British Monarchy Essay

The British Parliament stockpiled numerous taxes onto the colonies of America, such as the well-known Stamp Act of 1765. Alas two groups were formed that stood out, being the rebels and the loyalists. The rebels vowed for independence, their numbers growing stronger and stronger through the Quartering Act and such. On the other hand, the loyalists wanted to keep their trust in Great Britain. They both had their own opinions of the king and Parliament and were justified in their own eyes, but both groups were also unjustified in the point of view of both beholders.

After seven years of the fighting the French and Indian War, tensions had grown between Britain and its American colonies. In response to the substantial debt Britain was burdened with after the war, they began taxing the colonist with the intent of recuperating their losses. The colonist, who had not been given representation in the British parliament, felt the taxes were unfair. After more than a decade of increased restrictions and taxes, the prominent members of the colonial society were left with a decision to make: pay the taxes willingly or prepare for war ("Patrick Henry’s Speeches"). Although many colonists believed action against the British was necessary, only a few were willing to voice their opinions.

In the middle of the 18th century, Britain and France were at war against each other. Both the British and the French wished to extend their colonies in North America into the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain’s purpose of this expansion was to gain more territory and power, whereas the French were pursuing trade with the Native Americans that lived in that part of the country. After seven years of fighting, Britain had won the war, and Treaty of Paris of 1763 officially resolved the French and Indian War. Despite the immense amount of land that Britain attained in the aftermath of this war, they were in severe debt because the French and Indian War was unbearably expensive.

Settling in the New World provided both the American settlers and the British government with many opportunities. For the colonists, North America provided an opportunity to improve their lives and escape religious persecution. For the British, settlers in North America provided access to raw materials and new markets in which to sell finished goods. This mercantilist relationship continued for several years, until the colonists began to question Parliament’s right to treat them differently than other British citizens. Taxes were imposed on the colonists as a means of helping to pay the debt Britain had incurred fighting the French.

England and the colonies held one of the closest bonds the world had ever seen, much like a mother to her child. It seemed like nothing could ever break the bond that the two shared. England was perfect for the colonies, letting them grow in whatever way they wished and virtually live independently. However, the French and Indian War marked a turning point in the utopian relationship, causing tension between England and her child economically, politically, and ideologically. Prior to the French and Indian War, the colonies were pretty self sufficient in the economic realm.

Taxes! After the French and Indian War, the British government needed money to pay for the cost of protecting the colonists from the French and Indians. The British government approved several taxes including the Stamp and Tea Acts to help pay for the costs of the war. The colonists were expected to pay these taxes.

After the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in a huge debt and had a lot more land to rule. As a result of their debt and their new land, they began to put taxes on the colonists living in that land. The colonists were angry about these taxes because they were getting taxed without representation in British Parliament. Two acts that caused some of these reactions are the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts. The British actions after 1763 caused numerous reactions from the colonists, which ultimately led to the American Revolution.

Between 1763 and 1775, there were three ‘Imperial Crises’ which occurred between the British and the American colonists. The conflict that was produced during this period arose through an undefined balance of political and economic power between the two parties. In 1763, Britain had just concluded the French and Indian war and was left with an immense and almost crippling debt of around 140 million pounds sterling (“Turning Point In American History”). In Britain’s eyes, the most effective way to reduce this debt was increased taxes. Unfortunately, the people of England were already massively overtaxed, which meant the last option for the British was to tax the American colonists.

Before the American Revolution, most colonists had traveled from England to the North American colonies considering themselves citizens of the British empire and seeking a better life. However, actions taken from the Continental Congress have begun to question British power. After the French and Indian War between France and Britain, the British government have abused their power and authority towards the colonies by taxing them without representation. As a result, between 1750-1766, the colonies of America have united and decided to declare independence from Great Britain to become a successful, self-developed nation.

The American colonies established their resistance to the British royal crown, as the ministers of King George III began to impose new taxes trying to reduce debt that incurred during the French and Indian War, aka the Seven Years War (1754-1763). The American

This was a war where the fight was with the New World and France. The British King tried to imposes taxes on the thirteen colonies to help pay for the cost. Thomas Paine talked about these types of “burdensome taxations” in Common Sense as well as in his other writing titled Rights of Man. He talked about these issues because he knew the colonists were angry. Writing about the injustice would appeal to them (Hacht, 178).

On January 10, 1776 (during the American Revolution) Thomas Paine published a pamphlet titled “Common Sense”. In this he sets his arguments in favor of American independence, the pamphlet was written in clear and persuasive prose. It inspired people in the Thirteen colonies to declare and fight for egalitarian government from Great Britain and because of this the pamphlet was an immediate sensation. The pamphlet was originally published anonymously and was one of the most influential pamphlets in America.

Before the pamphlet was published, nobody was brave enough to denounce loyalism and publicly announce that colonists should be engaged in revolutionary battles. Not even John Adams spoke a word that proclaimed independence until “Common Sense” was published. The “Declaration of Independence” that’s written by Thomas Jefferson was highly influenced by “Common Sense” that Thomas Paine wrote. The second continental congress voted and agreed on signing the declaration of independence on July 2, 1776, and was officially recognized on July 4, 1776. If Thomas Paine didn’t propose “Common Sense”, most likely the declaration of independence wouldn’t be signed, which may lead to America not having their own freedom.

Due to his many experiences while living in Great Britain, he grew a desire to fight for the oppressed and often questioned the authority the British Monarchy had over the American colony. Thomas Paine wrote an influential Pamphlet “Common Sense” a scathing attack on the monarchial tyranny over the American colony and the significance of American independence. Thomas Paine’s ideas in this pamphlet were not original, however were more accessible to the masses due to the clear and direct way he wrote. His pamphlet helped to inspire The Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence contains a list of grievances against King George III and justifications for the assertion of the right for independence.

Modified Rhetorical Précis of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Thomas Paine, a British-American political writer, intellectual, and strong advocate of the American Revolution, published several compelling pamphlets in the mid-late 18th century inspiring colonists to rebel against the British government. One of his most influential works, Common Sense (1776), would eventually become the most widely-read political non-fiction of its time. Samuel Adams would later declare that “without the pen of [Thomas Paine], the sword of Washington would be raised in vain.” In Common Sense, Paine powerfully argues that colonists must declare independence from Britain in order to establish a representative democracy founded upon their religious and political beliefs.