Getting the colonial public to agree with departing from the mother country of britain was a conflicting issue. However, the colonies ended up declaring independence from britain on July 4, 1776. It would be appropriate to say that due to self-sustenance, acts passed by the British Parliament, and growing social tension, the colonies were rather justified in their Declaration of Independence. Due to the British motherland being overseas, and the trek to the colonies being long and hard, the colonies were rather isolated. This in turn, gave the colonies a need to create a government system of some sort in order to avoid total chaos and punish those who acted against the popular law. This is when city states such as Massachusetts started to …show more content…
sprout up from the populus roots and need some type of law. The Massachusetts Government Act of 1774 states “Town meetings have been called at the discretion of local officials” (Document D). This quote suggests that they had a relatively good government in the years prior to the Declaration of Independence. The New England city states quickly became prosperous in the trade and shipping industry as they alone exported 116.5 thousand pounds of good to Britain; as a whole the colonies exported 1.9 million pounds of goods to britain (Document B). This shows that they had the means to produce the output needed to expand into the transcontinental trade market. However this was unobtainable as Britain set regulations regarding trade between the colonies and foreign countries. The British government found out what had been going on within the colonies, they tried to reassert itself and have more political and economic control.
These feats were done through the imposition of internal and external taxes. In the 1766 Examination of Benjamin Franklin before the House of commons, it was stated that “An external tax is a duty laid on commodities imported… If the people do not like it at that price they refuse it; they are not obligated to pay it. But an internal tax is forced from the people without their consent” (Document). This quote displays internal taxes having a negative connotation in the colonies and exemplifies the idea that the colonies had little representation in the parliamentary congress. As a result acts such as the Stamp Act of 1765, the Quartering Act, the Townshend Acts of 1767, the Tea Act of 1773, and the Intolerable acts were passed by the whim of the British government. The Stamp Act of 1765 made it so all american colonists had to pay a tax on all printed paper products they used. This encompassed many official documents. Townshend Acts of 1767 imposed a tax on glass, tea, and paper while permitting the search of private homes for smuggled goods and suspending New York’s assembly for the defiance against the Quartering Act, which forced colonists to house british soldiers. The Tea Act of 1773 allowed the British East India Company to have a monopoly on the revenue generated from the tea tax. The Intolerable Acts were aimed at …show more content…
punishing the citizens of Boston, massachusetts by forcing them into submission. These acts only led the colonist to feel as if their rights had been taken away. In regard to the growing social tension surrounding the colonists agst about their rights, both the British government and colonials lashed out.
The British authorities in the new world lashed out towards the colonists by A prime example colonists lashing out would be the Boston Tea Party, orchestrated by the Sons of Liberty, in response to the the Tea Act of 1773. The Tea Act of 1773 put a tax on all imported tea from the British motherland. Members of the Sons of Liberty boarded a British tea ship dressed at Mohawk Indians, as there was a British-Indian alliance, and threw 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. Thus the Boston Tea Party was born. One could say it was the strategy of these colonists that made their raid so successful. This is believable because it is states that the indians “who are with great reason suspected of being guilty of these horrid barbarities under the mask of friendship, have procured themselves to be taken under the protection of the government” in the Petition of the Paxton Boys to the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania in February 1764 (Document A). The colonials also created a colonial militia in backlash to presne of the British soldiers in the
colonies. In conclusion, the colonists tried to gain and strengthen political and governmental power as well as autonomy in order for the British Parliamentary government to recognize their wishes. However, when those efforts failed or made punishable by law, they felt the only other thing they could do was to declare independence. For the reasons presented above, it would be appropriate to say that due to self-sustenance, acts passed by the British Parliament, and growing social tension, the colonies were rather justified in their Declaration of Independence.
It seemed that the more and more England tried to scare the people, the angrier they got. The tactics obviously didn't work, but instead pushed the colonists even further into. standing up against Britain. The British soldiers in America were told not to entice violence, and especially not to kill anybody. Accidents do happen, as well.
In order to obtain some of the colonists’ finances, Britain began to pass a series of taxes. The Stamp Act was passed in 1765, and placed a tax on any paper goods that were going into the colonies from Britain. This included newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards, just to name a few (Stamp Act).The colonists had been so accustomed to their freedom from the crown at this point, that they were enraged. The relationship between the Mother country and the colonies did not get much better with the instatement of the Townshend Acts of 1767. These acts passed taxes on every day goods that the colonists needed, such as lead, tea, glass and paint (Townshend Acts).
Imagine living in a country where no citizen has a say in the government’s actions. Envision a nation where the ruler can tax people without permission and the common people are forced to obey without question. That was life in The Colonies before the year of 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was created. Great Britain passed laws whether it benefited the people or not. Before the Declaration of Independence was composed, a plethora of unnecessary taxes were approved. These taxes sent many colonists into debt. According to “The Declaration of Independence, 1776,” published on Office of the Historian, a famous tax called the Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. This tax forced colonists to purchase stamps for every paper product
...eir independence from Great Britain because the British stopped using salutary neglect and started to employ laws, they passed the Proclamation of 1763 which violated colonists’ rights, and the colonists were not represented in Parliament, but still had to pay taxes. The colonists broke away from Britain because they were isolated and became used to self- governing. Once Great Britain tried to take control, the colonists were angered. Also, when Great Britain tried to limit the westward expansion of the colonies, the colonists felt that their rights were being infringed. The lack of representation in Parliament played a gigantic role as well. The British taxed the colonists even though the colonies did not have an American representing them in Parliament. These reasons were certainly enough for the British colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.
Without colonial consent, the British started their bid to raise revenue with the Sugar Act of 1764 which increased duties colonists would have to pay on imports into America. When the Sugar Act failed, the Stamp Act of 1765 which required a stamp to be purchased with colonial products was enacted. This act angered the colonists to no limit and with these acts, the British Empire poked at the up to now very civil colonists. The passing of the oppressive Intolerable Acts that took away the colonists’ right to elected officials and Townshend Acts which taxed imports and allowed British troops without warrants to search colonist ships received a more aggravated response from the colonist that would end in a Revolution.
There are many events that have happened in our history that have helped shape our country into what it is today. One of those events that helped change our country was the Decleration of Independance. The Declaration of Independence was written on July 4th, 1776. And this document was written so we were separate from England and so we weren’t under their power anymore. It meant that we were going to become a self-governing country. This was the very first big step we took to become our own country. And if we hadn’t have separated from England we wouldn’t be the country we are today. This helped build our nation and bring us closer together so we were united as one. This is when we realized we could be something bigger than what we were.
The imperial tactics of the British Empire were exercised on the colonists through heavy taxes trade restrictions because of their mercantilist economy. The Stamp Act taxed the colonists directly on paper goods ranging from legal documents to newspapers. Colonists were perturbed because they did not receive representation in Parliament to prevent these acts from being passed or to decide where the tax money was spent. The colonists did not support taxation without representation. The Tea Act was also passed by Parliament to help lower the surplus of tea that was created by the financially troubled British East India Company. The colonists responded to this act by executing the Boston Tea Party which tossed all of the tea that was imported into the port of Boston. This precipitated the Boston Port Act which did not permit the colonists to import goods through this port. The colonists protested and refused all of these acts which helped stir the feelings of rebellion among the colonists. The British Mercantilist economy prevented the colonists from coin...
The war had been enormously expensive, and the British government’s attempts to impose taxes on colonists to help cover these expenses resulted in chaos. English leaders, were not satisfied with the financial and military help they had received from the colonists during the war. In a desperate attempt to gain control over the colonies as well as the additional revenue to pay off the war debt, Britain began to force taxes on the colonies. Which resulted in The Stamp Act, passed by parliament and signed by the king in March 1765. The Stamp Act created an excise tax on legal documents, custom papers, newspapers, almanacs, college diplomas, playing cards, and even dice. Obviously the colonist resented the Stamp Act and the assumption that parliament could tax them whenever and however they could without their direct representation in parliament. Most colonials believed that taxation without their consent was a violation of their constitutional rights as Englishmen. Which is where the slogan “No Taxation without Representation” comes
It was the 4th of July in 1776 when delegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full significance of what was about to take place that day,the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence for the American colonists to proclaim freedom from Great Britain's oppressor, King George III. American colonists had been suffering for many years when this important document was drafted. King George III had pushed the colonists into a state of tyranny and most decided it was time to start an independent nation under a different type of government. Jefferson focused his piece toward many audiences. He wanted not only King George III and the British Parliament to know the American's feelings, but also the entire world. The time had come for an immense change amongst the American colonists and Jefferson made sure everyone was aware of it by using his superior strategies of persuasion.
There are many important factors in the Declaration of Independence, which enable the foundation of a new government. These range from describing grievances with England, to how government should be run differently, to the first statement of separation. The first step to the foundation of a new government is the uniting of a people in a common goal. Since all people were feeling violated by English soldiers, it was necessary to state these grievances in order to make people aware that they are not alone. When people learned that others felt the same as them emotion was stirred. The Declaration of Independence listed the grievances such as, “He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” The next important step to the foundation of a new government was to gain peoples ambition by showing how the government would be run if a new party took over. This goal was achieved by stating the rights of man. “We hold these truths to be self evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This statement made people hopeful and feel kindly toward this new government. The final step in the preparation for a new government was separation from the old government. This was declared twice in the Declaration of Independence. In the beginning, “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, driving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and in the end, “that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence was able to motivate people, give them ambition, and made it simple for Americans to take action.
On July 4th, 1776, is when the United States were born. After years of suffrage from Great Britain, we finally were given a simple structure. After posting the Declaration of Independence they put a list which are complaints called the list of grievances. The Declaration is important due to help the democracy grow. The natural rights, consent of the governed and abolish government which are 3 ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
What is the Declaration of Independence? The declaration of independence states that all individuals have inalienable rights, requiring life, liberty, and property, a document by which the thirteen colonies proclaimed their independence from Great Britain. If these rights are not protected, people have the right to abolish the government and institute a new one that is willing to secure those rights and their happiness. The declaration was written by Jefferson when he had the vision that America should be liberal. While liberals wanted to over through the government, conservatives believed that not every person should receive the same privilege, not every person is the same and therefore, not every person should be created equal. America is viewed as a liberal state. Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” This was the strongest reason for the people to bear arms, so that they can be protected from tyranny in the government. People wanted their independence.
Leading up to the time of the Revolutionary War, seven policies were passed by Britain in hopes of controlling the colonies. These acts culminated in the Quebec Act which persuaded many Americans into supporting the revolutionary effort. The Proclamation of 1763 was the first policy passed by the British. This forbid any settlement west of Appalachia because the British feared conflicts over territory in this region. The proclamation, however, infuriated the colonists who planned on expanding westward. The Sugar Act was passed shortly after in 1764. This act sought harsher punishment for smugglers. The next act to be passed was possibly the most controversial act passed by Britain. The Stamp Act passed in 1765 affected every colonist because it required all printed documents to have a stamp purchased from the British authority. The colonist boycotted British goods until the Stamp Act was repealed but quickly replaced by the Declaratory Act in 1766. The British still held onto the conviction that they had the right to tax the Americans in any way they deemed necessary. The Declaratory Act was followed by the Townshend Acts of 1767. This imposed taxes on all imported goods from Britain, which caused the colonies to refuse trading with Britain. Six years passed before another upsetting act was passed. In 1773, the Tea Act placed taxes on tea, threatening the power of the colonies. The colonies, however, fought back by pouring expensive tea into the Boston harbor in an event now known as the Boston Tea Party. The enraged Parliament quickly passed the Intolerable Acts, shutting down the port of Boston and taking control over the colonies.
For over a century Great Britain had ruled the colonies in America. Since the founding of the Chesapeake Bay colony in the south in 1607, and the Massachusetts Bay colony in the north in 1630, the colonies had relied on the crown for many of their needs. Over time the colonists established a social and economical system that was almost independent of the British Empire. In April of 1775, after many transgressions on both sides, the colonists decided that they no longer needed, or wanted the support, protection, and leadership of the country that founded them. There were many factors, both immediate, and longstanding that lead to the decision to fight for freedom from British rule.