Causes of the American Revolution Essay

The American Revolution began in 1755 as an open conflict between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris had ended that war in 1783, giving the colonies their own independence. There are many factors contributing to the start of the Revolution, but the war began as the way The Great Britain treated the colonies versus the way the colonies felt they should be treated. For example, the French and Indian War, Salutary Neglect, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, smuggling, etc. are some of the starters to the American Revolution. This problem is provided in one of the most rallying cries of the Revolution: No Taxation Without Representation. I believe that the American Revolution was a radical revolutionary war because similarities between American government and British Parliament and the fact that those in positions of power and leadership in the colonies were the same men who led the revolution. Events like the Boston Tea Party were acts of civil disobedience. They intentionally broke a law to showcase the unjustness of said law. Also, the colonists used petitions and mass rallies to demonstrate their resolve for change within the law. The colonists wanted westward expansion, which Parliament was limiting. The only way to continue expanding at the current rate would mean taking the land. Whether or not this was right, it demonstrates the Colonists willingness to abandon their parent country in favor of their own desires. If the revolution was a ‘conservative protest’, then the colonists would have dispersed after events like the closing of Boston Harbor and Lexington and Concord. Instead the colonists rallied, supply Boston through massive wagon trains after Boston harbor was closed, and created an army after Lexington and Concord. The final colonial war was the French and Indian war (1689-1763). During this war, England lost a lot of money and felt that the Americans should pay for the â€Å"protection† they gave us. T his was also solidified America as America. Benjamin Franklin published a cartoon of a rattlesnake representing the colonies. The phrase â€Å"join or die† was added, sending a clear signal that this was a new nation in the â€Å"New World.† The cost of the French and Indian War caused the Britain the need for getting more money, and to do this, they made the Americans pay more taxes. This lead to the rebellion and revolution of America. From 1603 to 1763, the British policy for governing the American colonies was called Salutary Neglect. Under Salutary Neglect, enforcement of parliament law was not strict enough for the colonists. According to the law of the days, trade between American colonists and other nations were very restricted. Colonists were only allowed to trade with England, Scotland, and Ireland. Salutary Neglect allowed Great Britain to turn a blind eye to illegal trade activities with other countries, which were difficult and expensive to enforce. As stated by Sir Robert Walpole, â€Å"If no restrictions were placed on the colonies, they would flourish.† In 1764, Parliame nt passed an the Sugar and Molasses act. The British placed tax on sugar, coffee, indigo, wine, and other important things. They did this because they wanted more money to help provide security for the colonies. The Sugar Act made colonists very upset because if they only traded with Britain, they would not be able to sell their goods for much. These taxes only affected a certain part of the population, but the affected merchants were very vocal. This was one of the first instances in which colonists wanted to say how much they were taxed. This act, and the Currency Act, set the stage for the revolt of the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on 1765. The new tax required all American colonists to pay a tax on every piece of paper they used. For example, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, ship’s papers, newspapers, and even playing cards. The money collected from the Stamp Act would be used to help pay for the cost of defending and protecting the American frontiersmen. With this act, the colonists’ anger reached the boiling point. The frustration was now to take the form of rebellion. The previous Molasses Act, Navigation Acts, and Sugar Act suddenly were seen as a prelude to this final blow. During the revolution, the Declaration of Independence served as a motivational document for the revolutionaries. King George III dismissed it, and it carried no political patch. The signitaries did risk their lives by signing it, and therefore the Declaration lifted moral, or at least the decision to overthrow British rule. The document gave a clarity to the American cause that it had previously lacked, and that the British were never to gain. The Declaration of Independence also made any hopes of a peaceful settlement much less likely – Independence once declared could not easily be surrendered. Each colony declared itself an independent state and replaced the king’s governor. Citizens, including women and slaves, plunged into the War under the command of General Washington. In the end, the American Revolution grew out of their restrictions placed upon their colonies by the British. The treaty signed in Paris on September 3rd, 1783 brings the American Revolution to its successful conclusion. The causes of the American Revolution were both economical and political. Each action by the colonists or Parliament seemed to bring about an effect by the other side. It was a progress changing the colonies from dependent to independent states, from monarchy to republic, but in the end, we succeeded. Individuals and groups drastically changed the course of history.