Imagine of your friend used you to copy off of your homework, and you feel like you are not getting anything in return. How would you feel? That is exactly how the colonists felt with Britain. The angry colonists wanted to start a revolution against Britain because their unalienable rights were being intruded in their own country. They were used to salutary neglect, but the tight control the British had over them angered the colonists. So, were the colonists validated in engaging war and separating from Britain? The Americans were justified in declaring their independence from Britain because Britain did not listen to America’s grievances and petitions, British soldiers were forced into civilian homes and treated the colonists terribly, and …show more content…
Document E: “In every stage of these Oppressions We have petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms; Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”-Declaration of Independence. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, America’s repeated complaints and compromises have only been returned with further blows from Britain. Document B: “There is another late act of parliament, which appears to me to be unconstitutional, and as destructive to the liberties of these colonies...”-A Farmer in Pennsylvania. Britain keeps stacking on unfair taxes and laws, ignoring the colonists’ pleas to loosen control on America. No matter how much the colonists of America beg for less tight laws and taxes, Britain completely ignores them. This is a reason America should break up with …show more content…
Document B: “If you ONCE admit, that Great Britain may lay duties upon her exportations to us, for the purpose of levying money on us only, she then will have nothing to do but lay those duties on the articles which she prohibits us to manufacture- and the tragedy of American Liberty is finished.” The taxes are destructive to the liberty of America, and only help britain get more money than the plenty they have compared to the colonies. Document E: “Our petitions have only been answered by repeated injury.” Even when America makes deals to Britain, Britain just hurts America even more wtth worse acts and taxes. Britain never made taxes to help the colonies strengthen them, but to get themselves even more rich than
Noah Thurm 10H-3 12/8/14 History DBQ From 1750 to 1776, the American colonists developed a sense of identity and unity, by the eve of the revolution. In this time period several political, economic, and social events occurred which led to this unity in the colonies. After all of the event that took place in this time period the colonists were even unified enough to fight the British in the Revolutionary War.
Although the Declaration of Independence is now viewed as the official document that wholly released the United States from the political grasp of Great Britain, this was not the initial intended purpose of this document. In fact, at the time the first draft was written, the Colonists merely desired better treatment from the then supreme political power. Yet certain events inspired the American colonists to rethink their proposal for negotiation- events that led to revisions present in the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. As a means to ridicule Britain on its unjust principles, the Colonists imitated the British Declaration to expose Britain on its hypocritical views of equality. Therefore, it is easy to conclude that the American
We are reduced to … choosing … unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated [British officials], or resistance by force.” Colonists really did only have two choices. Parliament being able to make laws that are “binding in all cases whatsoever” is repugnant. The colonists, if they had not rebelled, would have essentially been slaves to Britain. Philosopher John Locke, in Document 8, describes what must be done to rulers in the colonists’ situation: “If a ruler … acts both as judge and participate in disputes, he puts himself in a state of war with his subjects and we have the right and the duty to kill such rulers and their servants.”
(Document A) Overall, this shows how England was being a bad government and didn’t do their job correctly for citizens, which leads the colonists to be unhappy and revolt, so the colonists deserved,are justified, to be able to fight, or revolt, for a better life and government which they all fought for and deserved greatly. Using their bad governmenting skills is a valid way to show how the colonists’ wanting a better government and revolting was the right thing to
British rule over the American colonies in the 1700s lead to an overall dissatisfaction, and in many cases, resentment, towards the British. The masses were fed up with British taxation and standing armies. The upper class was particularly displeased with the newly imposed economic restrictions. However, there were still a handful of colonists that believed going to war with Britain would jeopardize the little economic freedom that they did have. As a result, a number of colonists opposed the American Revolution, but the majority of colonists advocated for the fight for independence and freedom.
The colonists were allowed to have their own government and pass laws giving the colonist a voice. After time passed these rights were stripped from the colonist. The king began replacing American officials and positions with British ones. In document 3, “If I was in any doubt, as to the right which the Parliament of Great Britain had to tax us without our consent, I should most heartily coincide with you in opinion, that to petition, and petition only, is the proper method to apply for relief; because we should then be asking a favor, and not claiming a right, which, by the law of nature and our constitution, we are, in my opinion, indubitably entitled to”. The American opinion didn’t matter anymore because even though their was an American government there was also a British king looking over them.
In some cases the people of the colonies were pissed , because the British taxed them and it wasn’t a low tax. British soldiers abused their power in the colonies , the colonists weren’t happy with that at all. The idea that the head of state should be in charge wasn’t such a good idea , they would only be in charge because of the bloodline , even if power was limited. The British monopoly and their policies motivated their own intent to enrich their country.
The American colonies represent the ideals of the mother country through their devotion to their own liberty and justice, and to monetary gain. Colonists use English arguments to justify their aversion to the increases in taxes and regulations after the French and Indian War, using the British argument that it is a nation’s autonomy that determines its freedom. Because the colonists are not represented in the English government and do not have a substantial voice, they have reason to believe that they are not equal to the British, as citizens. Because they are not true citizens, they are unaffected by increases in taxation and denounce the stifling acts. Also, the colonies, like their mother country, are attracted by the profits generated by
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.
Under the control of the British Parliament in 1775, the American colonies consider going to war in order to gain independence from Britain. In “Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention,” Henry addresses the need for American colonists to work together to stop the British from controlling them. Thus, Henry’s periodic sentence, rhetorical questions, antithesis, and anaphora successfully convince the American colonists to unite against the British and to bring awareness to their wrongdoings. Firstly, Henry applies periodic sentences and rhetorical questions to convey the idea that the American Colonists must fight back against the British by working together if they want to gain freedom. Henry believes that “if [they] wish to
“The history of present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations [unlawful seizures], all having in direct object the establishments of an absolute Tyranny over these States. ”(Document E). The British taxed just about anything they could; like tea, paper, legal documents, and stamps “Committees are appointed into the characters and conduct of every tradesman, to prevent them selling tea or buying British manufactures. ”(Document I) The British were taxing the American colonists to pay what Britain lost in the French and Indian war.
The British government was not looking for the best of the people. They were only thinking about what they wanted; the government was not interested in what the people wanted so they decided to make decisions on their own, which resulted in changes that form the United States today. Because of this, they were justified in rebelling and declaring independence. One reason why the colonists decided to rebel and declare independence was because of taxation.
Because of the great amount of power Britain possessed, the colonists were under oppression, ultimately taking action to defend themselves. Namely, according to document 5, the author states, “what is to defend us against so enormous, so unlimited power?”. As the taxes began to mound on top of one over the other, the colonists began to feel overwhelmed. In response, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and three others, created the Declaration of Independence as a call to war, to offset British rule. Like the Stamp Act, the colonists answered with violence, and the violence only increased as the British made sure to oppress the
Once the British and Colonist ideals were not the same(Document 2) this gave better reason and a model to not follow when pursuing independence. Yet without the British making the laws it did, the America today would not ensure unalienable rights and prohibit the making of any laws like Britain made, which ultimately lead to a better
The colonists were mistreated from the start the British forced them to pay their war debts basically and controlled them harshly this caused the colonists to rise up and take back power. These events eventually led to the American Revolution and colonists