Reasons for Colonial Revolt Against England
Parents of newly adult children often try to continue parenting as they may have done prior to their child’s coming of age. The children, not wanting to displease their parents, may go along with it for a little while, silently resenting the rules and suggestions. Eventually though, the adult children will most likely declare their independence from their parents. Similarly, the colonies attempted to appease “Mother” England for a while, but eventually the continued efforts by England to control the colonists through taxation and unreasonable rules led to the colonies’ ultimate revolt.
Colonial Relationship to Britain Prior to the French and Indian War
Under Oliver Cromwell’s rule, the Navigation …show more content…
While still basking in the glow of victory, the colonists celebrated the English efforts to protect their lands. General Wolfe, a British military commander, was celebrated frequently in a variety of mediums, including Benjamin West’s oil painting The Death of General Wolfe (“Making the Revolution: America,” n.d., p. 2). The war, however, caused economic difficulties for the English government who maintained permanently stationed soldiers in the colonies to enforce rules (Tindall & Shi, 2013, p. 118). The Sugar Act, which cut molasses tax in half but increased duties on other imports, was the Crown’s attempt to tax the colonists without consent. The Currency Act of 1764 did not focus on taxing the colonists, but it did prevent them from printing paper money, despite their lack of gold and silver. This made the pre-existing paper money drop in value, creating a sharp economic downturn. Prime minister George Grenville then decided to initiate the Stamp Tax, an outright tax on American created goods as opposed to just taxing imports (Tindall & Shi, 2013, pp. 120-121). The extreme measures of control employed by the English monarchy caused the seeds of revolt to sprout into the Declaration of …show more content…
2),” allowing the citizens of the New World to have a say in the political processes of their government. One of the main reasons for the American revolution against England revolved around the lack of representation for the colonists in England. The colonists, therefore, decided to create their own informal government in order to pass laws concerning urgent matters, especially considering the King typically put these laws off for quite a while or simply ignored them (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para. 4). The colonists informal governmental structure, involving a House of Representatives, then proceeded to be dissolved many times without re-election, leading to the danger of invasion or usurpation due to the distinct lack of any immediate authority (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para. 8). The lack of representation continued to be a problem as the colonists complained about the King placing a trade embargo upon the colonies as well as removing the colonists right to a trial by jury. The King also placed taxes on the colonists without their consent (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para.
Parents of newly adult children often try to continue parenting as they may have done prior to their child’s coming of age. The children, not wanting to displease their parents, may go along with it for a little while, silently resenting the rules and suggestions. Eventually though, the adult children will most likely declare their independence from their parents. Similarly, the colonies attempted to appease “Mother” England for a while, but eventually the continued efforts by England to control the colonists through taxation and unreasonable rules led to the colonies’ ultimate revolt.
Colonial Relationship to Britain Prior to the French and Indian War
Under Oliver Cromwell’s rule, the Navigation …show more content…
While still basking in the glow of victory, the colonists celebrated the English efforts to protect their lands. General Wolfe, a British military commander, was celebrated frequently in a variety of mediums, including Benjamin West’s oil painting The Death of General Wolfe (“Making the Revolution: America,” n.d., p. 2). The war, however, caused economic difficulties for the English government who maintained permanently stationed soldiers in the colonies to enforce rules (Tindall & Shi, 2013, p. 118). The Sugar Act, which cut molasses tax in half but increased duties on other imports, was the Crown’s attempt to tax the colonists without consent. The Currency Act of 1764 did not focus on taxing the colonists, but it did prevent them from printing paper money, despite their lack of gold and silver. This made the pre-existing paper money drop in value, creating a sharp economic downturn. Prime minister George Grenville then decided to initiate the Stamp Tax, an outright tax on American created goods as opposed to just taxing imports (Tindall & Shi, 2013, pp. 120-121). The extreme measures of control employed by the English monarchy caused the seeds of revolt to sprout into the Declaration of …show more content…
2),” allowing the citizens of the New World to have a say in the political processes of their government. One of the main reasons for the American revolution against England revolved around the lack of representation for the colonists in England. The colonists, therefore, decided to create their own informal government in order to pass laws concerning urgent matters, especially considering the King typically put these laws off for quite a while or simply ignored them (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para. 4). The colonists informal governmental structure, involving a House of Representatives, then proceeded to be dissolved many times without re-election, leading to the danger of invasion or usurpation due to the distinct lack of any immediate authority (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para. 8). The lack of representation continued to be a problem as the colonists complained about the King placing a trade embargo upon the colonies as well as removing the colonists right to a trial by jury. The King also placed taxes on the colonists without their consent (“Declaration of Independence,” 2009, para.