The Events Leading Up to the Decalaration of Independence

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The events leading up to the Declaration of Independence Long before the United States of America was even formed, the country was a colony of the British Empire. The British were very controlling and they had a tendency to raise taxes on the colonists living there. The first tax, called The Stamp Act, was forced on the colonists in 1765 by Parliament. This act stated that colonists were required to pay for an official stamp when they bought paper items. The colonists were not in agreement with Parliament and they repealed it soon after because they thought it violated their rights. However, that did not stop Parliament from passing another tax. The Townshend Acts were enacted to force the colonists to pay for glass, paper, tea, lead, and paints. The colonists were not going to take that so they started boycotting against British goods. As a result, British soldiers were sent to Boston to restore order and to ensure that Parliament’s laws were carried out. When they arrived, Bostonians saw them as a threat. They began to shout insults and throw snowballs at the troops. Then a soldier fired into the crowd killing three men and two others. The soldiers were charged for murder but were found innocent. This injustice made the colonists angry with Britain and the next thing they did will be a day remembered in history forever. The Parliament passed another Act called the Tea Act. This allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists. Some merchants and smugglers feared that they would go out of business. Ships arrived from the company to the Boston Harbor. On December 16, 1773 some colonists were disguised as Indians and sneaked onto the ship. They dumped over 340 tea chests into the Boston Harbor. This eve... ... middle of paper ... ...h finding evidence that would either convict or exonerate the defendants and the person charged is judged by a jury of their peers. The system strives for impartiality and while not perfect, is the fairest method of justice that exists within the free world. Of course, the later amendments (13th, 15th, and 19th) that were previously mentioned were instrumental in achieving equality within this country. America cannot and should never be seen as a country simply for the majority but one that is inclusive of all races. If the Declaration of Independence hadn’t been there then we wouldn’t have improved our country over time. Although we celebrate July 4th with fireworks and sparklers, we should actually remember what our loyal soldiers did for us. Without them we would have never been a country separated from Britain and might still be living under their rules today.

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