Were The American Colonists Justified Dbq Essay

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.

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.

The American revolution was absolutely justified. A great way to justify any actions, is to take a look at the results that arose from those actions. America dignified freedom to the people that colonized it. When Great Britain attempted to suppress the colonists freedoms the colonialists only reacted. Thomas Jefferson said it best. When any form of Government becomes destructive of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness it is the people’s right to alter or abolish it.

One time the British passed a law that allowed the british soldiers to forcefully live in the colonists’ home! The colonies started out to benefit Great Britain, but after one war and lots of laws, the colonies were going to be part of a revolution. What was the American Revolution about? Economic Rights or Civil Liberties? On one hand the British instilled unfair regulations on trade and goods. On the other hand the British deprived the colonists of even the most basic of rights. The American Revolution was more about Civil Liberties because there are three main arguments that support it: Taxation without Representation, the Quartering Act, and the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts. These actions that the British did justified the colonists’ revolution.

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

However, the engagements of England were not fully unjustified. While the colonists took advantage of the protection and steady flow of commerce that England provided them with, they were participating in tax evasion which is a criminal offense even in our own society today. The colonists were complacent and unappreciative and that was partly the English government’s fault. The English unintentionally conditioned the colonists to maintain certain expectations, and when those expectations failed to match with reality the colonists became confused and angry. Put simply, the colonists were akin to spoiled petulant children, and the English were incompetent and incapable of properly employing their power over the

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 British declare] that parliament can ‘of right make laws to bind us all in cases whatsoever’” (Dickinson and Jefferson, Document 5). Another reason why American colonists were justified in waging war on the British is because of the growing acts of British violence against the colonists. “Order quickly broke down, and the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd.

Most of the levied taxes and implemented laws are believed that they were unconstitutional and that Great Britain did not consider their opinions. As the tension between the British and the American colonists grows, the colonists become more fearful of the British’s rule. According to document five, the British has a huge advantage over the colonists because it states that they have the authority to make laws that the colonists must abide by at all costs. The colonists believe that there are only two choices to defend them - the colonists- from the enormous power: “choosing an unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated [British officials], or resistance by force” (Document five). According to document four, the colonists were that they will become slaves to the British.

There was not always a problem between the colonists and Britain. At one point the colonists were somewhat independent. After the British set up the Navigation Acts, which made the colonists not able to trade with anyone else without it going through Britain, first there was something called salutary neglect. Salutary neglect was an English policy of relaxing the rules on its colonies. During this time the colonies remained loyal to Britain. But, after this Britain went of control with power. They set up many unfair taxes and made the colonists like slaves to them. So yes, the colonists were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain because they made unfair taxes or acts and they had too much power over the colonists.

Britain was forcing the colonists to house the British soldiers and there was no compensation. The British government also violated the colonist’s rights by restricting trade by preventing other nations from purchasing products form the North American colonial market. Obviously, the Founding Fathers were justified in rebelling because the British government was taking advantage of the colonists. Parliament applied various taxes, and forced the colonists to house British soldiers which violated the rights of the colonists.

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.

In the Declaration of Rights and Grievances issued by the Stamp Act Congress, they claimed that Parliament lacked the power to tax the colonies because they had no representation. While the Stamp Act was repealed, the colonists were never given representation in Parliament. In the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms”, issued by the Second Continental Congress, this same issue was cited as a justification for fighting. “[The British declare] that parliament can ‘of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever.’ What is to defend us against so enormous, so unlimited power?”

The king along with parliament believed they had the right to tax the colonies as a result of

The American Revolution is a time in history that marked the severance of the colonies from the oppressive rule of the British Empire. From this great battle for independence a diverging society manifested, that was yearning to embrace new doctrines. Although a question has arisen from these events, were the Founding Fathers justified in declaring this independence?