American Revolution Dbq

After fighting in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), Britain was left with an immense debt on its shoulders (Chapter 4). It was up to George Grenville to help reduce this debt and save England from a disastrous future (Chapter 4). His plans were set into motion when parliament passed different acts that they hoped would raise money to pay off the debt (Chapter 4). However, they did not foresee that these actions would lead to the American Revolution. Although the change in British imperial policy involved taxing and placing acts on the colonists to raise debt money, these actions displeased the people and caused them to revolt creating events like the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party. These factors were of many that brought about the

American Revolution.

Taxation imposed on the American colonies by the British government created tension that fueled the rise of the American Revolution. Taxation such as the Stamp Act were revoked by the colonists (Chapter 5). The Stamp Act imposed on March 22, 1765 was created to insure that colonists purchased special stamped paper to issue their important documents as well as special seals and stamps (Chapter 5). George Grenville assigned every colony a stamp dirturbeter to insure an easy flow (Chapter 5). Colonel Isaac Barre warned Parliament that the Americans would not give up their rights so easily, but they ignored him (Chapter 5). Nine of the thirteen colonies sent a representative to the Stamp Act Congress (1765) in order to protest against Grenville’s policy and to discuss current issues (Chapter 5). The Stamp Act resistance was spreading and in Boston the Sons of Liberty tore down a stamp distributors building, Andrew Oliver, and nearly destroyed the house of Oliver’s close associate (Chapter 5). This caused stamp distributors in American ports to publicly resign on November 1, 1765 (Chapter 5). Though these actions pleased the Sons of Liberty, they continued to cause havoc. They persuaded colonial merchants to boycott British goods until Parliament abolished the Stamp Act for good (Chapter 5). Grenville was soon replaced with Lord Rockingham who was for abolishing the Stamp Act; he urged merchants and manufactures to petition Parliament to revoke the Act (Chapter 5). In order to avoid future riots and bankruptcy, the House of Commons voted 275 to 167 to revoke the Stamp Act on March 18, 1766 (Chapter 5). With all of this evidence in mind, the Stamp Act was a step towards the cause of the American Revolution due to all the unfair regulations placed on the Americans. The Stamp Act may have been revoked, but the damage was done towards the Americans. They felt as if their rights were violated creating more tension between Britain and America.

The Townshend Revenue Acts were another set of acts that not only caused tension between America and Britain, but also led to the Boston Massacre.

Charles Townshend presented a way to the House of Congress to gain income from the Americans (Chapter 5). His idea turned out to be more of a scheme when these Revenue Acts involved placing duties on American imports of paper, glass, paint, lead, and tea (chapter 5). The chancellor realized that without the proper enformentents, his plan to collect money from the Americans would come close to failing. To insure that his plan would continue to “grow”, Townshend created an American Board of Customs Commissioners (Chapter 5). He managed to convince Parliament to order New York's governor to veto bills passed by the colony’s assembly until it allowed British troops to stay with the colonists, an act known as the Quartering Act (May 1765) (Chapter 5). The act angered the Americans because it violated their rights and they had to provide the troops with certain necessities. The American saw the act as “taxation without representation (Chapter 5)”. Just like the colonists refused to follow Grenville’s Stamp Act, they refused to pay Townshend's duties. Just like previous revolts, the Sons of Liberty organized boycotts of British goods (Chapter 5). The Revenue Acts caused people to take oaths before their neighbors, promising one another that they would not purchase certain goods until Parliament revoked such an act (Chapter 5). Yet again

another mistake was made on October 1768. British rulers transferred four thousand troops from Nova Scotia and Ireland to Boston in order to save many as well as to terrify colonial trouble makers from causing any “disturbances” (Chapter 5). The colonists questioned why the army was brought to their city, pamphleteers answered by saying it was meant to oppress Americans, take away their liberties, and to collect illegal revenues (Chapter 5). This of course fueled the rage of the Americans more and on March 5, 1770 a great “riot” erupted. In the afternoon young boys and “street toughs” started throwing rocks and snowballs at the soldiers. The group of people grew and soon become threatening to the soldiers, the troops panicked and shot fire, killing five Americans (Chapter 5). The event was known as the Boston Massacre. Crown officials finally moved the army to an island in Boston Harbor, but it was too late, the damage was done. After Townshend's death in 1767, Lord North was appointed first minister and he recommended Parliament to repeal the Townshend duties; eventually the House of Commons dropped the duties (Chapter 5). The British made the situation between them and the American worse by taxing them and in the process taking American lives. This was one of the factors that contributed to a developing feud between Britain and America.

The Tea Act not only created the Coercive Acts and the Boston Tea Party, but it also pushed Britain and America closer to war.

In order to save Britain's largest business, the East India Company, from going bankrupt, Parliament passed the Tea Act in May 1773 (Chapter 5). Although the Act lowered the prices, the Americans preferred the cheaper leaves that were illegally brought in from Holland (Chapter 5). Parliament allowed the East India Company to sell directly to American retailers, which cut out “middlemen” and it also eliminated duties that were paid in England (Chapter 5). Like all the other acts, the Tea Act was none other than a scheme for Parliament's support to tax colonists without any representation (Chapter 5). Another problem that occurred was that the act threatened to place powerful colonial merchants who smuggled Dutch tea, out of business (Chapter 5). This of course would not settle down well with the Americans considering their love for cheap Dutch tea. In the colonies, the colonists turned back the tea ships before any problems occured (Chapter 5). However, in Boston, Governor Hutchinson would not allow the ships carrying East India Company’s tea back to England (Chapter 5). The ships remained in Boston Harbor until a drastic event occurred. On December 16, 1773 a group of colonists men, dressed up as indians and dumped the tea over the Boston Harbor (Chapter 5). It was a reckless idea considering they were dumping tea worth than thousand euros (Chapter

5). Once the news reached London in January 1774, the North ministry was stunned and Britain was not amused (Chapter 5). Parliament passed a series of laws known as the Coercive Acts (Chapter 5). These acts were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party. There were four laws involved, the first was that the Boston port would remain closed until the East india Company was reimbursed for the loss of their money (Chapter 5). The second involved reconstructing the Massachusetts government, the third allowed the royal governor to transfer British officials (who have done bad) back to England, and the fourth allowed the army to place troops wherever they were needed (Chapter 5). Many people like Samuel Adams saw these actions as ways for Britain to enslave the American people (Chapter 5). Both America and Britain were wrong in the actions they took. Americans should not have wasted British property in the first place and the British should not have placed such regulations. Both parties are at fault for their actions that led to the American Revolution. They created a ticking time bomb that was bound to explode at any moment.