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Short Term Causes Of The American Revolution

Decent Essays

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. Long-Term Causes “During the 150 years after the settlement of Jamestown, the colonies grew apart from the motherland”. – (Lecture). Colonies were beginning to support themselves economically and politically without British input. This of course meant they had and were exercising different economic and political views than England. Colonies that failed in the beginning were being restored. While Britain was dealing with issues in England, no new English colonies were established in America for nearly thirty years since Lord Baltimore received the charter for Maryland in 1632. – (Page 26) “The English colonies eventually united, expanded, and became the beginnings of a great nation”. – (Page 28). The colonies became independent minded and created their own governments, and operated separately from the crown. “The growing colonial ventures were producing pressure in England for a more uniform structure to the empire. The English government began trying to regulate colonial trade in the 1650s.” – (Page 32) England imposed the Navigation Acts. This didn’t go well because most colonial governments except Virginia operated independently of the crown. Additionally, although the Navigation Acts were passed - they were not enforced. While Parliament was crashing, “the colonial assemblies, taking advantage of the weak imperial administration, had asserted their own authority to levy taxes, make appropriations, approve appointments, and pass laws for their respective colonies.” – (Page 37). “The British took little notice. England pursued polices of Salutary neglect, leaving the colonist fairly free to conduct their own internal

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