support the British central government. These are but a few, the reasons as to why colonists objected to the mode of British rule in America. Another concern was the "Rights violations" by the English government regarding economic progress and representation. Because of these grievances, British colonists in America stepped up agitation through violation of the "tyrannical" Acts and petitions through the Continental Congress. The essay explores the grievances that Colonists in America held against the British government, in riposte to "My Dear America Cousin" letter.

Organized colonial resistance began between the years 1763-1776. The policies of Britain toward their American colonies over this time period escalated tension between the two, and finally led to the rejection of Royal power by the colonies. The British policies caused this outcome because they threatened the colonists’ republican values. These were ideals adapted from the early classical Greek and Roman republics, as well as from laws established by the British. These core beliefs centered strongly on God-given inalienable rights, liberty of the people, and the belief that all should take part in the government. The combination of harsh British policies regarding taxation, settlement and everyday

The colonists would need goods from Great Britain so they traded their goods back and forth. Great Britain got the colonists goods for cheap, and they got paid more than necessary because they would raise the prices on the goods that the colonies would need.

The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American

In the late 1760s and early 1770s the American colonists were living a fulfilling and satisfactory life through the means of labor. Labor, which was considered a “painful necessity” of life to those in poverty (such as servants or slaves) throughout the other parts of western society, brought about a “hard-earned prosperity” to the American colonists (Wood, 116). This showed a surplus of middle-class families who were able to live a comfortable life through hard work. Wood argues that due to these beliefs, Americans felt anxious at the prospect of being oppressed by the British and suffering a loss of their liberties. The colonists worked very hard for their prosperity so it was natural “that throughout America, we find these

Another aspect that Holton examines was the number of boycotts on English goods. The financial goals of the colonies to England were the production of certain luxury items that could only be produced in the colonies; that included cotton, tobacco, and indigo, all of which were considerable revenue-makers for both the colonists and their British counterparts. These boycotts caused farmers great financial losses as they described in an anonymous essay that appeared in the March 1776 Virginia Gazette as “the slaves of Britain.” (Holton 46).

The British control over trade took a heavy toll on the Americans and irritated them. One of the main ideas was Mercantilism and the Navigation Acts that enforced it. The mercantile system functioned as follows: Colonies would sell raw materials to the home country where they would be manufactured, and then sold back to the colonies as finished goods. Colonists were banned for competing with manufacturers in the home country. The British colonists and what is no the United States exported a variety of raw materials such as tobaccos, rice, and cod fish to Great Britain in exchange for luxury items imported from London such as services for tea, finer clothing, eye glasses, and much

By 1775, the American colonies stretched from Canada to Florida and had a population of over two million people. Mainly farmers, the colonists worked the land and scratched out a living from whatever means they could find. By this time most colonists were third or fourth generation and had been creating their own industry and economy independent of British influence. The colonists built new homes, roads, and towns and enjoyed the bounty of plentiful space and resources the new world offered. During this time of expansion and growth however, an unwelcome concern lurked in the shadows.

Another consequence resulted in colonists embracing more British goods than home-made supplies. Remarkably, the colonists