Causes of the American Revolution
1763-1776
Causes of the American Revolution
The American revolution is the war between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain. Some of the social causes of the American Revolution were: The Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. Some of Britain's economic policies that led to the revolution were: taxes on sugar, paper, cloth, and only being able to buy tea from the British East India Company. Yes, I think that the colonies were justified in declaring independence from England because a large percentage of the colonists were poor due to the tax on almost everything so being able to get the opportunity to lave from England is probably appealing.
Navigation Acts
The effort to put mercantilism into actual practice. Trade could only be with English colonial Ships. Trade destined for places other than the Empire still have to go through England. The Sugar Act placed import tax on sugar so colonists have to pay more money. The stifling of colonial manufacturing. Increased resent to the Mother County.
The Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was created after the French and Indian War. King George issued the proclamation to prevent further conflict between the Indians and the Colonists because wars cost a lot of supplies and money. Many of the colonists disregarded the proclamation.
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act taxed anything printed on paper. The Stamp act was created to pay the debts of the French and Indian War. The Committee of Correspondence protested the Stamp Act by boycotting paper. Samuel Adams created the Sons of Liberty to use violence to get their message across. The Stamp Act Congress discussed how to get King George to repeal the Stamp Act. The King reluctantly agreed to repeal the Stamp Act due to boycotts and Ben Franklin's address to the Parliament.
Quartering Act
Britain's response to the protests of the Stamp Act were to have British soldiers live in the colonists homes and the colonists had to house and feed the soldiers. The Quartering act allowed soldiers to live in the colonists homes and the colonists had to feed and house the soldiers.
- The colonists hated that the soldiers could enter their house with just a blank piece of paper.
- Caring for the soldiers and the colonists was very costly with all the taxes.
Townshend Acts
Tea, Glass, and paper were some of the items that were taxed with the Townshend Acts. The Daughters of Liberty made their own cloth rather than buying it from the British. The only item that was still taxed after the Townshend Acts was tea. The Sons of Liberty responded to the taxation of tea by using violence against the British officers and tax collectors.
Boston Massacre
A mob of unarmed colonists were fired at when they cornered a group of British soldiers.(five colonists were killed) Samuel Adams responded to the Boston Massacre by turning it into propaganda, hence why its called the massacre even though there were only five deaths. John Adams let the soldiers of the Boston Massacre have a trial by jury in which they were found non-guilty.
Tea Act & Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act made tea only available through the British East India Company which was cheaper but required added import tax. The colonists were unhappy with the Tea Act because they still had to pay import tax. The Sons of Liberty disguised as American Indians and dumped three hundred and two crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. (1.7 million dollars nowadays)
Coercive Acts
The colonists called the Coercive Acts the "Intolerable Acts".
- No trade between Boston and Britain.
- No town meetings.
- Gave Britain control of Massachusetts.
- Strengthened the Quartering Act.