American Revolution Essay, Research Paper

Many factors influences the American rebellion known as the American Revolution. Though political influences existed, the American Revolution was primarily an economic rebellion, because of conflict over taxation and representation in Parliament. The colonists had strong beliefs that the English government was unfair and often tyrannical. The conflicts over trade, taxes, and government representation brought about the revolution that began shaping the United States as it is today.

Although there were many economic influences on the American Revolution, these were not the primary causes. The colonists believed that the king of England, King George III at the time, was too controlling over the colonies, with tyrannical leadership. This is shown in the Declaration of Independence, declaring the United States free from “absolute Tyranny over the States.” To add to this conflict, British forces were attempting to intimidate the colonists into submission. The colonist’s attitude towards this policy was that it only gave them more cause and justification for violence. The general belief among to colonists was that it was God?s will that America and Britain be separated, and God’s will was a pretty strong proponent and motivation for them. In 1775, the colonists took up arms against the British troops in the colonies. They met at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and some of the captured American soldiers were being executed. With all of these events, the adversity towards the English was growing.

Although these political conflicts were occurring simultaneously, the economic influences were greater. The colonists were very strong in believing that much of the taxation imposed on them by Britain was unfair and unreasonable. The colonists couldn’t even afford to pay many of the taxes imposed on them. The Stamp Act, for example, taxed practically everything imaginable. The Stamp Act taxed newspapers, pamphlets, bonds, leases, deeds, college diplomas, dice, playing cards, and didn’t end there. The British finally repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but they immediately replaced it with the Declaratory Act, which stated that Britain had full authority to impose whatever taxation they wanted to. The Quartering Act, which was imposed in 1765, required all colonists to provide provisions and housing, which could be barracks or the use of their inns and empty buildings, to British troops under any circumstances. This was also thought to be unfair. When Britain imposed the Tea Act of 1773, the colonists realized that once they gained that kind of monopoly over tea, the same dominance and, in effect, manipulation, would begin to appear on other commodities. These taxations made the colonists realize that the British needed to be stopped or they would always have control.

Taxation, the right to impose taxation, and representation in Parliament were also significant issues in the American Revolution. The main beliefs of the colonists was that they shouldn’t be able to be taxed by people who they had no say in electing. Many documents throughout history, for example the Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776, and The Virginia Resolves, October 19, 1765, refer to popular saying “No taxation without representation.” The colonists needed representation in Parliament to control taxes, because the representatives currently in Parliament didn’t have the colonists’ interests in mind. For example, the colonists shouldn’t have had to pay taxes like the Stamp Act because the colonists were already largely contributing to their defenses, and that was the stated intention for the taxes. Many Americans at the time believed that the money collected from taxes wouldn’t be used for the taxpayers’ well-being or benefit, but for the strengthening of British control or increasing British revenue. It was argued that Virginians were entitled to the same rights and liberties that Englishmen had, and that representation was no exception. The controversy surrounding representation sparked many issues and began a lot of the conflict.

The American Revolution was brought about by a number of different things. The political rule of Britain was tyrannical and unacceptable, the colonists showed. However, the economic policies of the British was what eventually brought about all of the conflict. The taxes were corrupt and abominable, and the money collected was being used against the colonists. The colonists had no representation to protect them against these things, so the action they took was the American Revolution. The success of the Revolution has determined the success of the United States today.