The Cause of Colonial Disconnect from the British Empire
The American Revolution was a historic event that shaped the future of the world, creating the most powerful nation currently on the political scene. However, the United States would have never flourished into the nation it is without the spark of rebellion that occurred in the original thirteen colonies. This spark was caused by multiple mistakes, conflicts and misunderstandings between the British and the Colonists, and contributed to a growing feeling of disdain for the British between 1763 to 1776. The Colonists began to disconnect from the British Empire because of controversial political actions against the colonies, too much involvement in colonial economics and social disputes. …show more content…
After the French and Indian War, the British had a large sum of debt which they reasoned the colonist should help pay off, since the war was fought on their territory for their benefit. They imposed taxes on the colonies, such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. The colonists saw this as a violation of their rights and began to protest with phrases such as “No taxation without representation!” Taxation was a large reason for many protests and rebellions that occurred in the colonies during this time, and it was the fueling factor in the hatred of the British that was developing. Correspondingly, the colonial economics relied heavily on trade, and originally they had exclusive trade with England. However, as the colonies matured they seeked trade with other nations, and the British responded by passing the Navigation Acts, a set of laws purposed to restrict colonial trade to benefit the English. By restricting the colonies economy, they caused a sense of indignance and defiance to arise. “The goal of the Navigation Acts was to force Americans to buy English goods. This drove prices up because the colonists had to pay whatever England decided to charge… The Navigation Acts also drew even more distinctions between colonies than already existed” (Monagan). These acts were especially harmful to the relationship between the two countries because in the past England had practiced salutary neglect, and the enforcement of trade restrictions was lax. The colonist had grown accustomed to a more autonomous commerce, so the strict rules came as a disturbance and agitated them. Altogether, the effect of the British involving themselves in the colonial economy was negative and caused the colonist to feel controlled and
The American Revolution was a historic event that shaped the future of the world, creating the most powerful nation currently on the political scene. However, the United States would have never flourished into the nation it is without the spark of rebellion that occurred in the original thirteen colonies. This spark was caused by multiple mistakes, conflicts and misunderstandings between the British and the Colonists, and contributed to a growing feeling of disdain for the British between 1763 to 1776. The Colonists began to disconnect from the British Empire because of controversial political actions against the colonies, too much involvement in colonial economics and social disputes. …show more content…
After the French and Indian War, the British had a large sum of debt which they reasoned the colonist should help pay off, since the war was fought on their territory for their benefit. They imposed taxes on the colonies, such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. The colonists saw this as a violation of their rights and began to protest with phrases such as “No taxation without representation!” Taxation was a large reason for many protests and rebellions that occurred in the colonies during this time, and it was the fueling factor in the hatred of the British that was developing. Correspondingly, the colonial economics relied heavily on trade, and originally they had exclusive trade with England. However, as the colonies matured they seeked trade with other nations, and the British responded by passing the Navigation Acts, a set of laws purposed to restrict colonial trade to benefit the English. By restricting the colonies economy, they caused a sense of indignance and defiance to arise. “The goal of the Navigation Acts was to force Americans to buy English goods. This drove prices up because the colonists had to pay whatever England decided to charge… The Navigation Acts also drew even more distinctions between colonies than already existed” (Monagan). These acts were especially harmful to the relationship between the two countries because in the past England had practiced salutary neglect, and the enforcement of trade restrictions was lax. The colonist had grown accustomed to a more autonomous commerce, so the strict rules came as a disturbance and agitated them. Altogether, the effect of the British involving themselves in the colonial economy was negative and caused the colonist to feel controlled and