The American Revolution started with an unprecedented Declaration of Independence, and ended with a totally new form of government. It was a time filled with new ideas, new ideals, and big dreams. The British government saw huge potential in the New World, with vast amounts of fertile land and large quantities of natural resources. The colonists also saw huge potential in the New World for the same reasons. Unfortunately, at least for the British, the two sides could not agree upon how to govern this vast new land, leading to the American Revolution.
The British government, including the King, and Parliament, believed that they had the right to make decisions regarding the new colonies. They considered the colonials to be British subjects with the same obligations toward England as the British living in Great Britain. As such, they believed that they could chose the governors of the territories and pass laws related to trade, allocation of resources, and relations with the native Americans. After all, the colonists were there with the approval and blessing of the Crown . The British saw potential for great trade with the natural resources of the colonies and expected to prosper greatly from those resources.
The American colonists naturally saw things a bit different. They, for the most part, considered themselves subjects of the Crown. However, they differed when it came to the subject of self-government. While they worked with the appointed governors of the territories, they began to feel like the governors were corrupt and taking advantage of them . They also began to feel that the laws passed by the Parliament were too oppressive. They believed that, considering their unique circumstances, and the distance from England, they should have greater control over their own destinies. This was especially true when it came to trade. They were restricted to trading only with Great Britain and believed that the British were taking advantage of them. Things really turned for the worse when Britain decided to levy taxes on the colonies.
Parliament believed that they had the right to tax the colonies freely. After all, there were expenses associated with maintaining governors and armed forces in the colonies. The colonials did not have a problem with taxes in general, but they did not believe that they should be taxed without representation, which they did not have. They felt that the taxes levied were too high and unreasonable. The territories responded first by corresponding with the Parliament to get them to change the taxes. When that did not work, the territories banded together to request change. When correspondence did not work, the territories boycotted the goods being taxed until the Parliament was forced to revoke most of the taxes, except for the tax on tea . By this time, the colonists were not willing to accept any tax from the Crown without first having a say. This led to an act of open rebellion known as the Boston Tea Party, where colonials, dressed as American Indians, boarded three British ships in the Boston Harbor and threw 342 chests of tea into the sea. This was the final straw for the King who sent an army to the colonies to bring the rebels under control.
It is no surprise that this openly rebellious act occurred in Boston. First of all, Boston was a major port and a lot of the trade between the colonies and Great Britain passed through the city . It was also one of the largest cities in the territories at the time. It was the site of the Boston Massacre a few years earlier, an event that still weighed heavily on the minds of the colonists. Finally, Boston was home to many of the leading patriots of the territories.
Boston was home to James Otis, who was one of the first to voice opposition to the taxes levied by the British. He published The Rights of the British Colonists Asserted and Proved, which was one of the first pamphlet published that criticized Parliaments policies. Another prominent Bostonian was Samuel Adams. He was one of the fiercest proponents of American liberty and chaired the meeting that lead to the famous tea party in the bay. His cousin John Adams was also a vocal proponent of independence. He helped write the resistance message sent to the King that was adopted by the First Continental Congress. He was also a strong supporter of armed resistance against Great Britain. John Hancock and Paul Revere are two other Bostonians who played large roles in the events leading up to the American Revolution as well as many events after independence.
The time of the American Revolution was a trying time for many on both sides of the Atlantic. For the patriots of the American territories, there was much at stake. Not only were they fighting for a new country, they were doing so at great risk to themselves and their families. Fortunately for us, they did not waver from their beliefs.
References
U.S. History.org. A Tradition of Rebellion. 2014. web. 14 February 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/7e.asp>.
—. The Boston Patriots. 2014. web. 14 February 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/9c.asp>.
—. The Stamp Act Controversy. 2014. web. 14 February 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/9b.asp>.
—. The Stamp Act Controversy. 2014. web. 14 February 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/9b.asp>.
