There was a number of reasons and causes of the American Revolution and it is sometimes quite difficult the define the most important and strong ones. Before the British Parliament tried to set the entire control over the colonies, American states were even proud to be British. However, the interests and future perspectives of two parties did not coincide, because the British wanted to wrest power from the colonists and introduced economic threads to conduct own fiscal policy. Although Americans were at that time politically disordered, not effectively unified, army was insufficiently supplied and trained, they still won the confrontation. Arrogance of the British and ignorance of the colonists may indeed be called the twin causes of the American Revolution.
King George III was sure that his Parliament was to control the entire continent of North America and wanted to use these lands to pay off his debts after the French and Indian War in 1754-1763. Therefore, he imposed strict taxation rules and laws without consent from the colonies. The Boston Tea Party was the first reaction and act of resistance to such arrogant actions and the Intolerable Acts met the same response from the American people. The king was aware of the fact that his army was not large enough and Americans had an advantage of fighting on their Mother Country. Therefore, with the Quartering Act he ordered all the colonists to house British soldiers and supply them with all necessary means for living. Such a behavior could not favor the loyalty of colonies and it only led to further disobedience and rebelliousness (Lexington, Concord) within the country.
As for ignorance of the declarations issued by the British government, “the Proclamation of 1763 was, at first, ignored by the colonists – mainly because it was not clear and nobody thought it would be enforced, it became a serious issue with many of the Founding Fathers, although it is still largely ignored by most historians as a major reason for the War of Independence” (Jansen 33). In fact, the colonists did not stop making purchases and trade without the Parliament’s license and permission. The British also ignored a number of documents and letters sent by the colonists, such as the Olive Brach Petition, which declared their loyalty to King George.
Works cited
Jansen, Hans. The War of Independence or The American Revolution That Was No
Revolution: Look at The Reasons. Florida Gulf Coast University, 2013. Print.
