How The American Revolution Could Have Been Avoided Essay

How the American Revolution Could Have Been Avoided
After the Seven Years War, the American colonists were prideful. Underneath that pride, however, was a feeling that they were not British. This new feeling of nationalism fueled their hatred for the British. When the British started holding the colonists in an iron fist, the colonists started to lose their temper and respect towards the British. The lack of representation and publishing of ridiculous acts led the colonists to feel like they did not want to be a part of Britain anymore. The American Revolution could have been avoided if the British did not keep such a tight hold on the colonists, gave them representation in parliament, and gave them the birthrights they desperately wanted. …show more content…
The Coercive Acts pushed the colonists to rebel further. The acts restricted the colonists more than they were already. They were restricted from using the Boston Harbor until the city paid for the tea that they threw over the boat. Because the harbor was closed, there could be no trading. Having no trade hurt the Bostonians and their trade business. None of their imports could come in, and none of their exports could go out. The Act for the Impartial Administration of Justice was also included in these acts. This acts stated that the governor was to transfer the trials of any person accused of any offense to England. Now any person that was accused of anything - major or minor – would be put on trial by people in a completely different country, instead of their peers. The third act of the coercive acts was a new version of the Quartering Act. This version of the act stated that local authorities were required to provide lodging for British soldiers in private homes if necessary. The old quartering act said that they needed to provide lodging for the soldiers in inns or other public housing. This new act is pretty much an invasion of privacy. They are requiring people to open up their homes and feed these soldiers that they do not know. The final coercive act was the Mass Government Act. This act stated that all of the colony’s council and law-enforcement officers would be appointed instead of elected. It also stated that the sheriffs would select the jury, and that there could be no town meetings held without the government’s consent unless it was the annual town officer elections. This act made it so that Boston had no say in whom their representation was or who was in charge of them. The sheriff’s selection of the jury could be absolutely biased depending on how the sheriff felt. If they wanted to meet as a town, they would have to