Colonists during the 1700’s were controlled by England without representation in Parliament. King George III passed multiple acts in order to pay debts from the French and Indian War. There were laws that placed taxes on daily items and required stamps on any legal documents in the American colonies. England felt they could tax their colonies and create a monopoly on trade, however, the colonists felt this violated the rights they had. In order to gain rights, the colonies wanted to be recognized as independent. The colonists were justified in declaring independence from Britain. Parliament was unwilling to listen or negotiate with the American colonies. Included in the Declaration of Independece is a List of Grievances against King George III. The most important points were, “For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” (National Archives). The King had the ability to control the empires he ruled, however, the colonists had no say in the creation of laws that were placed on them. The phrase “No taxation without representation” was largely used during the mid-1700’s and this problem became a major factor for the colonies who were wanting independence. …show more content…
In the article The Revoluting Truth by Malcolm Gladwell, he states that a colonial leader called the Britons the oppressors. This was ironic because of the fact that slavery was a huge issue in the colonies. However, in this document, Gladwell also says the colonists fight for independence was, “Ungrateful New Worlders who persistantly refused to contribute...toward the defense and upkeep of their newly claimed continent”(Gladwell). This is untrue because the colonists were able to defend their land and during the Revolution, Britain was said to have the upper hand. The colonists were so determined to become an independent country and ended up winning the
The Declaration of Independence was a document that freed the colonies from Britain. After the French and Indian War the British put out a new control called the Proclamation Line of 1763. The Proclamation Line of 1763 didn 't allow the colonies from settling west from the Appalachian Mountains. Another act that King George III put into place is called the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act is a law that required that the colonists buy and place tax stamps on many kinds of documents.
Quoted in an article by the USCIS “In 1774, leaders from the colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss British laws that they believed were unfair. They believed that Great Britain did not treat the colonists as equal citizens.” This realization is what eventually led to the Declaration of Independence being written. There were various reasons for American colonists to push for independence from Great Britain. In personal opinion the colonists' side of the argument seemed to be the more logical side and it was reasonable for the colonists to demand their independence considering their lack of representation in
Many of the reasons the American colonies believed they were justified in their rebellion from England lay in trade and taxes. When George III inherited the throne at the end of the Seven Years’ War England’s debt had risen to 145 million pounds and his chief minister believed that the American colonies needed to help shoulder the debt. (Nash, et al., 2007. , p. 134) In attempting to collect these taxes from the colonies to relieve the mounting debt Parliament passed a range of acts, which led to discontent among the colonists as many of them restricted trade, their political maneuverability and left many believing they infringed upon their “right to be taxed only by their own consent.”
The Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances from the Americans to the British, but does not explain the cause of each grievance. The background story is this. Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492 and found the Americas. They claimed and ignored the Americas until the 18th century. The “Americans” enjoyed the freedom the British gave them from the neglect.
American colonists on July 4, 1776 decided to gather together to draft what is known as the Declaration of Independence and sent the final copy of the Declaration of Independence to England. Throughout the document they describe all the contention and tyrannical acts that the Crown has had toward the colonists. They give specific examples such as the Quartering Act, where colonists had to take in soldiers and not only take care of them but provide for them. The colonists were enraged when these events came to pass, and decided after many petitions and letters, they wanted to be heard after so much time. Three essential arguments and beliefs that were established in the Declaration included unalienable rights, getting rid of imposed taxes, and
The American Revolution was, to date, the best event to happen on American soil, providing freedom and representation in government to the individuals who fought so hard for it. France and Spain aided our cause, helping this group of brave colonists to defeat the strongest army in the world. But, there is a question still not answered; were the colonists justified in breaking away from Britain? The American colonists were justified in breaking away from the British because there was taxation without representation, they had no freedom, and the British government violated their individual British rights. I believe the American colonists were justified for breaking away from Britain because there was taxation without representation.
The colonists wanted representation when it came down to being taxed, but the British government would not allow it. The government wanted full control over the people, so they made sets of acts and laws that were placed on taxation. For example, the Stamp Acts of 1765. These acts taxed all papers, pamphlets, newspapers, and cards. The Townshend Acts of 1767 were also a large part of taxation.
What the colonists wished to be their new rules greatly contrasted with how Great Great Britain was governing the colonists. Jefferson et al. wrote that the colonies underwent abuses
During the Colonial Era (1492-1763), colonists were justified in waging war against Great Britain; due to the inequitable Stamp Act, the insufferable British oppression, and the perceived tyranny of King George III, the king of Great Britain, however, the colonists were unjustified in some of their actions. In Colonial America, colonists were justified in waging war against Great Britain, because the Stamp Act was unfair and viewed as punishment. Because of the war, Britain had no other choice but to tax the colonists to pay for the debt. For example, according to document 2, the author states that the act was not only for trade but for “the single purpose of levying money.”
This increased revenue for the British Government and served to increase the taxes paid by the colonists. The colonists believed they shouldn’t be paying their way. They needed to make money to pay off their debts from the British imports but weren’t allowed to be given paper currency due to the 1764 Currency Act. This made it harder for them to pay off their debt. Samuel Adams chimed in and opposed the efforts of the Parliament of Great Britain’s taxations on the colonies.
The British parliament had placed taxation on the tea and the colonists were not happy with this. This caused the whole taxation without representation. The British began to levy taxes upon the colonist even though they were not represented in the government in any way. It was a series of events that took place that caused the colonist to become upset with the British government and the ones listed above are only a few. Once the colonist got upset they began to start drafting up their own set of rules one being the Bill of Rights.
The French-Indian War of 1754-1763 resulted in political, ideological, and economic alterations within Britain and its American colonies. The French and Indian War, also referred to as The Seven Years War, began with British and French conflicts across the Ohio River Valley, as both nations wanted to claim the land for themselves. The first blood of the French-Indian War began with multiple British failures, including Washington’s dreadful defeat at Fort Necessity and General Braddock’s failed attempt at conquering Fort Duquesne, in which he died along with two-thirds of his army (Document C). The British would, however, gain momentum in 1759 with multiple victories, including their most significant triumph, Quebec.
The colonists refused to submit to a king that was only interested in their money, causing the colonists to become irate with the British once more. Since Great Britain thought that it was superior to the colonies, Great Britain did not give colonists the opportunity to speak up for what they wanted, which lead the colonists to rebel. The arrogance of Great Britain led to the rebellion of the colonists, which sparked the Revolutionary War through social, economic, and political actions. Furthermore, Great Britain caused a tremendous amount of irritation to develop inside of the colonists. The Revolutionary War showed that it is a necessity for Americans to have their opinions voiced.
The people of America (colonists) were tired of being controlled by England. They wanted to be free and independent. They believed that they were able to control themselves and be their own country. They wanted England to let go of their control and to view them as independent and their own country.
Before 1775, the Thirteen Colonies have been under the control of Great Britain and King George III. The British government had been taxing the colonists