Causes of the American Revolution
1763-1776
American Revolution
The American Revolution was a series of events that changed how American is today. Some of the social outlooks of the American Revolution was that it mainly effected the middle class people because everything taxed wasn't usually bought by the poor. Also, the higher class people could easily pay for the taxes. Some of the British policies that led to the American revolution were the taxing. I think the colonists were justified by the declaring of independence from England because it makes the most sense from their actions
Navigation Acts
Throughout the 1650's to 1700's Parliament created laws restricting colonial trade called the Navigation Acts. The colonies were forced to only buy manufactured goods from England, only sell raw materials to England, and only use English ships to trade. This also included something called the Sugar Act, which angered the colonists because they taxed everything with sugar. They were trying to use the theory of mercantilism and ended up sparking the idea of smuggling. The most important thing about the Navigation Acts was the increase in manufacturing and the increase in anger towards the mother country
Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian war King Gorge III declared that colonists were not allowed to go past or settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. They were hoping to avoid contact with the Indians , which would result in war/fights which needed money that they didn't have. This angered the colonists because they weren't allowed to go to the land they just won and British began to tax them.
Stamp Act
In 1765 British Parliament placed a tax on all paper goods, this required a stamp to show you'd paid the tax. The money collected from this movement was used to pay for soldiers defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. The Sons of Liberty and the Committees of Correspondence protested the stamp act by having rallies in the streets. At the Stamp Act Congress they discussed that only the colonial governments should be allowed to tax the colonies and they asked King George to real the act.
Quartering Act
In response to the Stamp Act protests Britain created the Quartering Act. The Quartering Act was a period of time where Britain sent soldiers to live and invade colonists homes. Colonists were forced to house, feed, and pay for the soldiers. While staying in colonists homes, these soldiers would have blank search warrants to search their houses for unpaid paper. This was also called the writs of Assistance.
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts was a period of time where they taxed glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, teas and other items. The Daughters of Liberty contributed to the protest against the Townshend Acts by making their own cloth instead having to buy British cloth. In 1770, Parliament repealed the Townshend duties other than the tax on tea. The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, responded to the continuation of taxation of the colonies by attacking the homes of British officials and colonial tax collectors.
The Boston Massacre
In 1770 in an alley colonists were protesting and tension rose over the soldiers. One of the British fired at the group of men. Five colonists died form this street fight including an African American. Committees of Correspondence, led by Samuel Adams, spread anti-British propaganda about the event. John Adams (Samuel Adams cousin) chose to represent the soldiers after the Boston Massacre.
Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party
The Parliament of Great Britain created the Tea Act in 1773. The idea of the Tea Act was to reduce the surplus of tea created by the British East India Company. Even though the price of tea actually owe red, colonists were still mad because they had to pay an imported tax to Britain. In response to this, the Sons of Liberty disguised as American Indians, illegally boarded the ships, and dumped 342 crates of tea overboard. This was called the Boston Tea Party
Coercive Act (Intolerable Acts)
The coercive Acts was an act made in 1774 to make colonists pay for the tea and keep colonists from attacking again. They called this the intolerable Acts because they were so harsh. The Intolerable Acts stopped all trade, didn't allow colonists to have town meetings, gave the British control of the Colony, and strengthened the Quartering Act. Because trading was prohibited, the economies of other colonies were impacted along with the revolutionary spirit.