The war that started in 1776, in my opinion, could not have been avoided. This was because America at that time was a boiling pot ready to spill. To understand this, we must first understand the reason English settlers wanted to colonize America in the first place. The first and obvious reason was the search for riches; initially, the search for gold, but later on through agricultural means (Taylor, 2001). The next reason was religious immigration. Most of the colonists went to the Americas searching for the right to practice their religion without persecution. The lure of cheap land, religious freedom and the right to improve oneself was very attractive (Miller, 1996). These two reasons tell us that the early Americans yearned for liberty.
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However, one of the main reasons the American Revolution took place, was definitely because of the taxes implemented by the British government. One of the earliest taxes to be held was the Sugar Act, which was passed in April of the year 1764. This law placed tariffs on sugar, coffee, wines, and other goods imported into America. As the British Parliament was making huge revenue from these taxes, the American people were not too happy about this law. The colonists claimed that they were under taxation without representation. Of course, even if offered with a reasonable number of seats in Parliament, the colonists would probably have complained about taxes for imperial administration (Carnes & Garraty, 2012). In 1765, The Stamp act was passed. The Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. It placed taxes on all kinds of printed material. Everyone must first buy stamps and affix them to the …show more content…
Such an example would be the Boston Massacre. Convinced that the British were conspiring against their liberties, the Americans would regularly challenge the Redcoats in the streets. On the fateful day of March 5, 1770, as the colonists were throwing snowball, and sticks and stones, the Redcoats panicked and fired a volley of shots. When everything had cleared out, five Americans lay dead on the ground. This traumatic event greatly influenced the start of the American Revolution (Holy Park Media, 2008). Later on in 1773, with the passage of the Tea Act the British Parliament further adjusted import duties. The Tea Act adjusted import duties in such a way that the company could undersell even smugglers in the colonies. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. This resulted in the passage of the Coercive Acts, or the “Intolerable Acts” as the Americans would call it, in 1774 and pushed the two sides closer to war (History.com, 2009). Eventually all of the colonies came together and the First Continental Congress met at Philadelphia in September 1774. This sort of unity however, was not for the sake of unifying rule, but it was to resist the British Parliament in larger numbers. In the end, war broke out in the year 1776 and America
However, one of the main reasons the American Revolution took place, was definitely because of the taxes implemented by the British government. One of the earliest taxes to be held was the Sugar Act, which was passed in April of the year 1764. This law placed tariffs on sugar, coffee, wines, and other goods imported into America. As the British Parliament was making huge revenue from these taxes, the American people were not too happy about this law. The colonists claimed that they were under taxation without representation. Of course, even if offered with a reasonable number of seats in Parliament, the colonists would probably have complained about taxes for imperial administration (Carnes & Garraty, 2012). In 1765, The Stamp act was passed. The Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. It placed taxes on all kinds of printed material. Everyone must first buy stamps and affix them to the …show more content…
Such an example would be the Boston Massacre. Convinced that the British were conspiring against their liberties, the Americans would regularly challenge the Redcoats in the streets. On the fateful day of March 5, 1770, as the colonists were throwing snowball, and sticks and stones, the Redcoats panicked and fired a volley of shots. When everything had cleared out, five Americans lay dead on the ground. This traumatic event greatly influenced the start of the American Revolution (Holy Park Media, 2008). Later on in 1773, with the passage of the Tea Act the British Parliament further adjusted import duties. The Tea Act adjusted import duties in such a way that the company could undersell even smugglers in the colonies. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. This resulted in the passage of the Coercive Acts, or the “Intolerable Acts” as the Americans would call it, in 1774 and pushed the two sides closer to war (History.com, 2009). Eventually all of the colonies came together and the First Continental Congress met at Philadelphia in September 1774. This sort of unity however, was not for the sake of unifying rule, but it was to resist the British Parliament in larger numbers. In the end, war broke out in the year 1776 and America