How Did British Control America

Revolutionary War
In 1775 -1783 Americans believed British control over the colonies had was overwhelming. Americans sought freedom through rebellion because of the political control that would eventually lead to the Revolutionary War. Britain had decided to impose taxes on the Americans, controlling them economically, and the Americans believed that they had no right to do so. Britain had convinced itself through Parliament that the British had every right to control the lives of the colonist socially by enforcing new laws and acts and through fear. Britain attempted to try to control America but failed to keep control of the colonist.

Britain controlled America by enforcing military rule on the ground across all 13 colonies. The King of

England enacted a new set of laws called the Quartering Act which forced the colonist to house and feed the British soldiers (Document 4). Men, women, and children were severely punished if they decided to defy the British rules, soldiers, or officers. For example, one form of punishment was tarring and feathering where the colonist were covered in hot tar and feathers. The Americans envisioned a different system of political rule and political views than the Brits. Great Britain believed the colonist needed to be obedient to the British due to the protection they provided for the colonist by the Quartering Act (Document 1). Parliament had much of the say of what went on in the New World colonies of Britain and they often took advantage of the colonist (Document 3). The colonist believed that Parliament needed their consent to take their money instead of just taking it when they pleased (Document 3). The harsh political control by Britain made the colonist feel like they were being treated with partiality which led to acts of violence for the purpose of gaining freedom (Document 3 and 8).

Throughout all the founding of America the colonist suffered economically even with the support from the British. Britain taxed the colonist nonstop on goods and other materials (Document 6 and 8). The heavy taxing dragged the colonies to a slow development often leaving many settlers angry and without money (Document 8). Examples of the items taxed on were tea, molasses, paper, glass, and paint. Consequently, the tax on the tea led to a revolt by the Americans disguised in Indian clothing to try to fool the spectators and to show a sign of rebellion against Britain; this rebellion was the Boston Tea Party (Document 8). Tight control from Britain on the flow of money in America provoked many feelings and awakened a sense of liberty to which colonist thought it was their birthright to be free instead of being controlled. The Stamp Act serves as another example of Britain controlling the colonies economically by imposing a tax on stamps (Document 6). The economical control was a big factoid in the urge to break away from Britain’s control and causing the Revolutionary War.

Interestingly Britain thought it was necessary to try and control the social lives of the Americans by ordering the colonist what to do and by placing many restrictions. For example The Quartering Act ignored their opinion and also controlled their way of live socially by forcing them to house soldiers (Document 5). King George III created a line called the demarcation line to forbid settlement past the line which stirred the pot in the colonies because they thought they believed they could settle wherever they pleased (Document 7). Strict social control drove the colonies to unite and to rebel to cause a war.

The colonies rebelled against British power in 1775-1783 because of the strict control Britain imposed over them. The British controlled the colonies through many laws and acts politically, economically, and socially. After the end of the war the Americans gained their freedom from Britain and lived freely on the land their ancestors had settled. After the disabling of many of ties between America and Britain, America undertook many changes much later than anticipated but finally reached freedom.