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Revolutionary War Causes

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Five factors must be considered when discussing the causes of the American Revolutionary War. In July 1776, American colonists, who 13 years before, had considered themselves loyal Englishmen, took the unprecedented step of seeking a political separation from the British Empire. A “perfect storm” of economics, politics, society, philosophy, and communication technology helped create a situation in which it was possible for the colonies to not only separate from the empire but create a functioning government to take the place of the one from which they had separated. Economically, the colonies and England were extremely close. The colonies provided a source of raw materials for the Empire as well as a marketplace to sell goods produced by …show more content…
Smuggling, however, was an integral part of the economy of the colonies as colonists sought to get around the navigation acts. The victory in the French and Indian war saw British holdings in North America double. Vast forests opened to the west, teeming with a wide variety of resources. However, the war had been incredibly costly, and in 1763, the largest empire in the world found itself deeply in debt. Parliament sought to alleviate some of that debt by looking to the colonies. The argument was that the war had been fought to protect the colonies, therefore, they should be expected to help pay for it – despite the promises made earlier that Britain would bear the cost of the war. The most obvious way to generate revenue was to raise taxes. Initially, revenue would be generated by enforcing laws already on the books, such as the tax on sugar …show more content…
A domino effect of taxes, riots, and retribution had resulted in Massachusetts under military rule and colonial legislatures suspended. Meeting in secret, a convention of representatives from the colonies in Philadelphia had begun seriously discussing making a political separation from England and assuming control of the colonies. Thomas Paine's “Common Sense” published just a few months before and read throughout the colonies helped provide the economic, intellectual and political arguments for such a course of action. The document produced by the Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, is a letter to posterity that explains why the colonies subjected the world to such a revolution. Using arguments from Locke, coupled with those of Paine, the writers created an almost algebraic proof to justify their actions. With its philosophies of equality and limited government, the Declaration of Independence has become the key document in American philosophy, providing a foundation for all legislation

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