whereas the Divine Right of Kings protected at least the institution if not monarch. The Social Contract protected neither. According to many a serious breach of a nation’s social contract by the monarch, entitled the ‘people’, to revisit the terms completely. In all three Revolutions, the Crown fought for its ancestral rights and privileges, it lost every time. The crowns victorious opponents regarded these offensives, as attacks on the Social Contract by the Monarchy. With the ‘contracts’ null and void, the victors set to design new arrangements. English elites chose accommodation, they agreed the monarchy, but on new terms that were clearly defined. The French throw the monarchy out the window, and created a new and very unstable Revolutionary
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Following Britain’s costly victory in Seven Years, a majority in the Parliament, felt that the American Colonists should pay for some of costs that Britain had incurred in the defense of the colonies, the imposition of higher taxes would help pay the national debt, and support British military forces in the Americas. In order to accomplish these aims, the Parliament passed a series of new taxes on the colonies: The Sugar Act, The Stamp act, and the Townshend Act. The colonists, in theory did not object to taxation related to overseas trade, whose regulation had always been a British Parliamentary prerogative. In practice many objected to high duties on imported goods and did their best to work around them. There was visceral opposition to direct taxes from London. Many Americans felt that direct taxes on the Colonies, voted by the British Parliament, were a violation of their rights as Englishmen. The Colonies lack of representation in the British Parliament should have precluded the body’s right to tax them. This idea prompted the popular slogan of “No Taxation Without Representation”. Instead the slogan’s supporters contended if Britain wanted to tax the Colonies, she needed to pass legislation in the American’s own local Assemblies; Assemblies which they regarded as the equals of Parliament. Although a significant portion of the Whig Party mainly centered on the influential Rockingham faction of Parliament, supported American concerns, a majority opposed them. The North Ministry held the view, that all British possessions were ‘virtually’ represented by the Parliament, even if a specific area did not elect members to the body. Other attempted conciliatory measures such as the proposal to elect a number of colonial MP’s, were deemed likewise unsuitable. Issues came to head with the
Following Britain’s costly victory in Seven Years, a majority in the Parliament, felt that the American Colonists should pay for some of costs that Britain had incurred in the defense of the colonies, the imposition of higher taxes would help pay the national debt, and support British military forces in the Americas. In order to accomplish these aims, the Parliament passed a series of new taxes on the colonies: The Sugar Act, The Stamp act, and the Townshend Act. The colonists, in theory did not object to taxation related to overseas trade, whose regulation had always been a British Parliamentary prerogative. In practice many objected to high duties on imported goods and did their best to work around them. There was visceral opposition to direct taxes from London. Many Americans felt that direct taxes on the Colonies, voted by the British Parliament, were a violation of their rights as Englishmen. The Colonies lack of representation in the British Parliament should have precluded the body’s right to tax them. This idea prompted the popular slogan of “No Taxation Without Representation”. Instead the slogan’s supporters contended if Britain wanted to tax the Colonies, she needed to pass legislation in the American’s own local Assemblies; Assemblies which they regarded as the equals of Parliament. Although a significant portion of the Whig Party mainly centered on the influential Rockingham faction of Parliament, supported American concerns, a majority opposed them. The North Ministry held the view, that all British possessions were ‘virtually’ represented by the Parliament, even if a specific area did not elect members to the body. Other attempted conciliatory measures such as the proposal to elect a number of colonial MP’s, were deemed likewise unsuitable. Issues came to head with the