...The primary causes of the American Revolution were social in nature because the unjust treatment of the colonists provoked more intellectual thought about individual liberties. Events that induced such thought and were the publication of Common Sense by Thomas Paine, the signing of Declaration of Independence, and the Battle of Saratoga. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense gave hope to the American colonists. The signing of the declaration of independence reinforced the natural rights of the colonists. The American victory of the Battle of Saratoga persuaded the colonists that it was possible for them to over prevail over the British Empire. During 1765, about the time of the intolerable Tea Act, declaring independence had not even crossed the colonists’ minds; their main concern was fair treatment from the British Empire. After several attempts to reconcile with the king, and continual acts of oppression against the 13 colonies, Americans had had enough and separation from Britain was inevitable. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, persuaded the colonists to keep faith in the revolution. When this pamphlet was written in 1776 the colonies were struggling to overcome the oppression of British superpower. “Common Sense inspired a wide-ranging debate about whether American freedom would be more secure inside or outside the British Empire.” This pamphlet heavily emphasized that the colonists were fully capable of not only declaring independence but maintaining it also. The...
Words: 950 - Pages: 4
...The American Revolution in the eyes of most Americans has to do with “taxation without representation”. This period is known as the “Short Term Imperial Crisis” and lasted from 1762-1775. There were a series of events that led up to the start of the American Revolution starting with the end of the 7 Years War between Britain and France. The British Empire was in severe debt following the victory over France and they wanted to begin taxing the colonists. By taxing the colonists, the British government set in motion a series of events that would ultimately begin the American Revolution. From 1763 to 1767 there were a series of taxes placed upon the colonists in order to increase British revenue. The first of these taxes was the Revenue Act in 1763. The Revenue Act simply stated that the British throne now had the power to tax the colonies. This led to the Sugar Act in 1764. The Sugar Act placed taxes on goods such as sugar, molasses, and rum. It also gave customs officials Writs of Assistance that allowed them to board merchant ships at will and search for any of these goods if they were untaxed. If the officials found anything, the merchant was taken to court in Britain, not America. This was the beginning of the British impeding colonial rights. The Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax on anything with paper that required a stamp. Although this act did not destroy the American economy, the colonists were upset that this act was a clear demonstration of the throne acting on its own interests...
Words: 881 - Pages: 4
...A commonly asked question when talking U.S. history and the American Revolution is what exactly caused it? There have been many events between the times that America was founded to the time of the actual revolution. Some of these included the Townshend Acts, the Boston Massacre, and the Intolerable Acts. In addition to these events, there were groups of people who helped drive the start the Revolution. Two of these groups included the Patriots and the Loyalists. All these pieces of the puzzle contributed in different ways and should all be touched upon when discussing the famous American Revolution. The Townshend Acts, occurring on Nov. 20 1767, put taxes on things such as glass, paper, and even tea. After these developed, the colonists became really angered. This increased activity to try and avoid the tax. Some citizens even took to tar-and-feathering tax collectors.(TimeToast) The Townshend Acts happened in 1767, which were a few years apart from other major events such as the Stamp Act Congress and the Boston Massacre....
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...The American Revolution is a significant event in American history when the colonists in the thirteen colonies rebelled against Britain for their independence. It marked the beginning of a new country with a new government and constitution. However, the official date of when the move toward independence for Americans began is debated. The date that best describes the beginnings of American independence is 1765 because rebellions and boycotts protesting taxation by Britain, like the Stamp Act and Currency Act, fully began around that time. To begin, 1765 was the year that rebellions and resistance against Britain fully began and became apparent. In 1764, some of the first hated taxes were passed. The Sugar Act was passed, taxing sugar and products with sugar in them. Britain also passed the Currency Act that barred colonists from using their own issued money to pay taxes or debts. Then in 1765, the Stamp Act was passed, leading to the colonists calling for the taxes to be repealed because they did not have representation in Parliament or for their independence. The battle against Britain began at this point because when the Stamp Act was passed in 1765, official struggles against Britain began with the issuance of the Declaration or Rights and Grievances in...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...The American Revolution started around 1673, after the French and Indian War. Republicanism and patriotism began to spread around the colonies, and the British began to enforce taxes and acts on the colonists, sparking a revolution. Though the Americans had smaller armies, less experience, and not as advanced weapons, they won. After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War, Britain had to pay off large debts acquired during the war. George Grenville, the British Prime Minister, ended the concept of benign neglect involving the British colonies. His idea of ending the debt included taxes and tariffs. In 1764, the Sugar Act was enforced; it placed a tariff on sugar, coffee, and wine. In 1765, there was a tax on internal...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...The American Revolution A cause and effect essay The united States of America declares Independence ! “When the year seventeen seventy six began only few colonists could have predicted what could have happened in the very near future.” Page one hundred seventy paragraph two ,in our penance hall american book the author stated the information above. Most colonists still hopped for a peaceful quarrel with Britain. So let me ask you a question , What was the cause and effect of The American Revolution? Well the cause of the American Revolution is that, After King George had rejected the Olive Branch Petition ,Thousands of British troops were sent out into the colonies to fight. The effect is that, the american patriots declared Independence on Britain to stop the quarrel. The Americans thought that These United Colonies are free of right and ought to be free and independent states all political connection between them and the state of great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved. The cause was The United States of America had sent King George the Olive branch...
Words: 542 - Pages: 3
...in early american history, which would make one wonder how their relations got so bad. There were many events that lead up to this, such as the Proclamation of 1763 and the writs of assistance, But three very important events were the Townshend Acts, the Boston Tea Party and The Intolerable acts. These three events were central causes of the american revolution. The first of the the was the Townshend acts. After the French and Indian War, England was greatly in debt, and tried to tax the colonies, but the needed new taxes after the Stamp and Sugar acts were repealed....
Words: 559 - Pages: 3
...When thinking about the causes of the American Revolution, many tend to primarily list events that happened just before 1776: taxation without representation, the boycotts of British goods, and the Boston Tea Party, as examples. But the tensions that led the American colonists to wage war against Britain had existed over a century before the first battles and involved a series of different gripes with the government besides taxation. Over the course of a hundred years, the colonies grew distrustful and disdainful towards their government, and increasing violence in the 1770s finally led to the Revolutionary War. Many people erroneously believe that the causes for the American Revolution stem from the colonists having a different cultural identity than the British. American colonists in the 18th century saw themselves as English, not American, and emulated British clothing, architecture, and etiquette in a process called Anglicization. Furthermore, there was no united “American” identity between the thirteen colonies at the time. Each region “had developed...
Words: 1434 - Pages: 6
...The American and French Revolutions had a common goal. Compare and contrast the causes and practices of the American and French Revolution. Throughout human history, few have always controlled the lives of many. This case still exists today, as governments consisting of a few hundred people attempt to do what is best for millions of others. However, the public through an electoral process most commonly selects these decision-makers. These decision-making individuals were not always selected by the public, and in some such instances, the few that ruled over others were overthrown after their actions earned the discontent of the people. Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution can be grouped as these events. In both the American and French Revolution, the ruler was regarded as a tyrant and overthrown for the benefit of the public. Although the aims of the two revolutions were quite similar, there were many differences between them. The American Revolution and the French Revolution can be categorized as events where rulers were overthrown due to their actions; however, no matter how similar the causes, there are many differences between the events of the two revolutions. The French-Indian War of 1754 was a war between the British and the French to gain control over North American colonies. The British eventually defeated the French but owed a great debt and expected the colonies to help pay for the cost of the war. The British wished to cut down on costs in its North...
Words: 3376 - Pages: 14
...World Civilizations II Lesson 3: Assignment 3 15 August 2015 The American, French, and Haitian Revolutions: Causes and Consequences The world in the 18th century was in turmoil. Not so much politically as it was philosophically. For centuries the power of government had rested in inheritance and tradition. The king was king by birth and divine right. People were content to accept their lot. You took what life gave you and did the best you could with what you had, but all that was about to change. Starting around the turn of the 17th century, works by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, David Hume, Emmanual Kant and others began making their way into the libraries of the common people. The ideas about government and its existence were starting to be questioned. The government, the philosophers preached, existed to serve the people, not the other way around. If and when a government fails to be of benefit to its people, then said subjects have the right to abolish the current government. It was this idea, along with the teachings of all men are created equal that would eventually lead to the revolutions that would dominate the end of the 18th century and on into the 19th century. Called the "shot heard around the world" by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem “Concord Hymn”, a bullet fired in Concord, Massachusetts in 1775 is credited by many as the official start of the American revolutionary war. In reality, though, it had actually begun more than...
Words: 2559 - Pages: 11
...Have you heard of the Boston Tea Party? Well, it was a protest to the taxation of the tea that was being imported into the country. This event happened a little while before The American Revolution. The date was December 16,1773. The Boston Tea Party helped bring together the people. It also was one of the major causes of the American Revolution. The Boston Tea Party also made a lot of people think about taxation in a different way. The Boston Tea Party was initiated by the famous Sons of Liberty. They wanted to openly oppose the government. They were furious that they had to now pay a tax for tea, after having to pay for sugar and stamps not long before. The Sons of Liberty met and were thinking about what they should do to show their defiance....
Words: 444 - Pages: 2
...The French and Indian War was a key factor in sparking the American Revolution. It set the stage for the colonial rebellion. There were also occurrences during the war and after that further impacted the resolution of the American colonies to revolt. The Revolution didn’t happen in a day; it was the result of numerous events that gradually caused the colonists to be more and more indignant towards British rule. The French and Indian War-also called the Seven Years’ War-started in 1756 and ended in 1763. Even though the British were victorious, gaining a large amount of territory, their triumph increased trouble with the thirteen colonies. The war expenses were enormous, and so Great Britain endeavored to impose taxes upon the colonists. The Sugar Act, Revenue Act, and the Stamp Act were put into effect. This only succeeded in intensifying the colonist’s resentment towards the British attempts to make larger their imperial authority. The subjects in the American colonies had become accustomed to running their own affairs, thus they were getting ever more impatient....
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...In 1607, when the first colony of Jamestown, Virginia was founded, nobody expected this unknown land to turn into its own independent nation. But when the Declaration of Independence was ratified about 150 years later in 1776, it finally lit the spark of feud between the thirteen colonies of America and Great Britain that had been developing for years. The American Revolution was not caused by one single event, but a chain of events that led to the succession of the colonies from Great Britain. Every cause was based around one concept that would not change; Britain did not want to give rights to the colonies. In the eyes of Parliament, the colonies were not supposed to be doing anything but bringing in revenue. Numerous crops, mainly sugar,...
Words: 1437 - Pages: 6
...Paul Revere’s legendary ride allowed for the small group of local American militiamen to prepare for a battle against the oncoming British forces. Had Revere not made the treacherous journey, the militiamen of Massachusetts wouldn’t have been prepared for the battle that commenced the American Revolution. Beginning in Boston and ending in Lexington, Paul Revere rode fifteen miles through Massachusetts on horseback in order to alert Samuel Adams and John Hancock (two other patriots) that they were to be arrested. Along the way, he also took it upon himself to forewarn the local citizens of the approaching British troops. Before setting out that night, Paul arranged for a signal to be cast from the North Church Tower, the highest point in Boston, alerting Revere of which method of approach the British were using. One lantern was to be lit and hung if the British were approaching by land, and two if by sea. Once alerted that night that the British were advancing by sea, Revere set out to the house where Adams and Hancock were hiding out, going by a precise route to avoid any Redcoats on duty. Less than an hour after warning Adams, Hancock, and other citizens, Revere was captured by British soldiers. If not for Paul Revere’s brave midnight ride, the...
Words: 546 - Pages: 3
...The USS constitution official creation was in the year 1794.Which was the naval act of 1794,which was passed by the 3rd United States congress.The reason it was created along with its sister ships was the threat of the barbary corsairs.They threatened american merchants who shipped off the northern coast of Africa.It was the first president who signed this act into law.Which authorized the official construction of 6 frigates including the USS constitution.The rounding of the total cost of the ships were $700,000.00.These ships would later to be known as the first ones of the U.S navy. The influence of these ships and especially the U.S constitution expanded to not only the navy but to America as a whole.After the war of 1812 there was a massive...
Words: 810 - Pages: 4
