Disagreements erupted over how the colonies felt that they should be treated and the way they were actually treated by Britain. The British stance was that the colonies were created for the benefit of Britain and the Colonialists wanted more say in their own existence. One main cause of the revolution was that the Colonists wanted more representation within the British government hence “no taxation without representation”, (Hickman n.d.), Britain was unwilling to do this. Another factor was the geographical distance between Britain and the Colonists, this created a sense of independence with in the colonies. Britain therefore tried to tighten control over the Colonists through a series of acts designed to quell any sense of rebellion.
British stated they fought to preserve the colonies therefore colonies should repay the favor. British started to tax them and Americans believed parliament could not represent them. England implemented the “virtual” representation of colonies by parliament. It became like Howard Zinn says, “the American leadership was less in need of English rule, the English more in need of the colonist’s wealth. (60) Many Acts were implemented to the colonies but the most significant was the Stamp Act.
1. Although Benjamin Franklin’s Plan for the Union was designed for protection and not power, it did have some aspects to it that were more politically and economically motivated. It suggested that a general assembly was to be formed, providing a general and uniform government in the colonies for the first time. This council would not only make military plans and preparations, but also make laws and “levy…general duties, imposts or taxes” on the colonies. This was most likely why the British government did not support the plan, as it would have given the colonists even more power to self govern, and would have allowed the Colonies to have more power of taxation during a time where Britain was beginning to levy more taxes on them.
The patriots had various reasons for seeking independence in the fateful years of 1775-1783. These reasons did not materialize instantly but can be traced back to decades earlier. Two revolutionary impulses existed: independence from Britain’s tyrannous rule and the desire to democratize a failing American society and government. Before the French and Indian War, the objective of the British was to regulate trade and in general influence the colonial government. However, Britain achieved these aims in a limited way and did not over-manage the colonies.
He wanted to show that supporting the independence movement instead of remaining loyal to the British Crown was a better idea and would result in happier lives. 2.) What does Paine see as the global significance of the American struggle for Independence? Freedom was the entire goal here because Paine believed the colonists deserved the right to be free from the British monarchy. If America were to remain under British rule it would only cause more conflict between the countries in Europe because other countries were trying to get a piece of America for themselves.
The British forgot about the role that the American troops had in the war. The colonists began to develop nationalist perspectives. Unlike the way the British drafted their soldiers and utilized savage methods to keep them in line, the colonial forces were made of volunteer soldiers. Their officers tempered their forms of punishment, but at the same time worked to keep the soldiers motivated. There was some friction in the economic relationship between Britain and its American colonies.
Thomas Paine, was an Englishman against British policy, and defended a democratic theory of government. Common Sense shows the advantage of independence, who put forward that Americans should create their own political system. Therefore, Common Sense gave a voice to many colonies who wished to break from the British government, it was useful not only to American, but also Africa and India. Most importantly, Common Sense present the natural rights, such as freedom of press, freedom of religion. As Paine argued that "There is something absurd in supposing a Continent to be perpetually governed by an island".
“By the 1760’s the colonist had come to believe that in America they were creating a place that adopted the best of the English system but adapted it to new circumstances; a place where a person rise by a merit, not birth; a place where men could voice their opinions and actively share in self-government”(McCarthy). The transformation from English common law to a new American common law was officially started with the Declaration of Independence. The foundation of America law consists of three very important documents; the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Even though the Bill of Rights is technically part of the Constitution since it consists of the first ten amendments, most people consider it to be its own document. This new American law that was developed was based on the ideals of the settlers but was also greatly influenced by English law.
An Exploration of the Fundamental Differences between Conservatism and Liberalism Introduction As far back as the American Revolution there were opposing ideologies or philosophies as to how our government should operate. On the one hand you had Torries who wished to remain British Subjects. On the other you had Patriots who wanted to break with England and start their own Country as Freemen. During the drafting and ratification of our Constitution you had the Federalist and the anti-Federalist. They represented two sides of the same coin, which is betterment of American society.
Since the colonies were part of the British empire, you can classify it as a civil war because part of a nation was succeeding from the empire. The colonists were in support of a different governmental structure. In the Declaration of Independence, it says That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government. The colonists believed that the British government was destructive towards the colonies because it was implementing taxes the colonists believed to be unnecessary with out colonial representation in parliament. Since the colonies were a part of the British empire they believed it was necessary for them to have direct representation in parliament.