Edmund S. Morgan's The Birth Of The Republic

In The Birth of the Republic, 1763–89, Edmund S. Morgan demonstrates how the unlawful taxation by the British government launched a movement, known famously today as the American Revolution. By demonstrating how the founding fathers did not rely solely on theory, but turned towards their own personal needs, Morgan paints a picture about how the founding fathers used the constitution for personal gain, along with various other political documents.
Starting with the French and Indian War, Morgan begins by explaining a shift in power as the French are driven out of America. Forced out by an irritated coalition, land was left to the colonists and Indians. American colonists and British troops held deep resentment towards each other shortly following

the war. Indian tribes feared that the British would allow the colonists to invade their tribal lands, and thus preemptively conducted attacks against the British forces located in North America as an attempt to drive them away from western settlement. Overcome with this issue, the British passed the Proclamation of 1763, limiting colonial expansion to appease the tribes. This angered the colonists of this area who felt that the British should stay out of there domestic business. The next ten years consisted of a string of British impositions on the colonies, as if to test the limits of Parliament's power in North America. The first thing that they did was establish a writ of assistance, allowing customs agents to search any building or ship without a warrant. The colonists saw this act as an infringement on their rights as Americans, but before they could do anything, the British had already enacted the Sugar Act. This act put tight regulations on American trade, and stated that smugglers on trial did not require a jury or representation. Upon hearing of this news, colonists knew of the constant struggle that the future would bring them, but little did they know how soon. By the end of the war in 1760, British forces had effectively driven the French out of America, regaining control of the territory from the east coast to the Mississippi River.
Following this expansion, the 1763 Treaty of Paris surrendered all French lands to Britain forcing the British government to gain tighter control over its holdings in North America. In 1756, Britain and France went to war, known as the French and Indian war, increasing tension between the colonists and parliament. Up to this point, the common ideology of a revolution was spread throughout the colonies. Most remarkable for its impact was the cry of "no taxation without representation," and later "no legislation without representation". These battle cries began to unite the colonies in a way never seen before. Colonists developed groups, such as the Sons of Liberty, who coordinated massive demonstrations throughout the colonies, and translated political babble into a language more commonly understood by the people. These committees kept the colonies informed and coordinated on a united front for immediate political action.
The 1773 Stamp Act Congress was the first time that these political leaders could congregate and discuss political matters.

These organizations were the key developers of political unity and efficient communication among colonies that drastically effected the outcome of the Revolutionary War. Shortly after, parliament passed the Stamp Act of 1765 which required all colonists to purchase preselected, watermarked paper for all newspapers and legal documents. Due to the fact that it placed an internal tax on the colonies, The Stamp Act of 1765 provoked significant opposition. As violence broke out throughout the colonies, groups such as the Loyal Nine and the Sons of Liberty took control of the resistance and mobilized towards parliament in order to repeal this unlawful act. The end of the Stamp Act crisis was used to severely damage the British economy and force repeal. Very shortly after, tension rises as the Quartering Act in New York of 1766 was passed as parliament threatened to remove the colony's power of self-government if it did not comply with British orders. In 1767, parliament passed the Townshend duties, a series of taxes on imported goods, cleverly designed to raise revenue for the British treasury. Hearing of this political corruption, colonists took to an uprising during which British Army soldiers killed five male civilians and injured six others. After this “Boston Massacre”, colonists became aware of the British governments plan to deny them the right of

self-government. Colonists than organized political resistance referred to as Committees of Correspondence. These committees of correspondence would directly lead the colonists into the Revolutionary War.
Up until the mid-eighteenth century, the colonists had their own isolated living quarters, under a policy called salutary neglect. Despite this political isolation, the overwhelming majority of colonists remained loyal to the king, and recognized British Parliament as the ultimate source of governmental authority. Despite their political isolation from the British, an overwhelming majority of colonists recognized British parliament as the only source of true governmental authority. Relations between the British and colonists were neutral as the colonists relied on the British for trade and protection. This momentous period from 1763 to 1773 sparked a rebellion and helped the colonies break free from the grasp of the British king and parliament. Once the war was finished the newly formed United States was able to direct its power to the minds of political leaders.