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Essay: The American Revolution

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  • Published: 15 September 2019*
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  • Words: 1,269 (approx)
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The American Revolution emerged as a result of a variety growing conflicts between the British Parliament and the American colonies. The colonists felt that their economy and commerce were threatened by the financial burdens imposed by the British, along with their freedom and natural liberties that were diminished. As the conflicts evolved and tension between the colonies and the British heightened, the colonists finally felt that it was time for them to take a stand and fight for their rights and independence, prompting the start of the revolution. Although the economic troubles that resulted from the acts imposed on the colonists urged them to pursue independence, the main driving force behind the Revolution was the suppression of the colonists’ freedom that arose as a result of the taxation, along with the Americans’ desire for natural rights and equal representation.

The many acts that were established by Britain to be enforced within the colonies led them to their breaking points and ultimately prompted them to partake in the fight for their independence. Britain implemented acts such as the Sugar Act of 1764, the Currency Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, and the Tea Act of 1773 in order to collect money to pay off war debts, raise a powerful army, and monopolize major commodities (Brinkley 110). These acts frightened the colonists, as they were afraid of the negative impacts that would impair their economy and diminish their wealth, both individually and as a nation. For instance, the Tea Act of 1773 gave Britain’s East India Company permission to export their merchandise directly to the colonies without having to pay any of the navigational taxes that Americans had to pay. This allowed them to monopolize the colonial tea trade and inhibited American sellers from selling their own tea and making money (Brinkley 118). This angered colonial merchants because they began to fear that they would no longer be able to sell any tea or participate in any tea trades, which would endanger the economy and the nation’s workforce. If Britain had a complete monopoly over the tea trade, thousands of colonists would lose their jobs and go into debt. Another act that worried the colonists was the Stamp Act of 1765, which imposed taxes on significant documents within the colonies, including newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, and licences (Brinkley 110). Although many colonists relied on these documents and often utilized them in their everyday lives, they could no longer afford them and use them to the same extents that they previously had due to the taxes that were levied by the British. They felt that the taxes were unjust and unequal, and they couldn’t understand how the British supposed that their economy and trading systems could withstand the terrible burdens of heavy taxes (Document A). As a result of these acts, may colonists began to rally against Parliament and revolt against the taxes, refusing to pay them and participating in small rebellions throughout the colonies.

Although the colonists were worried about the economical repercussions of the new acts, British oppression and diminished freedom that emerged as a result of the acts are what truly angered and provoked the colonists. The Stamp Act of 1765 unified colonists and provided them with a common purpose to stand up against the British. Unlike most of the other acts that were imposed upon the colonies, the colonists believe that the Stamp Act was a trick. They felt that England created the Stamp Act as an attempt to raise the taxes within the colonies without needing the consent of the colonial assemblies (Brinkley 112). While the economic burdens of the tax were minimal, the psychological effects and the feeling of being controlled and restrained by the British outraged the colonists and led to more collective and unified attempts to fight for their independence. Not long after the Stamp Act was implemented, riots began to break out across the colonies and groups such as the Stamp Act Congress and the Sons of Liberty prompted more rebellions. The Stamp Act Congress petitioned the king and the houses of Parliament in an attempt to fight for the colonists’ right to only be taxed by their own provincial assemblies, and the Sons of Liberty burned stamps and terrorized colonists who were reluctant to participate in the revolts (Brinkley 113). Rebellions became widespread and members of all of the colonies boycotted British goods, refusing to pay money for any commodities that would ultimately benefit Britain’s economy. The Stamp Act spawned a new spirit among the colonies, and both the poor and the wealthy became more aware of their freedoms and rights (Document B). People were willing to participate in more risky and dangerous forms of resistance to protect their liberties, which is why many colonists supported a revolution to demand their freedom.

The colonists fundamentally pursued their independence because of their strong desires for natural rights and freedoms, greater representation, and the opportunity to be a self-governing nation. After the colonies unified as a result of the widespread outrage due to the Stamp Act and the other degrading acts imposed by the British, the colonists began to long for independence more than they ever had before, which is why they were more willing to start a revolution and fight for what they believed were their rightful liberties. Levi Preston, a veteran participant in the battle at Lexington and Concord, once said in an interview that he didn’t feel oppressed by any of the acts that were established by the British. In fact, he claimed that the true reason that the Redcoats fought was because they had always governed themselves in the past, and they always were supposed to. The British were preventing them from doing so, which prompted them to fight (Document E). Although the taxes did have some impact on the colonists’ decision to fight the British for their independence, they weren’t what mainly caused the revolution. Leadership figures, such as Samuel Adams, spoke at town meetings and created “committees of correspondence” to publicize the common grievances about the British throughout the many colonies (Brinkley 116). The committees of correspondence helped to keep order within the colonies and became groups of authority to take action for the people. The public speakers helped to spread ideas similar to those of the Enlightenment thinkers, many regarding natural rights and a self-governing nation. The colonists wanted to be able to enjoy their freedoms and work as a unified nation to create a strong, stable government that could improve their economy and raise a durable army, but they were unable to do so while they were being oppressed by Parliament and controlled by the king and Britain’s government. As a whole, the colonies finally took it upon themselves to fight for their rights and their independence, which is why the American Revolution came to be.

While America’s economy suffered from the taxation and economic burdens forced upon the colonies, the colonists were most notably infuriated by the idea that their independence and liberties were being threatened, provoking them to rally against the British Parliament and ignite a revolution. In the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers discussed the purpose of a government and its job to protect the people’s rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The colonists kept those ideals in mind while fighting against the British, as they wanted to ultimately gain independence from Britain and have access to their natural rights that shouldn’t have been belittled in the first place. They were unified by the desire for freedom and a united nation, which is why they rebelled and what they fought for.

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