Causes of the Revolutionary War
The following represent the major events along the way to war. While it would be hard to point to any one event that singularly led to the Revolution, there is no doubt that the American view that they were entitled to the full democratic rights of Englishmen, while the British view that the American colonies were just colonies to be used and exploited in whatever way best suited the Great Britain, insured that war was inevitable.
1. French and Indian War (1754) - The French and Indian War was a seven-year war between England and the American colonies, against the French and some of the Indians in North America. When the war ended, France was no longer in control of Canada. The Indians that had been threatening the American colonists were defeated. Great Britain spent a great deal of money fighting the war and colonists fully participated in this war, which would have a profound effect on the future of the colonies. The War officially came to an end on February 10, 1763, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in which France officially ceded all of its holdings in North America west of the Mississippi; while regaining the Islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The most long lasting effect of the war was not the negotiattion between the parties. Rather, it was the effect the war had on the American colonies.The cost of the war and of controlling the newly acquired territories was high. The British looked to the colonies to help pay those costs., which began the long spiral of events that led to the Revolution.
2. Proclamation of 1763 - The proclamation established a western boundary for colonial settlement along the Appalachian Mountains. To the west the lands were reserved for the Indians. The Colonists responded to the proclamation with a combination of anger and disdain. They were angry with the government for interfering and trying to limit their economic growth, and they had disdain for the government, since in their view, there was little chance this proclamation could be enforced. The Colonists felt there was no way any proclamation could stop the natural movement of the Colonists westward.
3. The Sugar Act (1764) - The Sugar Act actually lowered the tax on molasses, a key import of the colonies. While the previous tax was seldom enforced, the new act provided strong methods of enforcing the tariff on molasses. It also placed a tax on the importation of additional items, such as silks, wines and potash. The American colonists responded with outrage to the new law. They took whatever actions they could to ignore and/or defy the new laws. Often with the blatant help of colonial officials, molasses and other goods would be smuggled into the colonies without paying the required taxes.
4. The Quartering Act (1765) - In 1765 the British further angered the colonist by passing the Quartering Act, which forced American colonist to house and feed British forces who were serving in North America. The act further inflamed tensions between the colonist and the British. The colonist were angered at having their homes forced open. The subsequent close contact with British soldiers did not engender good feelings between the sides.
5. Stamp Tax (1765) - The Revenue Act of 1764 (also known as the Sugar Act) did not bring in enough money to help pay the cost of defending the colonies, so the British looked for additional sources of taxation. The stamp tax was imposed on every document or newspaper printed or used in the colonies. The taxes ranged from one shilling a newspaper to ten pounds for a lawyers license, There was little the colonist could in which they would not be forced to pay the tax. All the income was to go to help pay to protect the colonies. One of the most objectionable aspects of the taxes to the colonist was the fact that violation of the taxes would be prosecuted by in Admiralty Courts and not by jury trials. The colonist considered the act unconstitutional and felt they had no need to heed the taxes. The Virginia House of Burgesses was nearing the end of its session when word of the Stamp Act reached it. A young delegate named Patrick Henry introduced a Resolution which stated that: “That the general assembly of the colony, together with his majesty or his substitute have in their representative capacity the only exclusive right and power to levy taxes and impositions on the inhabitants of this colony and that every attempt to vest such a power in any person or persons whatsoever other than the general assembly aforesaid is illegal, unconstitutional, and unjust, and has a manifest tendency to destroy British, as well as American freedom.” This was the beginning of a united colonial opposition to the British Act.
6. Townshend Acts (1767) - Charles Townshend (Prime Minister of England) was not concerned with the subtleties of the rights of American colonists. Townshend wanted to strengthen the power of the British parliament, which would simultaneously strengthen the power of royal officials. He convinced the Parliament to pass a series of laws imposing new taxes on the colonists. These laws included special taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass and tea imported by colonists. In addition, the New York legislature was suspended until it agreed to quarter British soldiers. The most tangible colonial protest to the Townshend Act was the revival of an agreement not to import British goods, especially luxury products. The Non-importation agreement slowly grew to include merchants in all of the colonies, with the exception of New Hampshire. Within a year importation from Britain dropped almost in half.
7. Coercive Acts (1774) - The British were shocked by the destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor and other colonial protests. The British parliament gave its speedy assent to a series of acts that became known as the "Coercive Acts"; or in the colonies as the "Intolerable Acts". These acts included the closing of the port of Boston, until such time as the East India tea company received compensation for the tea dumped into the harbor. The Royal governor took control over the Massachusetts government and would appoint all officials. Sheriffs would become royal appointees, as would juries. In addition, the British took the right to quarter soldiers anywhere in the colonies.
Source: http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/index.html
The following represent the major events along the way to war. While it would be hard to point to any one event that singularly led to the Revolution, there is no doubt that the American view that they were entitled to the full democratic rights of Englishmen, while the British view that the American colonies were just colonies to be used and exploited in whatever way best suited the Great Britain, insured that war was inevitable.
1. French and Indian War (1754) - The French and Indian War was a seven-year war between England and the American colonies, against the French and some of the Indians in North America. When the war ended, France was no longer in control of Canada. The Indians that had been threatening the American colonists were defeated. Great Britain spent a great deal of money fighting the war and colonists fully participated in this war, which would have a profound effect on the future of the colonies. The War officially came to an end on February 10, 1763, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in which France officially ceded all of its holdings in North America west of the Mississippi; while regaining the Islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The most long lasting effect of the war was not the negotiattion between the parties. Rather, it was the effect the war had on the American colonies.The cost of the war and of controlling the newly acquired territories was high. The British looked to the colonies to help pay those costs., which began the long spiral of events that led to the Revolution.
2. Proclamation of 1763 - The proclamation established a western boundary for colonial settlement along the Appalachian Mountains. To the west the lands were reserved for the Indians. The Colonists responded to the proclamation with a combination of anger and disdain. They were angry with the government for interfering and trying to limit their economic growth, and they had disdain for the government, since in their view, there was little chance this proclamation could be enforced. The Colonists felt there was no way any proclamation could stop the natural movement of the Colonists westward.
3. The Sugar Act (1764) - The Sugar Act actually lowered the tax on molasses, a key import of the colonies. While the previous tax was seldom enforced, the new act provided strong methods of enforcing the tariff on molasses. It also placed a tax on the importation of additional items, such as silks, wines and potash. The American colonists responded with outrage to the new law. They took whatever actions they could to ignore and/or defy the new laws. Often with the blatant help of colonial officials, molasses and other goods would be smuggled into the colonies without paying the required taxes.
4. The Quartering Act (1765) - In 1765 the British further angered the colonist by passing the Quartering Act, which forced American colonist to house and feed British forces who were serving in North America. The act further inflamed tensions between the colonist and the British. The colonist were angered at having their homes forced open. The subsequent close contact with British soldiers did not engender good feelings between the sides.
5. Stamp Tax (1765) - The Revenue Act of 1764 (also known as the Sugar Act) did not bring in enough money to help pay the cost of defending the colonies, so the British looked for additional sources of taxation. The stamp tax was imposed on every document or newspaper printed or used in the colonies. The taxes ranged from one shilling a newspaper to ten pounds for a lawyers license, There was little the colonist could in which they would not be forced to pay the tax. All the income was to go to help pay to protect the colonies. One of the most objectionable aspects of the taxes to the colonist was the fact that violation of the taxes would be prosecuted by in Admiralty Courts and not by jury trials. The colonist considered the act unconstitutional and felt they had no need to heed the taxes. The Virginia House of Burgesses was nearing the end of its session when word of the Stamp Act reached it. A young delegate named Patrick Henry introduced a Resolution which stated that: “That the general assembly of the colony, together with his majesty or his substitute have in their representative capacity the only exclusive right and power to levy taxes and impositions on the inhabitants of this colony and that every attempt to vest such a power in any person or persons whatsoever other than the general assembly aforesaid is illegal, unconstitutional, and unjust, and has a manifest tendency to destroy British, as well as American freedom.” This was the beginning of a united colonial opposition to the British Act.
6. Townshend Acts (1767) - Charles Townshend (Prime Minister of England) was not concerned with the subtleties of the rights of American colonists. Townshend wanted to strengthen the power of the British parliament, which would simultaneously strengthen the power of royal officials. He convinced the Parliament to pass a series of laws imposing new taxes on the colonists. These laws included special taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass and tea imported by colonists. In addition, the New York legislature was suspended until it agreed to quarter British soldiers. The most tangible colonial protest to the Townshend Act was the revival of an agreement not to import British goods, especially luxury products. The Non-importation agreement slowly grew to include merchants in all of the colonies, with the exception of New Hampshire. Within a year importation from Britain dropped almost in half.
7. Coercive Acts (1774) - The British were shocked by the destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor and other colonial protests. The British parliament gave its speedy assent to a series of acts that became known as the "Coercive Acts"; or in the colonies as the "Intolerable Acts". These acts included the closing of the port of Boston, until such time as the East India tea company received compensation for the tea dumped into the harbor. The Royal governor took control over the Massachusetts government and would appoint all officials. Sheriffs would become royal appointees, as would juries. In addition, the British took the right to quarter soldiers anywhere in the colonies.
Source: http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/index.html