Americans grew to believe that the many taxes were levied for the enhancement of British capital at the expense of American welfare. Britain was keeping the Americans in a position of economic youth by denying them economic freedom. Such economic control dates back to before the French and Indian War in a period referred to as “salutary neglect.” This term was adapted because, although Britain did regulate trade and colonial government affairs, the British for the most part stayed out of the Americans’ way. What makes this description of salutary neglect disputable is the British policy of mercantilism, which was enforced in this time. Mercantilism allowed for the belief that wealth was power and that a country’s power could therefore be measured in gold and silver—placing wealth at the forefront of their minds.
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.
Socially the war was not revolutionary because, there was still that one race that was not treated like they belonged and felt like they were taking up space. Politically the war was not revolutionary because, the imprisoned slaves were not allowed to be apart of the Declaration of Independence. Therefore Revolution was both revolutionary and not revolutionary because, of the three stated topics above. The American Revolution was the most important event in the history of the world since the birth of Christ,-stated by Richard Price. The Revolution was revolutionary based on economic factors because, as apart of the empire the colonies were protected from foreign invasion by the British military.
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.
The various Latin American revolutions and movements that occurred between 1700-1800s were based on the model of the USA. Some interpreted these as a prominent figure in the revolutionary period. Others believed it was the least revolutionary during this period. This argument is not entirely valid, but there is also a point to make. While there are more famous revolutions such as the Glorious, French, and American Revolution, it does not mean that these revolutions in Latin America are any less important.
A revolution is a total or radical change. Did the 18th century American Revolution bring about change? Many historians would say that it did, however, there is much evidence supporting the opposing view. The question is, should the American Revolution be thought of as a true revolution or merely a civil war where there was a change in power, but the elements of daily life remained the same. Contrary to popular belief, the American Revolution did not bring about change, because the rights, class structure and government remained the status quo in the colonies.
At some points, colonists seemingly were allowed plenty of freedom, while other times they were under strict English rule. This was all dependent on the rule of England. For example, when Charles II took the throne, he focused on control in the colonies but the reign of William and Mary marked the beginning of a half-century of neglect in the colonies. The inconsistent freedom the colonists were given frustrated them and ultimately contributed to the American
The colonies debated England's power to tax them and did not wish to be taxed without representation. Consequently the American Revolution began, and the probability of the colonies winning was not bright, but the patriots were willing to fight to become a free, independent nation. The Patriots used several different strategies to defeat the “Lobster Backs.” During and after the war, people began thinking of extremely radical ideas that were exceptionally revolutionary of the time. There were numerous, significant people that contributed to military intelligence of the American Revolution. With the odds against the colonies, George Washington kept the revolution alive by staying one step ahead of the British.
The stamp act was plainly ad simply to raise money, the act extended to the colonies the system of stamp duties then employed in Great Britain and was intended to raise money to lower the cost of maintaining the military defenses of the colonies. This act nearly affected nearly everyone who used any taxed paper, nut mostly on those who relied on official documents. Completely unexpected was the massive amount of protest from the colonists, who nullified the Stamp Act but refusing to use the stamps and by riots. Prime Minister George Grenville said that this direct tax was intended for the colonies to pay for defense. Colonists upheld their rights as Englishmen to taxed only by their own consent through their own representative assemblies.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord in the spring of 1775 marked the beginning of open hostilities between the Colonies and Britain. These battles were the culmination of difficulties between England and the American colonies. The Colonists were fighting against the economic exploitation and political oppression of Parliament. The root cause of the revolution was the fact that Britain refused to believe that the colonies had outgrown, both economically and psychologically, their former status. Many, many things caused the revolution.