American Foundations Blog Essay

Clint Urick

American Foundations

Blog Quiz Lesson 2

                American colonists left their motherland, England, so they could have more freedom. They left Great Britain to come to America, which was still under British rule. They had no reason to separate themselves from British Parliament if they continued to enjoy the same rights as every other British citizen.

                For the most part America was just an appendage of Great Britain throughout the 18^th century. Colonists still considered themselves Englishmen, and were loyal to the crown. They openly traded with their homeland and enjoyed the relationship they had together. They did not wake up one day and decide to start a revolution. There were many happenings and events that took place over a long period of time that eventually led to the Revolutionary War and Independence.

                As colonists enjoyed the new liberties they had in America the new king of Britain, King George III, wanted to make a name for himself and was sure to have loyalty and respect from all people under the crown’s jurisdiction. And so he made the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. This seemed to be a fairly small thing at the time, but was the beginning of many changes to come.

                One of the main reasons that Americans eventually sought after independence was due to unfair taxes placed upon the backs of the colonists. Following the Seven Years’ War Britain was in debt, and was in need of raising its revenue. King George III looked across the Atlantic to obtain that money. Parliament established the Sugar Act in 1764, a tax on sugar coming into America.

This was the first of a long string of taxes that the British government would impose on the American colonies as a way to raise its revenue.              These taxes were unconstitutional in the minds of Americans because laws were being passed concerning them while they did not have a representative in the British Parliament. The term “taxation without representation” became a common phrase in American newspapers opposing the acts.

Other acts that affected colonists were the Currency Act of 1764 and the Quartering Act of 1765. The Currency Act prohibited colonies south of New England to produce money. The Quartering Act forced American citizens to quarter, or house, British soldiers. It infringed upon rights as Englishmen, furthering the cause for independence, however there were only few colonists who wanted to separate from Great Britain at this time. Samuel Adams was one of the only Americans who dreamed of an independent country.

The Stamp Act of 1765 was the next tax colonists had to deal with. This act taxed all paper goods. Newspapers, legal documents, and many other items were to be taxed by this act, which was another example of taxation without representation. Americans protested this and the tax was never effectively collected.

Nearly all of these acts would be short lived and repealed by Parliament. Since colonists protested the Stamp Act so effectively British Parliament repealed it but followed up with the Declatory Act in 1766. This “declared” that Great Britain can regulate and tax colonists anyway they feel necessary just like every other English province. It was basically a way to say we (Great Britain) are still in charge.

Following the Declatory Act was the Townshend Acts. The Townshend Act was a series of laws that eventually led to the Boston Massacre. Samuel Adams spearheaded the resistance of the Townshend Acts by writing a letter to the Massachusetts state legislature. Then they passed it onto other legislative bodies and all the state governments were able to see and discuss why these acts were unconstitutional. The colonies were united in protesting the Townshend Acts. Most of the Townshend Acts were repealed but it still pushed Americans even closer to desire independence.

After repealing the Townshend Acts Parliament passed the Tea Act. The Tea Act allowed merchants of the East India Co. to sell tea directly to America at cheaper prices than normal. This tea did not have to go to England first, as it used to, but could go straight to America. If the colonies bought this tea they would be accepting the fact that Parliament can still tax them, because the Townshend Acts still taxed tea in America.

Rather than sell their rights for tea, Americans united together and would not allow the tea in the colonies. Some ports would not allow ships to unload their shipments of tea, while others just let it rot on the docks. The most famous of these acts of resistance was the Boston Tea Party, where they threw the tea into the harbor in protest of the Tea Act.

In consequence to the Boston Tea Party the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts, as Americans called them, were established to make an example of Massachusetts and put an end to colonial resistance. This only gave Americans a greater desire for freedom, liberty, and independence.

The natural rights of American colonists had been disregarded by Great Britain for a decade. The Declaration of Independence lists more than 25 failures of the British government to secure American citizen’s rights. They had been taxed on numerous occasions without their own consent or proper representation. They had been forced to quarter troops in “times of peace.” They cut off trade with the rest of the world. King George III appointed judges of his own free will not by the vote of the people.

These are just of the few unconstitutional acts forced upon colonists by British Parliament. If the government they trusted and were loyal to failed to secure their natural rights why would the colonies continue to support them? The very reason for coming to America was to have liberty and freedom. The failure of the crown to secure these liberties and freedoms was the very reason America called for independence. That is why they were justified in seeking independence. They wanted a government that protected their God given rights, and that is why they started a revolution.