Causes of the American Revolution

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The causes of the amercian revolution

 “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I Am Not a Virginian, But an American!”(Patrick Henry). America was formed from the results of enforced governments, coercive acts and congress wanting liberty.

In 1685 James ll became king of England; he wanted more control over the Colonies in North America. He believed the Northern Colonies were too independent. In 1686 he united the Northern States under a government called The Dominion of New England, which included Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. The Dominion of New England took away rights from Colonists because they no longer had much say in their government. The Glorious Revolution was a relief for many colonists as James II was overthrown by parliament. The policies of James II were harsh according to England because along with taking away Colonists rights he was trying to convert a protestant country to catholic. His daughter Mary and her Husband took over reign of England and canceled The Dominion of England which led to the English Bill of Rights in 1689. Colonists were interested in the shift of power from monarch to a representative governing body. The English Bill of Rights was a law that laid down civil rights for the Colonists. As time went on the Colonists valued their rights to elect the representative that governed them. The Dominion of New England, Glorious Revolution and The English bill of rights inspired colonial uprisings which led to the overthrow of the dominion of New England which brought forward The English Bill of Rights and permitted the growth of Colonial culture.

Trade was one of the main reasons England established the Colonies in North America, the idea of a Nation that could be self-sufficient if it had a good balance of trade was acted upon. Between 1650 and 1696 trade laws called The Navigation Acts were set. These Acts set import taxes on traded goods, this made colonies want more freedom to export and import whatever they want. This led to colonists doing free enterprise which is trading illegally. As parliament started noticing how independent the colonists were they started creating different acts. The Sugar Act set taxes on molasses and sugar imported by Colonies which led to Colonists protesting and boycotting the act. The Stamp Act stated that required all colonists to pay for an official stamp whenever they bought paper items, which led Colonists using violence towards tax collectors. A Stamp Act congress was made that eventually repealed the Stamp Act. The Declaratory Act said that parliament had the power to make the acts without any interference by Colonists after the repeal of The Stamp Act. The Townshend Acts placed taxes on imported glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. Due to tensions in the colonies after an incident called the Boston massacre where protestors and British soldiers got into a fight parliament repealed The Townshend Act but left the tax on tea known as The Tea Act. This led to the Boston Tea Party where tea was dropped into Boston Harbor as a rebellion to the Tea Act. The intolerable acts were the consequences of the Boston tea party; it placed many different punishments on Bostonians. The Ideas of liberty came into consideration after these Coercive Acts.