Loyalists: Unjustified Or Justified?

Events that occurred during the American Revolution Ever wondered what led to the American revolution? Or what happened in early America? This will be covering events during the period of 1763 – 1775 that caused conflict between colonial America and Great Britain. Furthermore, how the Virtual Representation of 1775 represents American colonist’s feelings about the Crown and the Great Britain Parliament. Moreover, the arguments and justification for independence of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson.

There were many causes for the outbreak of the American Revolution. Following the French and Indian War, the American colonies were taxed heavily by Great Britain with acts such as the Stamp Acts and the Townshend Acts. Britain felt that the taxes were just because they believed the colonists were at fault for the war when they moved into the Ohio River Valley and so the war was fought for colonial protection. However, the colonists felt differently, believing that the taxes were unjust and infringed on their rights. This is due to the fact that the colonists had no one to represent them in Parliament, effectively giving them no say in whether or not they would be taxed.

Has anyone heard about how the colonist fought against the British? Most definitely you sure did, but have you come to think why the colonist fought them? Well, because of the fact that the Colonist was being under the control of Britain and no longer wanted to be, under anyone's control. So, the Colonist were justified to revolt against the British. I believe they were justified to revolt because, British violated the Colonist rights, the British impacted the Colonists' economic opportunity, and the Colonists' life and liberty was impacted.

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.

Paine is against America having a connection with Britain and a single person having power. As Paine expresses, King George III is not and should not be able to be in power of the colonists because mankind is created to be equal and therefore kings should be “disapproved by nature” (Paine 217). Not only does Paine express his anger at the topic of a ruler for all, he also voices that America is connected to whatever Britain does and whatever problems Britain has: implying that America has no say what so ever under Britain (Paine 218). Paine is suggesting that Britain is not only hurting but also is subordinating America and its colonies, so a declaration of independence is in need.

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.” (Nash, et al., 2007., p. 135) The Stamp and Townshend Acts

The colonists were justified in their rebellion, but not really right to say that England's actions were wrong.

Right after the revolutionary war broke out, Thomas Paine published Common Sense to support independence. On the opposition, the loyalist, James Chalmers, published Plain Truth to argue the benefit of remaining as British colonies. Thomas Paine first used the example of Mr. Pelham saying “They may last my time” to illustrate the point that people should pursuit profit in a longer term. In his opinion, the relationship with England, though made the colonies thrive, will not work in the future. It is just like as the baby growing up, it needs to eat meat, instead of still drinking milk.

Before this many Colonists did not know of the harsh injustices done by the British. They also did not believe that the cause for revolution was urgent. Thomas Paine showed them that the cause was urgent by explaining the wrongs the British had committed and why King George was a tyrant. He also showed them that America did not need the British Empire 's protection. This quote shows his reasoning “Small islands, not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”

Introduction: Thomas Paine was an English American writer of essays and pamphlets in the 18th century. He was born in England and moved to the American colonies in 1774 after Benjamin Franklin encouraged him to. His most notable work was called “Common Sense” which was printed in January of 1776, a fifty-page pamphlet that inspired the colonies to fight for their independence. Prior to its publication, the colonies had been in revolt for a few months against England, namely in the battle of Lexington & at Concord. There was a big discussion in the colonies on whether they should go for full independence against England or go for an improved representation within their political system at the time.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson writes, “ But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism” (par 1.) Thomas Jefferson is saying how Britain has abused them relentlessly hoping they could gain complete tyranny over the colonists. How the civilians of the colonies were victims to senseless violence and they had no way to escape from it. Another critical piece of the Declaration of Independence was the clause discussing how the colonists were going to stand up to “the Crown” and fight. The Declaration of Independence reads “We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation...

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind” (Paine 1). With the Revolutionary War beginning in 1775, and the publication of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, only a year later, this statement was widely recognized and addressed the issue at hand: the fight for independence. According to Paine’s assertion, America’s desire for peace and freedom is a basic necessity of life; it is what all men desire. Despite this innate thirst for liberty, many residents of America’s thirteen colonies were fearful of Great Britain, and because of this fear, complied with Great Britain’s every whim. Consequently, most colonists were hesitant to fight against the mother country for independence.

Some of the taxes that were implemented onto the Americans were the Sugar and Stamp act, Navigation act, Wool act, Hat act, the Proclamation of 1763, the Quartering Act, Townshend Acts, and the Coercive Intolerable Acts, (Document Five). Each one of these added more stress on the colonist persuading their final decision of starting a revolution. Not only did the taxes install hatred into the colonist but also events and actions that the British did harmed their cause. Those events included; the boston massacre, the French Indian war, Boston Tea Party, and many more, (Document four) As seen the British lead themselves onto the wrong path by trying to tighten their grip on the colonist but ended up hurting themselves when their actions added more fuel to the Americans fire.

Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet Common Sense in 1776, the year in which the American revolution took place. Paine wrote this as a call to the American people, to get them to join in the movement to separate from Great Britain. In 1776, the American colonies were ruled by English monarch King George III, who many viewed as an unfair tyrant who completely disregarded the needs of the colonists, and whose reign was a “...long and violent abuse of power…” Paine agreed, as he believed that the colonists were “...grievously oppressed…” and were not granted adequate representation, nor seen as the British citizens which the colonists believed that they were. Motivated by distaste for the English monarchy, over the treatment of the American colonies,

Anthony III Lewandowski (2013) pointed out that independence brings success like, “free trade with all nations, not just great Britain” (P.20). Economics innovation was an important factor Paine supports because he believed under the monarchy there will not be prosperity. He saw no point being stuck to one nation without the liberty of producing commerce with the entire world. The Author of Thomas Paine: Author of American Independence (2013) argues that there was a correlation between Paine’s vision about democracy and economy which says” Monarchies were more likely to go to war” (P.20). Pain was certain that monarchies were more liable to create warfare and mislead the economy.