Colonists living in America were not justified in their revolt against the ruling British government. After the French and Indian War, which ended in 1763, the British needed to collect taxes in order to pay for soldiers to defend the newly won land. In addition it would only be just for the British government to have the colonists pay a tax after protecting them from the French. However, the American colonists, did not want taxation without representation, so they took matters into their own hands to revolt and free themselves from British rule. The first piece of evidence that proves that the colonists were not justified in revolting is from the Stamp Act Documents, Source B. Published by the London Paper in January 27, 1766, this primary source letter was later republished by the Boston Gazette Supplement. Initially the document was written to inform the people of England about the anger in the American colonies against the Stamp Act. In the letter, the author states, “I would have been less surprised by their behavior if we had taxed their beer, because everyone drinks beer. But the Stamp Act is a tax on none of the necessities of life. It does not affect the poor. And even a poor person can afford this little amount of money.” The language in the document shows the disbelief of the author. …show more content…
It lit a spark that led the Colonists to realize that the British were ruling them without the people having a say. The colonists felt that the British government was not protecting their natural rights. Some example of the British infringing on their natural rights include the British forcing the people to house British soldiers in a time of peace. John Locke was a key person who helped the colonists realize that they needed to take action and revolt. With the British violating the rights of the colonists that justified the colonists