Causes Of The American Revolution

DBQ 3: Causes of the American Revolution

When the colonization of the New World began, people were proud of their mother country, proud to be from Britain and loyal to their king. But, the reason behind their leaving was always freedom, freedom from taxes, from government, and from persecution. When these freedoms began to be taken away again, these colonists, soon to be known as Americans, were not going to lose them without a fight. Though the reasons behind the abrupt transition of England and her American colonies from allies to enemies are still debated today; I believe that yes, the American colonists were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain. (Historical context and O.I textbook The Americas)

Some things I believe could have caused the tension between England and the Americas are the unlawful taxes placed on the colonists to pay for England's debt from the French and Indian war. These such taxes were the Stamp act, the Townshend acts, and the Intolerable acts. In excerpts from "letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania", John Dickinson justifies the taxes on trade, but states what soon became so obvious to the colonists, that the purpose behind the Stamp and Townshend acts was simply to take money from the colonists. (Doc.2) The last step to war was taken with the Intolerable acts, this shut down Boston harbor and forced colonists under military watch to house and feed British soldiers. These acts of imposing unconstitutional laws on the colonists were soon to stop.

Many people did not look to war as the first choice, as expressed in Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", but with the fatal battles of Lexington and Concord, all soon rejected the king of England forever. (Doc 6) By April of 1775, people had had enough, from the deaths in the Boston "Massacre", to the deaths in Lexington and Concord, war was finally declared. With the American