Many events and actions occurred before the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. Mainly, the English crown created and imposed many policies and taxes on the American colonists in an attempt to control the colonies. The English believed they were right in doing so because they had acquired debt from ongoing conflicts with France such as the French and Indian War. The British attitude was basically “ we fought the French and Indian War for the colonies, now its time for the colonist to pay up.” Starting with the Proclamation of 1763 and ending with the Coercive Acts these acts gave fuel to the fire that was to become the revolutionary war and the founding fathers issuing the Declaration of Independence. The Proclamation
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The tea tax on colonial merchants did not apply to the East India Company, which could sell the imported tea at a cheaper price and create a monopoly; enraged colonial merchants could not compete with the East India Company. As a result, the Boston Tea Party occurred on December 16, 1773 as the “Sons of Liberty” dressed as Mohawk Indians, snuck onto a ship in the Boston harbor, and dumped all the tea into the harbor. Parliament was angered by the Boston Tea Party and passed the Coercive Acts in 1774, which involved shutting down the Boston harbor until Massachusetts paid the East India Company for the tea wasted in the Boston Tea Party; reducing the power to self-govern; keeping British officials from being tried in American courts; and reinstating the Quartering Act. The Quartering Act required the American colonist to house, feed, and care for British troops without compensation. The British soldiers used their authority to take advantage of the colonists. All of the acts covered by the Coercive Acts added to the wrongs inflicted on the colonists by …show more content…
The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the expansion of land in the colonies. The Stamp Act affected every part of colonial life, such that some colonists could not even get a marriage license without having to pay the tax. The Tea Act undercut American tea merchants, decreasing profit and hurting the economy. The Coercive Acts in essence stripped power from the colonies and increased their hatred for British crown. All of these events and more were a major part in the Continental Congress issuing the Declaration of Independence. Personally, I would not want to be governed by someone on a different continent or pay unjust taxes without having a member of my community or representative plea my case to the governing authority. Hence, I support the decision of the Continental Congress and sign the Declaration of Independence from
The tea tax on colonial merchants did not apply to the East India Company, which could sell the imported tea at a cheaper price and create a monopoly; enraged colonial merchants could not compete with the East India Company. As a result, the Boston Tea Party occurred on December 16, 1773 as the “Sons of Liberty” dressed as Mohawk Indians, snuck onto a ship in the Boston harbor, and dumped all the tea into the harbor. Parliament was angered by the Boston Tea Party and passed the Coercive Acts in 1774, which involved shutting down the Boston harbor until Massachusetts paid the East India Company for the tea wasted in the Boston Tea Party; reducing the power to self-govern; keeping British officials from being tried in American courts; and reinstating the Quartering Act. The Quartering Act required the American colonist to house, feed, and care for British troops without compensation. The British soldiers used their authority to take advantage of the colonists. All of the acts covered by the Coercive Acts added to the wrongs inflicted on the colonists by …show more content…
The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the expansion of land in the colonies. The Stamp Act affected every part of colonial life, such that some colonists could not even get a marriage license without having to pay the tax. The Tea Act undercut American tea merchants, decreasing profit and hurting the economy. The Coercive Acts in essence stripped power from the colonies and increased their hatred for British crown. All of these events and more were a major part in the Continental Congress issuing the Declaration of Independence. Personally, I would not want to be governed by someone on a different continent or pay unjust taxes without having a member of my community or representative plea my case to the governing authority. Hence, I support the decision of the Continental Congress and sign the Declaration of Independence from