Next, greed undoubtedly plays a role in the American Revolution. As the seeds for the war are planted many years prior, the associated greed is as well. From the beginning, the colonies followed an economic policy of mercantilism, which meant the colonies directly benefit Great Britain. Britain expected the colonies to only trade with them, and create certain items based on their needs, and pay taxes. However, the colonists, wanting to maximize profits, did not follow this policy, and tax evasion, bribery, and smuggling became common practice. Britain was unable to strictly enforce these rules and followed a method called salutary neglect in which they allowed the colonies to continue the illegal behavior because they profited greatly from …show more content…
It did not bode well with the colonists, and took radical actions in protest. Led by Samuel Adams and his Sons of Liberty, colonists organized and established methods to promote the repeal of the act. Colonists formed riots, burned British buildings, and publicly shamed and hung tax collectors. These actions eventually led to the repeal of the act, however, Britain replaced it with the Townshend Acts. These acts brought a tax to imported goods such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea and allowed a British agency to station itself in Boston and enforce the new law. Colonists first attempted a boycott of British imports, but due to limited trade options, it fell flat. Instead, the Sons of Liberty began harassing tax collectors and interfering with the collection processes. This angered Britain to the point of sending troops to the colonies to enforce the acts (“Pre-Revolution Activities”). In 1770, British Parliament repealed the tax on all but tea and built upon it in 1773 with the Tea Act. Due to colonial smuggling of goods, Britain’s East India Tea Company was nearing bankruptcy. The act allowed the company to sell the product for less than if it were