Oppression Is The Foundation Of Revolution

The demand for no taxation without representation was the primary force motivating the American revolutionary movement, and for many it became a symbol for democracy. Throughout the late 18th century, the British colony of America was oppressed by Parliament from "across the pond". This oppression included unequal rights compared to English citizens that lived on the mainland, unneeded taxation, and no representation in Parliament, which resulted in many laws that were unfavorable to the American colonists. It was this "taxation without representation" that was a powerful catalyst in firing up the American revolutionary movement. America was "all grown up", and no longer needed to be monitored on by Britain.

Both the British and the American colonists contributed to causing the American Revolution. The war grew out of contempt: England’s contempt for the colonies and colonial contempt for British policies. A series of actions by the British eventually pushed the colonists over the edge and towards independence. The results of the war gave many citizens a new role in society while others, like slaves, felt no change at all. This paper will examine the specific causes and effects of 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?

The economic causes of the war are often thought of as second hand reasons for the war. Many people believe the war was truly caused by political arguments and intellectual disputes. People believe the war was called for in order to “preserve liberty, and end British tyranny.” The revolution is often considered a reflection of the colonist’s ideals. Many historians and political experts find the American Revolution to be a purely constitutional dispute, not a disguise for social conflicts. The dispute of governing the colonies is what was agued over for great periods of time. Many documents show the political sides of the revolution such as the declaration of independence, the olive branch petition, and common sense. These documents show what the colonists’ ideas were like and what the political side of the revolution was like.

The American Revolution was precipitated by the irritation of the wealthy due to tax acts imposed by Britain on the colonies. The rich did not like the taxes because of the negative effect the tax acts had on personal financial interests, but the Colonial masses were convinced by men like John Dickinson and Patrick Henry; Dickinson wrote extensively on how the British collection of taxes on the Colonies was illegal and Henry believed taxation shouldn’t be allowed unless the Colonies were properly represented. The writings of John Locke were also influential in creating interest for breaking away from Great Britain.

In the American Revolution, the British had firm control over the colonists and began implementing harsh acts to receive money. After the 7 years war, there was a huge money deficit and the British needed a way to regain their financial loss. This led to excessive taxation, which angered the colonists. They felt they were not given a voice in the government and that if they are going to give their money, they should have a voice. The colonists continued to protest these new rules and eventually caused the English Civil War. These struggles from the past led to new rules for the colonists and eventually the Declaration of Independence, which stated that all men were equality. The colonists and British would continue to fight through a revolutionary

The American Revolution was an unequivocal example of the ability of a nation’s people to rise and defeat an inadequate government. When a government fails to protect its inhabitants, citizens will grow uneasy and fight for their rightful cause. The British government’s rule over its colonies was erroneous and harmful to the colonists’ best interests. Best described by John Hancock, the British government’s rule caused many colonists to become despondent with their ruler. “As though they thought it not enough to violate our civil rights, they endeavored to deprive us of the enjoyment of our religious privileges; to vitiate our morals, and thereby render us deserving of destruction.” Evidently, the American Revolution was sparked by a

In the article, “Out of Our Past: The Forces that Shaped Modern America”, Carl Degler analyzes a variety of events that supposedly led to the American Revolution and formed America into what it is today. To begin, following the French and Indian War, the English were in heaps of debt and had no choice but to turn to their American colonies for relief. As a result, they imposed an authority and a set of taxes on the colonies that had not been present before. The colonists greatly disapproved of these changes because they felt that Britain was attempting to take away their liberties. The author also elaborated on events that could not have been revolutionary-provoking. For one, the restrictions asserted by the British could not have been a cause

The American Revolution was founded on the notion that all men were created equal, and because of that no government could impede upon their inalienable rights. In the early 1700’s, British citizens emigrated to America in search of political, religious and socio-economic equality. England forced unjust taxes upon its former citizens, and, seeking justice, the colonists rebelled against their former homeland. The

During the years previous to the American Revolution, Great Britain increasingly asserted its dominance over the colonies. This assertive behavior caused tension between the colonies and Great Britain. Therefore, colonies debated the pros and cons of going to war with Great Britain in order to declare their independence. Increased British control led to revolution by the acts Great Britain forced upon colonists, colonists lack of representation, and Great Britain’s reaction to protests held by the colonists. Great Britain’s increased control led to the Revolution by the acts they forced upon colonists.

The Revolutionary period has often been categorized by the hardships that the Americans faced. The colonists were forced to abide by British rule without their consent, which pushed the realities of tyranny further into light as the colonists were unable to receive proper representation while they were taxed. While many Americans enjoyed the period of Salutary Neglect from 1696-1763, the period that followed left many colonists fearing their rights were not being upheld as a part of the British empire. In the eyes of the Americans, the unjust legislation was an unforgivable offence, which forced them to ultimately declare their independence in 1776. The main factors of unjust taxation that lead to the political supremacy imposed by Great Britain

The familiar saying, “You can’t get something from nothing,” has a particularly significant meaning when it is used in context with the American Revolution. During the 1763-1776 period, many events occurred that led to the American Revolution. The Revolution however, was a mental rebellion before it turned physical and it should have been called the “British Revolution” because changes in Britain had more of an effect on the war than changes in America did. The reasons for the American Revolution elicits a variety of opinions, but there are many reasons that can justify why it was the British actions that made such a perennial change for America. The British started the Revolution through their salutary neglect, imposing new acts and laws onto

As citizens of Britain, colonists had the right to have a seat in the British Parliament to decide on bills. Britain passed unconstitutional taxes on the colonists in order to get out of debt, but they did it without the consent of the colonists who didn’t have a voice in the British Parliament. The acts of rebellion on the behalf of colonists influenced on the development of the American Revolution. The Colonists boycotted and hurt the British Government which hurt them financially. Lastly, the the last component to the American Revolution was the enforcement by Britain which triggered massacres, threats, violation of right and fear to the Colonists which once considered themselves Englishmen. Unconstitutional decisions and behavior, acts of rebellion, and enforcement lead to the American Revolution leading to a future creation of the United States of America. 300 years later we still see third world countries everywhere evolving because of these three components which can revolutionize the

As our discussion post provided this week, the colonists responded with rebellion because of the new acts that were imposed upon them by the British (Schultz, K., 2013). Their attempt to reform the American colonies contributed to the growth of the Revolutionary movement because the British tried to enforce stricter policies and laws (Schultz, K. M., 2013). The British wanted to tighten the policies over the colonial officials so that it would reduce the corruption, the British wanted control over the area of land that the settlers occupied, and they wanted to raise revenue by taxing goods. Although the British were adamant about their purpose, the colonist believed that rebelling against them would help in receiving their independence.

Leading up to the American Revolution, were a chain of events that created a spark in the colonists to obtain independence from Great Britain. The American Revolution could not be tied to one single event but instead by the feelings and determination brought on by this chain of disgraceful actions. Gordon S. Wood explains what he believes caused the rebellion of the American colonists from Great Britain and how those causes help explain the outcomes of the revolution in his essay, “Radical Possibilities of the American Revolution.” Wood argues that the colonists were motivated to rebel against the British monarchy due to their need to preserve their liberties and through this revolution a radical change in government and American life occurred.