Causes of the American Revolution
Lee delaye 1763-1776
Navigation Acts
The navigation act was an act passed by Parliament in 1650. It was an act made to put mercantilism into actual practice by controlling the trading of goods. It limited export of goods in the colonies to be only traded via English or Colonial ships. To trade to any other place, all goods had to go to England first. The colonists were uncomfortable with this because they didn't really like being told what to do.
Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation of 1763 was passed in 1763 after the French and Indian war by King George III. It was a law restricting colonists from going west of the Appalachians mountains, the land they had just fought and died over. The King has passed this act to prevent wars between the colonists and Native Americans, which would make even more debt from England. The colonists thought this was unfair.
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act that taxed paper goods in the colonies. The colonists had to buy a stamp to prove that they had paid the tax. The Stamp Act was created by Parliament in 1765 to pay off the debts of the French and Indian war they had just fought, and to pay to protect the colonies. The colonists were not happy that they hadn't had an opinion in this. Thus, they protested in various manners like boycotting or even violence.
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was an act passed by the British Parliament in to respond to the protest of the people in the colonies. As well as sending a lot of troops to the colonies, Britain passed the Quartering Act which forced colonists to shelter and feed British soldiers. Colonists didn't like that soldiers could search their homes with writs of assistance, or blank search warrants. They also didn't like that housing soldiers was costly, and that they had to pay for them. Britain said that they had to pay to share the expense of protection from Indians. This made the colonies even more upset.
Townshend Act
Parliament passed the Townshend Act in 1767. The act taxed colonists for imported tea, glass, paper and other items. Colonists protested by boycotting goods from England. The act was made to pay for the funds of the quartering act. The Daughters of Liberty, who were a group of women, made their own cloth to no be taxed by English cloth. After the act was repealed in 1770, England still taxed tea to the colonists, so Sons of Liberty protested and used violence.
Boston Massacre
On March 5th, 1770, tension between England and the colonies was very high. Colonists were arguing and protesting to English soldiers, and threw things at them, like rocks or snowballs. The English soldiers got really frustrated, and started firing. This, which is called the Boston Massacre because it was in Boston, resulted in 5 total deaths. Samuel Adams, who was part of the Sons of Liberty, used this to create propaganda against England to spark up anger in the colonies.On the other hand, his brother John Adams decided to speak for the soldiers who had shot, to show that people had a right to a trial.
Tea Act and Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was an act passed by Parliament in 1773, saying that only the East India tea company could sell tea to the colonists, giving them full monopoly over tea. Even though this made the price for the colonists to buy tea lower, the colonists were not happy because they had to pay import taxes on the tea so it would come to the colonies. In response to this, the Sons of liberty did something that is now known as the Boston Tea party. They dressed up as Native Americans, and threw overboard 342 crates of tea to protest.
Coercive Acts
England was furious at Boston because of the Boston Tea Party. The Coercive Acts, which the colonists called the intolerable acts, were a series of act passed by Parliament in 1774. These acts stopped trade between Boston and England, prohibited town meetings, strengthened the Quartering Act, and gave England complete rule over Boston. Because Boston's port was closed, it hurt all the other colonies economically too. Because of that, the other colonies helped Boston by bringing goods. This sparked up revolutionary spirit even more.
The American Revolution
The American Revolution was a period of time where the colonies wanted to rebel and overthrow their control by England. All these economic policies and social policies, the colonists grew very angry towards England and were tired of being controlled. They wanted to have a choice in their life, and not be controlled. I believe the choice the colonists made was the right one, and that England was using them for their own benefit.