American Revolution Dbq

For over a decade before the first battle of the American Revolution took place in 1775, political factors such as the Intolerable Acts and Townshend Acts, formed tension between the colonies and the British officials that eventually sparked a great resistance against the British Crown. The colonies eagerly wanted to gain independence from Great Britain because of the Crowne’s increasing misuse of power. The most meaningful impact that the American Revolution had was gaining the colonies’ independence from Great Britain. This gave them the freedom to now form their own government and make their own laws.
Before the Revolutionary War had begun, the British government controlled the colonies under a mercantilist system. This economic system was unfair for the colonists as it primarily benefited the British as they were able to tax without representation. Virtual representation in Great Britain had colonists paying for wartime expenses through unfair tax laws. Britain had spent 100 times what France spent during the French and Indian War and the colonists now had to pay back Great Britain’s dept. Representation was a source of great pride in Great Britain despite all of its flaws. Because King George kept recycling Prime Ministers of different political parties and policies this proved to be politically unstable and didn’t help the colonies.

The Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances against the King and also an explanation to other nations why the colonies had separated from Britain. The Declaration was written based on certain truths and remember to keep certain beliefs in mind. All men are meant to be equal and to have certain, “unalienable” rights that the government can never take away. These rights include "life, liberty and the pursuit of