Thomas Paine, an advocate for colonial independence during the 1700’s, wrote, in his famous document Common Sense, “I have never met anyone, either in England or America, who has not felt that a separation between the countries would take place sooner or later.” It is no coincidence that the separation that he speaks of began when the British government started implementing unfair taxes on the American colonists, without their consent, and with no intention to compromise. Certainly, the British government is at fault for the American Revolution, due to the fact that they caused the colonists to feel that there was no longer just the need for equality but for complete independence from their mother country. Likewise, although the Americans were
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For example, the sayings, “no taxation without representation” and “rights of an Englishmen” rapidly spread throughout the colonies and appeared in practically every document that explains criticism towards British taxes. Given that, the government still completely ignored the sensible appeals of the colonists and continued to affirm their dominance. To illustrate, after the Stamp Act was put in place in 1765, for the purpose of attracting the attention of the British, the colonists assembled a group named the Stamp Act Congress. This first gathering of elected representatives, consisted of members who strongly demanded the repeal of the stamp tax and released documents in attempts to motivate the British to put an end to their unjust taxes. To name one, the Declaration of Rights and Grievances of the Colonies was created as a petition to the king urging him to redress colonial grievances and restore American rights. Yet, not one action was taken by the British to even consider their reasoning. Similarly, in 1768, Sam Adams and James Otis produced the Adams-Otis Letter in response to the Townshend Acts created by Charles Townshend in 1767. The Townshend Acts were taxes on glass, tea, paper, and several other objects while it also suspended New York’s assembly. The Adams-Otis letter addresses opposition to this new …show more content…
But, despite the strong motivation of the colonists to gain independence, the American militia was nothing in comparison to the powerful, well-built army of Great Britain. Consequently, in June of 1775, the Americans lost the second battle of the war, called the Battle of Bunker Hill due to a lack of ammunition. Soon, to hopefully prevent further conflict and avoid additional warfare, the Second Continental Congress created the Olive Branch Petition just one month later in July. The petition affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain as long as the government addressed their grievances. When it was received, King George III of Great Britain refused to read the petition and face the colonists’ discontent. After that point, the Americans had become victims of unfair policies, completely denied of their rights, and declined the opportunity to communicate their grievances. In other words, it is no surprise that the angered, neglected, and mistreated colonists felt the need to resort to a
For example, the sayings, “no taxation without representation” and “rights of an Englishmen” rapidly spread throughout the colonies and appeared in practically every document that explains criticism towards British taxes. Given that, the government still completely ignored the sensible appeals of the colonists and continued to affirm their dominance. To illustrate, after the Stamp Act was put in place in 1765, for the purpose of attracting the attention of the British, the colonists assembled a group named the Stamp Act Congress. This first gathering of elected representatives, consisted of members who strongly demanded the repeal of the stamp tax and released documents in attempts to motivate the British to put an end to their unjust taxes. To name one, the Declaration of Rights and Grievances of the Colonies was created as a petition to the king urging him to redress colonial grievances and restore American rights. Yet, not one action was taken by the British to even consider their reasoning. Similarly, in 1768, Sam Adams and James Otis produced the Adams-Otis Letter in response to the Townshend Acts created by Charles Townshend in 1767. The Townshend Acts were taxes on glass, tea, paper, and several other objects while it also suspended New York’s assembly. The Adams-Otis letter addresses opposition to this new …show more content…
But, despite the strong motivation of the colonists to gain independence, the American militia was nothing in comparison to the powerful, well-built army of Great Britain. Consequently, in June of 1775, the Americans lost the second battle of the war, called the Battle of Bunker Hill due to a lack of ammunition. Soon, to hopefully prevent further conflict and avoid additional warfare, the Second Continental Congress created the Olive Branch Petition just one month later in July. The petition affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain as long as the government addressed their grievances. When it was received, King George III of Great Britain refused to read the petition and face the colonists’ discontent. After that point, the Americans had become victims of unfair policies, completely denied of their rights, and declined the opportunity to communicate their grievances. In other words, it is no surprise that the angered, neglected, and mistreated colonists felt the need to resort to a