American Revolution
Uploaded by christina_cloud9 on Mar 03, 2002
Many factors influences the American rebellion known as the American Revolution. Though political influences existed, the American Revolution was primarily an economic rebellion, because of conflict over taxation and representation in Parliament. The colonists had strong beliefs that the English government was unfair and often tyrannical. The conflicts over trade, taxes, and government representation brought about the revolution that began shaping the United States as it is today.
Although there were many economic influences on the American Revolution, these were not the primary causes. The colonists believed that the king of England, King George III at the time, was too controlling over the colonies, with tyrannical leadership. This is shown in the Declaration of Independence, declaring the United States free from "absolute Tyranny over the States." To add to this conflict, British forces were attempting to intimidate the colonists into submission. The colonist's attitude towards this policy was that it only gave them more cause and justification for violence. The general belief among to colonists was that it was God’s will that America and Britain be separated, and God's will was a pretty strong proponent and motivation for them. In 1775, the colonists took up arms against the British troops in the colonies. They met at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and some of the captured American soldiers were being executed. With all of these events, the adversity towards the English was growing.
Although these political conflicts were occurring simultaneously, the economic influences were greater. The colonists were very strong in believing that much of the taxation imposed on them by Britain was unfair and unreasonable. The colonists couldn't even afford to pay many of the taxes imposed on them. The Stamp Act, for example, taxed practically everything imaginable. The Stamp Act taxed newspapers, pamphlets, bonds, leases, deeds, college diplomas, dice, playing cards, and didn't end there. The British finally repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but they immediately replaced it with the Declaratory Act, which stated that Britain had full authority to impose whatever taxation they wanted to. The Quartering Act, which was imposed in 1765, required all colonists to provide provisions and housing, which could be barracks or the use of their inns and empty buildings, to British troops under any circumstances. This was also thought to be unfair. When Britain imposed the Tea Act of 1773, the colonists realized that once they gained that kind of monopoly over...