American Revolution Essay, Research Paper

Events leading to the American Rev. During the late

seventeen hundreds, many tumultuous events resulted in

Colonial opposition to Great Britain. The conditions of rights

of the colonists will slowly be changed as the constriction of

the parliament becomes more and more intolerable. During

the Seven Years’ War England was not only alarmed by the

colonists’ insistence on trading with the enemy, but also with

Boston merchants hiring James Otis inorder to protest the

legality of the writs of assistance (general search warrants)

used to hunt out smuggled goods. "let the parliament lay

what burthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to

submit and patiently bear them, till they will be pleased to

relieve us….". This is a very strong dictum, that in 1764, the

colonists were of a submissive nature, and were weakly

pleading for self-autonomy. This small fire of anger will

become a huge conflagration as the rights are slowly

rescinded. On October 19, 1765 the Stamp Act Congress

and Parliamentary Taxation committee’s passed some laws

that attempted to strengthen the grip of the English crown.

"I.That his Majesty’s subjects in these colonies, owe the

same allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain that is owing

from his subjects born within the realm, and all due

subordination to that august body, the Parliament of Great

Britain." This statement can be used as a summation of the

entire document that the Stamp Act Congress had initiated.

The statement depicts the colonists has having to be

submissive and servile in the view of Great Britain, this policy

angered the colonists very much, and was another

component of the transition of the colonists’ rights and

liberties. When the Declatory Act was passed in March of

1766, many colonies were attempting to claim that they were

"seceding" from England. "Whereas several of the houses of

representatives in his Majesty’s colonies and plantations in

America, have of late, against law, or to the general

assemblies of the same, the sole and exclusive right of

imposing duties and taxes upon his Majesty’s subjects in the

said colonies….be it declared …., that the said colonies and

plantations in America, have been, are, and of right ought to

be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial

Crown and Parliament of Great Britain;". The Parliament of

course denounced the attempt at independance and still

dogmatilcally passed the following law to show that the

colonists were still british subjects. Again, the colonists were

infuriated and later will resist the british imperialism on the

colonies. "All before, are calculated to regulate trade, and

preserve prpromote a mutually beneficial intercourse

between the several constituent parts of the empite"", yet

those duties were always imposed with design to restrain the

commerce of one part". This statement by the colonist (John

Dickinson), shows that th sole rason for new taxes is just for

the British gov’t to make money, at the expense of the

economy of the colonies. Dickinson makes a important

distinction between the rights of the colonies and the

authority of the parliament. Dickinson’s comments were

ubiquitous among the colonists, and thus infuriated them to

rebellion, and the seizure of basic democratic rights. "From

necessity of the case, and a regard to the mutual interest of

both countries, we cheerfully consent to the operation of

such acts of the British parliament as are bona fide restrained

to the regulation of our external commerce, for the purpose

of securing the commercial advantages of the whole empire

to the mother country , and the commercial benefits of it’s

respective members excluding every idea of taxation, internal

or external, for raising a revenue on the subjects in America

without their consent …." The continental congress had

presented it’s colonial rights. These rights enable the colonies

to be more autonomous with exception to those several

states who are under the british control. One important

element of the document, is the idea of taxation without

representation; the said that raising taxes without consent

was illegal and that the commercial benefits of the colony

should be shared within the colonies, instead of England

becoming more and more economically prosperous. The

whole idea of mercantilism was about to be crushed, due to

this idea, of self-autonomy with respect to colonial

economics. "Ye that oppose independence now, ye know

not what ye do, ye are opening a door to eternal tyranny….".

This statement made by Thomas Paine shows the

foreshadowing, of what colonists would do. The British are

trying to prevent independence, and from doing so, they are

being tyrannical. Again, the rights of the colonists are being

questioned and rebellion shortly will be forthcoming. "That

whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of

these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish

it, and to institute new government, laying it’s foundations on

such principles and organizing it’s powers in such form, as to

them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and

happiness.". What the declaration is really saying, is that a

society who has no or little rights (such as the colonies)

should be destroyed, thus separation from England. A new

society would follow, where the people of the society would

have these rights necessary for self-autonomy. The

Declaration of Independence was a strong justification for

revolution. The Revolution follows the Declaration of

Independence, where a transition occurs. The transition has

to do with the rights of the colonists. The colonists acquire

their rights through resistance to british imperial conformity,

by resisting certain policies detrimental to the inalienable

rights of a democracy. The transitional period was from

1760’s to 1770’s. This is a crucial period of time, because

this is where the center of power is transferred from the

british government (Parliament) to the colonial citizens. A

major component to this center of power was the rights of

the colonists, the colonists gained their rights through

resistence to an imperial power. This transition is depicted

through the progression of time in the documents.