The American Revolution Documents
The American Revolution Documents
The American Revolution
HIST 101 – Online
The American Revolution
Many immigrates, which mostly were middle class-to poor or in servitude, came to America for many reasons but ideally they were seeking a way of finding a better life. Over time thirteen colonies were developed on America’s east cost under the authority of Great Britain. Before the American Revolution began there was little, if any, reason to believe that one day the American colonies would undertake a revolution in an effort to create an independent nation-state; the colonists paid relatively few taxes and could engage in domestic economic activity without much interference from the British government (Whaples, 2010). However, in the 1760s Great Britain thrust its imperial power into this changing world with thoroughness that had precipitated a crisis within the loosely organized empire (Wood, 2002). American resistance to Britain’s policies turned into rebellion. The American colonies wanting independence from the Kingdom in Great Britain and the economic concerns from inflation due to lose regulations were the causes of the American Revolution.
The ending of the Seven Years’ War was noted as the beginning of the American Revolution. At the war’s end the British government created a new policy referred to as The Proclamation of 1763. This policy was designed to separate the Native Americans and colonizers by creating a boundary roughly following the crest of the Appalachian Mountain from Maine to Georgia. Thus, all land west of the line was reserved for Native American nations and white settlers who were already there were told to withdraw (Nash, 2011). The King and his council presented the proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that the colonists would drive them from their lands as they expanded westward (USHistory.org). Enforcement by Britain of the Proclamation of 1763 was delegated to the standing army of about 7,500 regulars newly stationed in the west. This army for the most part occupied former French forts although some new ones were built. Among other things, this army was charged with keeping Americans out of the west as well as returning to the colonies any Americans who were already there (Whalpes, 2010). However, the British government restricting westward settlement and limiting the colonist control was disturbing to the Americans.
Financing of the cost of the enforcement was to be accomplished by levying taxes on the Americans. Thus, Americans were being asked to finance a British army which was charged with keeping Americans out of the west (Whalpes, 2010). The first of many taxes pushed on the colonists by Britain was the Sugar Act of 1764. This act reduced the tax on imported French molasses from six pence per gallon to three pence per gallon. The British government expected that a lower tax on foreign molasses would stop smuggling and lead to the legal importation of foreign molasses and earn money for the crown (Wood, 2002). Shortly after the Sugar Act was passed Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, this created a reaction from the colonist of disgruntles submission to mass defiance. This act would impose a tax on every form of paper the colonist used (i.e. newspapers, legal documents, licenses, etc.). William Smith Jr of New York declared, “This single stroke has lost Great Britain the affection of all her Colonies.” (Wood, 2002). This act had lead to many colonists to angry riots in protest. Due to the colonist reaction, Parliament voted to repeal the Stamp Act. By 1768, there was a new determination among royal officials to impose new taxes among the colonist. The Townshend Revenue Act placed a tax on all goods imported to the colonies. Parliament’s purpose for implementing the tax was to raise revenue for Britain. This upset the colonist once more. The wealthy, cultivated Philadelphia lawyer John Dickinson, in his Letter from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767-68), the most popular pamlet of the 1760s, rejected all parliamentary taxation. According to Dickinson, Parliament has not right to impose either internal or external taxes levied at the sole purpose of raising revenue (wood, 2002). The Boston merchants responded to this by boycotting English goods. Britain responded to the resentence by sending troops into Boston to attempt to keep order amongst the colonist. The colonist did not give up although. Merchants