What Were the Most Important Causes of the American Revolution in the British Colonies?
America is known for its fierce protection of freedom and its desire to protect the inalienable rights of the people. This determination to maintain and protect our rights is arguably a direct result of the legacy of the American Revolution. While it is easy to forget that at one time the most powerful nation in the world was ruled by the British from afar, it is important to remember the reasons why English colonists in America had to finally take up arms and revolt.
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King George's Proclamation of 1763
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After the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, King George III of England issued a proclamation forbidding English colonists in America from settling land anywhere west of the Appalachian Mountains. By closing off the land from the colonists, King George hoped to reduce the cost of colonial defense against Indian attacks. Colonists who had already moved west were required to move back to the east and those who had already purchased land, or received land grants as thanks for their participation in the war, were indignant. They saw the proclamation as a direct attack on colonists' rights.
Taxation without Representation
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While colonists understood the reasoning behind taxation, they became increasingly enraged over their lack of representation in Parliament and the onslaught of taxation. With the introduction of The Stamp Act of 1765, colonists were required to use British currency to purchase stamps produced in England. All printed materials, such as legal documents and newspapers, were required to bear a stamp or they were deemed illegal. The Townshend Acts of 1767 placed taxes on nearly all imported goods including paint, paper, glass, lead and tea. The anger surrounding tea taxation later led to a number of boycotts and rebellions, most notably the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
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Liberalism and Republicanism
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As unjust taxation increased, more colonial leaders began to reject British authoritarianism and embraced "republican" ideologies. Republican theories stressed the importance of a "social contract" between the government and the governed. Therefore, the people had a right to question authority and rise up in rebellion if the "contract" was violated. American intellectuals and leaders used these theories in their writings to highlight the violations of the King and Parliament, and to make the case for the creation of their own nation.
The Intolerable Acts
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In 1774, the British Parliament passed a series of laws in response to colonists' attack on the tea ships. These laws were retaliatory in nature and included the closing of Boston ports until the destroyed tea had been paid for, a new Quartering Act that allowed British troops to use colonial buildings as housing, and the King's dictatorial appointment of officials in the Massachusetts colonial government. Parliament passed these laws as an example to discourage colonial resistance of British authority. Colonists were outraged at the blatant attack on their livelihoods and the violation of their basic rights.
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