Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
what are the reasons why the american revolution
the american revolution justification
what are the reasons why the american revolution
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: what are the reasons why the american revolution
There were a number of factors that caused the colonists to revolt and declare their independence from Great Britain; leading to the American Revolution and the United States of America as it is known today. It is interesting to wonder whether the colonists truly chose to push away from Britain or whether this decision was essentially made for them by reacting against the social changes that they began to see in the years leading into 1776; when the Revolution "officially" began. A major decline in the price Britain was willing to pay for their established Tobacco trade, a governor who threatened the security of slave labor, and the establishment of a depreciating paper money system are three main factors that contributed to the motivation to prevent social change by engaging in the U.S.Revolution. The impetus for the war was not a matter of personal gratification for the colonists but rather was a necessary step to continue their original lifestyles.
The largest industry in the colonies at the time was undoubtedly the tobacco trade and it provided for much of .Virginia's income. The price of tobacco dwindled to record lows during 1773 with the lack of demand due do the recession the colonists were facing. The colonists were forced to investigate methods for boosting the price and they decided to withhold their crops and not export to Britain in order to create more demand for less product. By not exporting their crops, they were opening themselves to risks of losing their storage of crops and lawsuits for not fulfilling contracts obligating them to provide tobacco to people or companies. Although their plan succeeded, the farmers must have realized the uncertainty in depending on a foreign country to purchase th...
... middle of paper ...
...itish government turning the colonists against each other.
The colonists were faced with a decision to move on with or without their founding country and ultimately decided they were better off on their own. At first glance, it seems as if they chose to enter the revolution because they wanted their independence and needed to promote social change, but after further investigation the colonists may have only wanted their original lifestyles back. The British government forced change that the colonists did not want by implementing a price drop on the tobacco they were buying from the colonies, gave power to Lord Dunmore who threatened slavery in the south which eventually led to the deflating paper currency. The combination of these factors caused the colonists to resist the change that was being forced upon them and revolt; resulting in the U.S. Revolution.
The American Revolution was caused by a series of attempts from the British to tax American colonists. After a war against France, Britain ruled an enormous overseas empire. Britain however faced war debt and was in need of money to administer the overseas empire. The crown decided that since the colonists were the primary beneficiaries of this empire, it was time to have them contribute to the empire’s revenue by paying taxes.
The most important issue prompting Americans to rebel in 1776 is clearly parliamentary taxation. The first time a Parliamentary imposed tax threatened the livelihood of the colonies was in 1733 with the Molasses Act, stemmed from the loss of profit for the British West Indies under the Navigation Act. However, this act was avoidable and rarely paid. Following the long and harrowing French and Indian War, Britain was deep in debt and George Grenville was appointed British Chancellor. He was determined to pay off the debt by brutally taxing the colonies. He not only reinforced the ignored Navigation Acts, but he placed the new Sugar Act which was similar to the Molasses Act which put a tax on rum and molasses imported from West Indies, but this Act would be enforced. Needless to say, the colonists were not used to this intrusion of Parliament and felt that it was wrong because there were no members in Parliament to represent the colonies. They felt it was a direct violation of their civil liberties and the first whiff of resentment was beginning to spawn. Next was the Currency Act which disregarded the colonies paper money, forcing the colonist to pay in only silver and sending their economy into chaos. Perhaps the most important and controversial acts were the Stamps Acts that placed a tax on legal documents, almanacs, newspaper, pamphlets, playing cards and dice.
Americans wanted to be in charge of their own government and have more control over how their taxes were spent. The American Revolution or war of independence was fought to get rid of the king’s people, at that time in the Thirteen colonies, as they considered themselves British colonies.
The colonists had been unfairly taxed and had no been allowed to represent their opinions in Parliament so they sought justice for the inequalities they endured. The revolution was the institution of the independence and equality of our democratic country, the United States of America. Without the problems that arose in the late 18th century causing the revolution to take place, there might not be the openness of sovereignty there is now.
By the time the colonists had settled into their new land they had established some order such as small governments to keep the colonies in line. The ocean separating England and the colonies made it difficult though for England to guide the colonists successfully the way they had wanted. The main thing the British tried was implementing taxes, but they also went so far as letting the colonies on their own for awhile and using military to keep them in place. On the other hand, the colonists saw that the British were stalling their attempts at self-governing so they worked together to disregard any British policies. By the eve of the Revolution, colonists had developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans that was brought about by the British parliament. Exasperated by British efforts to hinder their growing self-reliance, colonists began pushing them away by doing various things such as rioting, boycotting, or voicing their opinions on paper.
...Sugar and Stamp Acts). Before the era of Enlightenment, colonists were angered by the British interfering with their new country, but never thought to rebel against their homeland. However, with their newfound knowledge of Enlightenment principles like freedom and reason, many colonists began to see the taxes as unfair. Knowing that political power was in their hands, they stood up against the British government stating that they were an independent country. Additionally, as the British government continued to try to interfere with American government, many colonists began to want a new government that was based on Enlightenment principles instead. This led to the American Revolution because the colonists with their gained knowledge of the world and society yearned for a government that guaranteed everyone natural rights under the law.
The American Revolution has great importance on the way the United States views itself. Contrary to popular belief, Americans were not separate people subject to British tyranny. A large portion of American colonialists thought of themselves as British. There are many ideas and causes as to why the American Revolution began. Differing political traditions, both parties economic interest, trading interest of those involved in transatlantic commerce, Britain’s large debt that accumulated during the Seven Years War, mutual misunderstandings, and the Great Awakening are many of the reasons that the colonist began to revolt against England.
“Is there a single trait of resemblance between those few towns and a great and growing people spread over a vast quarter of the globe, separated by a mighty ocean?” This question posed by Edmund Burke was in the hearts of nearly every colonist before the colonies gained their independence from Britain. The colonists’ heritage was largely British, as was their outlook on a great array of subjects; however, the position and prejudices they held concerning their independence were comprised entirely from American ingenuity. This identity crisis of these “British Americans” played an enormous role in the colonists’ battle for independence, and paved the road to revolution.
The colonies did not initially desire to succeed and become independent from the British, at first they were very proud of being British. Throughout the years of being a British Colony, The mother country of Britain committed actions that the colonists could not stand much longer. From taxation without representation to quartering British soldiers unwillingly, the tension built up until the colonists eventually rebelled. Some colonists remained loyal to the crown, while others joined the rebellion. These rebellious forces grew in strength and number, when the rebellion grew too big, the Revolution sparked. No longer would the colonist be forced to the British law, the colonists were willing to fight and die for their freedom. This event was
The American Revolution began for many reasons, some are; long-term social, economic, and political changes in the British colonies, prior to 1750 provided the basis for and started a course to America becoming an independent nation under it's own control with its own government. Not a tyrant king thousands of miles away. A huge factor in the start of the revolution was the French and Indian War during the years of 1754 through 1763; this changed the age-old bond between the colonies and Britain, its mother. To top it off, a decade of conflicts between the British rule and the colonists, starting with the Stamp Act in 1765 that eventually led to the eruption of war in 1775, along with the drafting of The Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The American Revolution was the very first contemporary revolution. A revolution is defined as an aggressive takeover of a government or a command in order to get a new, better system in place. The American Revolution was fought between America and Great Britain. In 1755, the Revolution took place because America wanted and needed a change; they wanted to be independent from Great Britain. America craved liberty and independence. The American Revolution was the first historic time that a group of people would fight for independence for the reason of gaining a set of moralities that were universal and would act as laws. The main reason why Americans wanted to be free of the rule of Great Britain was because of trade regulations, and taxes. The American Revolution ultimately started because of the issues that the British economy put in place.
There are four major reasons that the rebellion of the colonists accumulated into a full scale revolution. The most indistinct of these four reasons is the old societal legacies of the colonies, namely: social, political, religious, and economic values. These deeply rooted values were ingrained and inherited from the generations of colonists, and once the British began upsetting those values, resentment set in and began to undermine the British authority. For example, many of those who came to America were of British decent; they loved being English and fancied that, as colonists, they were taking part in the building of a bigger and stronger British Empire. But to those in England, the Americans were no better than barbarians. The English did not view A...
The reason for revolution in America during the eighteenth century was not due to a single event but rather the difference in ideology from people living in America and the rule in Great Britain. Americans, as a country, realized that they wanted the same freedom the British had, instead of being used as a source of income. There are many struggles that Americans encountered in this thirst for freedom, occurrences like harsh taxes on necessities and retaliation of British officials.
The American Revolution was a war in which the colonists achieved political independence from their former rulers Great Britain. It was "the formulation of new principles of the relation of men to government, and of the relation of colonies to mother country. It was the inauguration of effective self-government and of social and economic equality."1 The colonists, in effect, achieved full autonomy from Great Britain through the American Revolution. The colonists felt (for the betterment of all Americans) that it was their duty and responsibility to rise up against their oppressors to form their own government. John Adams even states, "[that] the real American Revolution was a radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people. Above all, [the Revolution] was in the minds and hearts of the peopl...
There were many reasons and events that led to the American Revolution, but it really all boils down to England being selfish. They wanted to make as much money as they possibly could off the new colonies, feeling a sense of entitlement, as they had provided funds and supplies to the settlers to make the trip in the first place. The British Parliament enacted laws and taxes that affected the economies and the lives of those in the new colonies, but for the benefit of England. The new Americans were not given the same rights under the Parliament as the British people, nor did they have a say in what the Parliamentary decisions. At one point the colonist had enough and began to protest and fight back, leading them down the American Road to Revolution. The Americans no longer wanted to be under Britain’s thumb, and looking for solutions, and knowledge to change that. This led them to a series of actions that began the American Revolution.