Revolutionary War: Factors Leading To The American...

Who is accountable for the rebellion that led to the American Revolution besides the British Parliament? There were many factors which led the Americans to revolt during the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. Martin Kelly wrote, “While no one event can be pointed to as the actual cause of the revolution, the war began as a disagreement over the way in which Great Britain treated the colonies versus the way the colonies felt they should be treated. Americans felt they deserved all the rights of Englishmen. The British, on the other hand, felt that the colonies were created to be used in the way that best suited the crown and parliament.” The British brought the war upon themselves by diminishing the pride of the American colonists and …show more content…
Jacqueline Jones wrote, “Britain’s victory over the French in the Seven Years’ War had proved costly, nearly doubling the national debt to a staggering £146 million.” George Grenville, appointed by King George III, set out to achieve this balance through a series of reforms. One of the first measures passed to raise revenue from the Americans was the Sugar Act, which increased the duty on foreign goods entering from non-British ports. Next was the Currency Act, which prohibited American colonies from giving bills of credit the same status as legal tender. The Quartering Act forced the colonies to provide housing and basic necessities for British troops stationed in North America. Finally, another measure to raise revenue to pay the costs of maintaining an army was the Stamp Act, which required all legal documents to carry a tax …show more content…
At this point the citizens of the colonies were tired of the British rule and had reached their breaking point. The Tea Party transpired as a reaction to the Tea Act which saved the struggling East India Company by eliminating the custom duty on the company’s tea and allowing direct export to America. The American colonists were so angry with this rule that they held a small revolt organized by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty where they boarded British ships and dumped a massive amount of tea into the Boston Harbor. Jones wrote, “Underestimating the strength of the American resolve, Parliament agreed with King George III that only stern measures would reestablish the obedience which a colony owes to its mother country.” As a result, Parliament passed the Intolerable or Coercive Acts, which were a series of punishments designed for the colonists. For example, the Boston Port Act, which closed Boston Port to all ships and only allowed for shipments of food and firewood until the colonists paid for the ruined tea. Although the Quebec Act was not intended to punish the people, it still troubled the American colonies because it seemed to favor the French-speaking residents of Quebec over the colonists of the older British colonies. The Coercive Acts

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