Causes of the American Revolution
1763-1776
Causes of the American Revolution
The American Revolution was a act of rights in the colonies perspective. Some of the causes of the American Revolution was the Boston Massacre, the Boston tea party, the Townshend act, the Quartering Act, the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act, the Coercive Act, the Navigation Acts and the French and Indian war. These incidents were very big impacts and all folded into the revolutionary war.
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Act tried to input minimal trade into the government. This means that the colonists were only allowed to trade goods and utilities within the colonies or with English ships. The colonists didn't agree fully with the laws, but the Sugar Act blew the colonists heads off with rage. According to the Sugar Act, American rum distillers had to buy more expensive sugars than they had been buying from the French West Indies.
The Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was created after the French and Indian war. It was created so that the Indians had a reserve so the Indians couldn't be bothered. This restricted the colonists from moving west which angered the colonists. Because the British couldn't find a good idea how to enforce the Proclamation, the colonists tried to use it against them.
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act didn't affect all colonist. The Stamp Act was created to pay off the debts from all the destruction, injuries and hospital bills from the soldiers. The Stamp Act made anything produced or made on paper taxed. This act forced colonists to buy a stamp. The colonists were told that their rights were being violated by the Sons of Liberty. Samuel Adams, the one who created the Sons of Liberty, encouraged most of the colonist to boycott the act. This got King George's attention and had no other option to repeal and remove the act.
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was made after the Stamp Act was repealed. Britain thought it was a good idea to send more troops to the colonies. The Quartering Act comes into place by having the choice of whatever house the soldier would liked to be quartered in or served. The Colonist had a major uproar because the soldiers did not have search warrants and it was too expensive.
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend act is very much like the Stamp Act, but this act was more taxed on things like, tea, glass, paper, iron, paint, lead and so on because of the Quartering Act. like the Stamp Act, the Act was being boycotted by the colonists. Although, the Daughters of Liberty found a loophole and did not buy the british cloth. But instead they made their own cloth. Most of the Taxes were repealed except for the biggest one of all, tea. The only reason that the british left taxes on tea was to show that the british still had power against the colonies. So in result the Sons of Liberty kept terrorizing the colonists.
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was technically both the Colonists and the britishes fault. On March 5, 1770, a mob of colonist interrupted a group of british troops and threw snowballs and offended these troops. Crispus Attucks was the first person to die in the Boston Massacre. I believe his death was due to the fact that he was a freed African American slave. John Adams, Samuel Adams brother, decided to defend the troops in court and stated the troops were innocent.
Tea Act/Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was a blessing for the British East India Company. Making the only company allowed to sell tea to the colonies. Any other sold tea from other companies would be stated as smuggled illegal goods and would be arrested for whoever possessed it. Even though that the price was a pro for the colonists, because the price was lower, the colonists still had to pay taxes for the imports of the tea. The daughters of Liberty again found a loophole by trying to make their own tea. In the meantime, on December 1, 1763, the Sons of Liberty threw 342 crates of tea into the harbor on illegally boarded boats and dressed like Native Americans.
The Intolerable Acts (The Coercive Acts)
The Intolerable Act Actually helped more than hurt the colonies. Although the Acts made the colonist pay for all the lost tea. These laws closed the Boston Harbor and restricted any trading between Britain and The colonists. Even though this gave Britain full control of the colony, and strengthened the Quartering Act, The colonies found a way to help each other and send goods between the colonies.