For two hundred years, majority of the colonies in North American were under the British rule. However, towards the end of the second century of the British control, rebellion by the colonists against the British began to crop up. The natives felt that the British rule was unfair and demanded independence. Conventionally, it is believed that the formulation of new tax policies by Parliament after the French and Indian War was the main cause of the Revolution. The colonists felt that these policies were oppressive and discriminative and protested against them. For instance, the enactment of the Quartering Acts by Parliament in 1765 was deemed oppressive by the colonists. It required the Americans to pay for part of the expenses Britain had incurred in defending her colonies. A couple of events such as the Boston Massacre, Tea Act, Quebec Act and hostility by the British military further deepened the conflict leading to the American Revolution. Revisionists, on the other hand, take a different perspective in outlining the causes of the American Revolution – economic and demographic pressures. The economic causes are discussed in three aspects, which involve colonial elites, the poor natives and the economic changes during the period preceding the revolution. Population growth also caused tension between the colonists and the British. A remarkably high number of Britons settled in North America between 1750 and 1770, creating pressure for land.
Prior to the Revolution, the natives had increasingly felt that the British policies were oppressive and unacceptable. It was unfair for Britain to build its economy at the expense of the colonists. With the end of the French and Indian war, the British Government came up with new ways of financing the defense her colonies. In 1963, the Sugar Act was passed by Parliament. The Act was to discourage smuggling and encourage British rum production. Taxation of molasses was stopped. The Act was received by widespread protests by the colonists. The economic impact on the colonists was grave. They suffered losses from the sale of molasses and received very little profit from the sale of rum. In 1964, the Currency Act was passed creating more tension between Britain and the colonists. It prohibited the use of other currencies apart from the sterling pound in the colonies. Previously, “bills of credit” had been used to help cover the costs of the French and Indian War. Britain feared that inflation would hurt her merchants as they would be forced to cover their debts using depreciated currency.
In 1773, the British Tea Company was granted monopoly on the export of tea to the colonies, by Parliament through the passage of the Tea Act. The company could sell tea directly to retailers without passing through middlemen. This allowed the British Government to tax tea by imposing high prices. The colonists felt cheated and many were not happy. It meant that many would lose their source of income and the cost of living would also rise. This would worsen the quality of life since they were also going through a period of economic depression. In protest most tea agents refused to purchase tea from the company. Tea worth £9,000 was dumped into the Boston harbor by Americans leading to the birth of the Boston Tea Party. The British Government responded by shutting down the Harbor until the tea destroyed had been paid for. Many Boston residents termed the move as punitive as it affected even those not involved. Furthermore, the harbor was the centerpiece of Boston’s economy, and its closure meant loss of source of income to many Bostonians.
Revisionists argue that the economic changes experienced in the colonies may have led to the desire to break away from the British rule. Firstly, there was a growing number of colonial elite composed of wealthy land owners, planters and merchants. Most of these elites controlled their businesses and asserted their autonomy from the British rule. They also formed their own ideologies and held a set of political beliefs different from the British. Secondly, the poor commoners felt aggrieved and oppressed by the wealthy colonists and the policies of the British. They never had control in society and were dominated by the wealthy class. They were composed mainly of sailors, laborers and tradesmen. Revolutionists believe that the wealthy colonists used the poor colonists to direct their furies against the tax policies imposed on them. This group was the most affected by the economic depression. Many fell into debts, lost their jobs and received delayed and low payments. They, therefore, became involved in the revolution to pursue their own interests.
The economic changes before the revolution also contributed to the war. Between 1745 and 1775, British commerce expanded sharply. Importation of goods from Britain increased together with the number of wealthy colonists. This period was, however, followed by a depression of great magnitude. In response Britain came up with new regulations to protect her interests at the expense of the colonies. The colonial elites together with the poor felt that the regulations did not serve their interests and protested against them.
Population growth and pressure was another contributing factor. The end of the French and Indian War was followed by an exodus of the French and an immigration of the British into the colonies. They came in cleared trees, displaced the natives and settled in the land. For instance, The Shawnees in the Country of Ohio had been displaced in the east by the British. The natives in the Great Lakes area were also affected. There was an increasing competition for resources available to the growing population. Another area of conflict was in the way of life. The British introduced a new religion, food, culture and communicable diseases to the natives.
The American Revolution was caused by several factors. The colonists demanded the right to make decisions that affected them. It was unreasonable for laws to be made miles away from home, without their involvement and then imposed on them. Taxes imposed on them increased the cost of living while raising revenue for Britain. This was oppressive and led to rebellion throughout the colonies, which culminated in a revolutionary war. The presence of the British army and settlers in America did not go well with the natives, many who felt threatened leading to rebellion.
Works Cited
Ernst, Joseph A. and Marc Egnal. "An Economic Interpretation of the American Revolution." JSTOR (2004): 3-32.
History.com. History. 2 November 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution. 20 November 2013.
