Premium Essay

What Are The Causes Of The American Revolution

Submitted By
Words 675
Pages 3
A commonly asked question when talking U.S. history and the American Revolution is what exactly caused it? There have been many events between the times that America was founded to the time of the actual revolution. Some of these included the Townshend Acts, the Boston Massacre, and the Intolerable Acts. In addition to these events, there were groups of people who helped drive the start the Revolution. Two of these groups included the Patriots and the Loyalists. All these pieces of the puzzle contributed in different ways and should all be touched upon when discussing the famous American Revolution.
The Townshend Acts, occurring on Nov. 20 1767, put taxes on things such as glass, paper, and even tea. After these developed, the colonists became really angered. This increased activity to try and avoid the tax. Some citizens even took to tar-and-feathering tax collectors.(TimeToast) The Townshend Acts happened in 1767, which were a few years apart from other major events such as the Stamp Act Congress and the Boston Massacre. …show more content…
5, 1770, was when the colonists and British soldiers openly clashed in Boston. Although people are not completely sure how or why it started, this was a good example of British cruelty. As shots were fired, five colonists were killed. The presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly unwelcome. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. A British officer, Captain Thomas Preston, called in additional soldiers, and these too were attacked, so the soldiers fired into the mob, killing 3 on the spot, and wounding 8 others, two of whom died later. (TimeToast)This event was one of the main causes of the American Revolution because it infuriated the colonists that this could even

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

What Is The Cause And Effect Of The American Revolution

...The American Revolution A cause and effect essay The united States of America declares Independence ! “When the year seventeen seventy six began only few colonists could have predicted what could have happened in the very near future.” Page one hundred seventy paragraph two ,in our penance hall american book the author stated the information above. Most colonists still hopped for a peaceful quarrel with Britain. So let me ask you a question , What was the cause and effect of The American Revolution? Well the cause of the American Revolution is that, After King George had rejected the Olive Branch Petition ,Thousands of British troops were sent out into the colonies to fight. The effect is that, the american patriots declared Independence on Britain to stop the quarrel. The Americans thought that These United Colonies are free of right and ought to be free and independent states all political connection between them and the state of great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved. The cause was The United States of America had sent King George the Olive branch...

Words: 542 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The American and French Revolution

...The American and French Revolutions During the 1700 there were two major revolutions, the American and French Revolutions. These revolutions took place for different reasons but they shared qualities. They were around the same time so they were both influenced by the same type of ideas. During this time the countries felt like that having a revolution would be the only alternative. The American and French Revolutions had similar causes but different outcomes. The revolutions were similar because they shared Enlightenment ideas and they were different because they had different end results. The American and French Revolutions causes were mainly increase of taxes. The American revolution started when the increase of British taxes without representation. The French Revolution started when King Louis XVI ran out of money so he wanted to tax the second estate. The people felt like these taxes were unfair so they wanted to change the government. Both revolutions were influenced by Enlightenment Ideas. They wanted everything to be fair. Both the French and Americans wanted to get rid of their higher power or monarchs. Because of these things the French and American revolutions had an almost identical causes. On the other hand, the French and American revolutions had different outcomes. Their cycles of revolutions were different. The American Revolution ended in a constitution but the French ended when Napoleon took over France. Although both revolutions established a different...

Words: 363 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Comparision of the Causes and Results of the French and American Revolutions

...The American and French Revolutions had a common goal. Compare and contrast the causes and practices of the American and French Revolution. Throughout human history, few have always controlled the lives of many. This case still exists today, as governments consisting of a few hundred people attempt to do what is best for millions of others. However, the public through an electoral process most commonly selects these decision-makers. These decision-making individuals were not always selected by the public, and in some such instances, the few that ruled over others were overthrown after their actions earned the discontent of the people. Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution can be grouped as these events. In both the American and French Revolution, the ruler was regarded as a tyrant and overthrown for the benefit of the public. Although the aims of the two revolutions were quite similar, there were many differences between them. The American Revolution and the French Revolution can be categorized as events where rulers were overthrown due to their actions; however, no matter how similar the causes, there are many differences between the events of the two revolutions. The French-Indian War of 1754 was a war between the British and the French to gain control over North American colonies. The British eventually defeated the French but owed a great debt and expected the colonies to help pay for the cost of the war. The British wished to cut down on costs in its North...

Words: 3376 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Cause and Outcome of War 1754 to 1815

...Cause and Outcome of War 1754-1815 Abstract This paper will compare and contrast the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and the War of 1812. All three wars were fought over land or expansion in one form or another. The French and Indian War was fought because both countries believed they had the right to the Ohio River Valley. This caused Britain to tax the colonist and place restrictions that led to the American Revolution. The American Revolution gave the colonies their freedom from British rule and the ability to form their nation and laws. Great Britain never respected the United States as a sovereign nation. Due to the conflict with France both France and Britain restricted U.S. imports because of the belief that the U.S. was supplying the enemy. The embargoes on American shipments along with the Native American attacks on colonist caused the War of 1812. The greatest accomplishment of the War of 1812 was the era of good feelings. Cause and Outcome of War 1754-1815 The cause and outcome of the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and the War of 1812 had many similarities. The wars started with the French and Indian war that was fought over the Ohio River Valley, which began in 1754 ending with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The American Revolutionary War was fought over the colonist not given the same rights as Englishmen along with the taxation of the colonist that began 1775 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The War of 1812 was fought because...

Words: 1654 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Comparison and Contrast: the French and American Revolution

...French and American Revolution Revolution has been seen throughout many nations during man’s reign on this earth. While there are a multitude of factors and reasons behind what creates an uprising of a country, the conclusions of these revolts certainly have one thing in common, that is change. As seen in the American and French Revolutions, citizens dealt and suffered unjust rule, taxation, and social isolation. These two rebellions took place in the same era and are generally grouped together by scholars, even many who would argue that one influenced the other. Under closer examination, while many comparisons can be made, many profound contrasts can be distinguished. This essay will review main occurrences in these two historical events, focusing on the comparisons and contrasts of factors such as causes, goals, and outcomes of both the American and French Revolutions. Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were born of dire economic conditions. While this similarity is true, each country had their own separate financial issues that led to each respective rebellion. The roots of the American Revolution stemmed from the taxation upon the Colonists by the monarchy of the British. Taxes were not something that citizens of the new world were unfamiliar to, but the issue was more vested in just reasoning behind the increased taxes on the Colonies, this idea birthed a familiar phrase of the revolution, “taxation without representation”. The French Revolution, while...

Words: 767 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

History

...Revolutions Unit Paper Alex Koscick March 4,2012 Revolutions Paper Between the French, English, and American Revolutions, there were likes and dislikes between why they occurred in the first place, and how they came to an end. This paper will compare and contrast these wars, and help explain these likes and dislikes. One of the first similarities in why these great Revolutions begun, is that the people were unanimously angered by something that their government had done, (Monarchies in this situation.) The second similarity of the cause of these revolutions is that they the common folk felt that they weren't even within their rights to make their own choices, or that they didn't have a voice in their government. The third similarity in the causes of these revolutions is that all of these countries had enough people, to be able to make a large impression if they rose up. I believe myself that if they didn't have the forces to execute such an uprising, they probably wouldn't have even tried to take down their respective government/monarchy. Some general similarities, not necessarily based on causes and effects, are the following. All of the Revolutions discussed, were fought by the common people. All overthrew a monarchy ( King & Queen.) These next following sentences will explain some of the different reasons that the Revolutions discussed were caused. Singularly, one of the main reasons the English Revolution began was due to the fact there was an heir...

Words: 599 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

American Revolution

... The American and French Revolutions: Compared and Contrasted The history of the human race always has been, and most likely will always be, that of evolution and revolution. – Lewis F. Korns, Thoughts A revolution occurs when one government is overthrown and replaced with another (Yahoo). The American and French revolutions can be both compared and contrasted in their origins and outcomes. Both revolutions began due to the common peoples’ need to obtain independence and liberty from an oppressive government (2). The American Revolution was triggered by the American colonists’ need for financial independence from the overpowering nation of Great Britain, while the French revolution was a struggle to gain social equality among the masses. Although the American and French Revolutions were fought over some of the same ideas, the American Revolution is considered more "conservative" than the French is (2). The intent of the American revolutionaries was not to initiate a revolution, but rather to gain their freedom from a "long train of abuses" (Jensen). In contrast, the French were trying to cause a true revolution because they were not just fighting for freedom but rather to over throw and remove the monarchy (3). The American revolutionaries had no choice but to defend their liberties and the tactics used by the Americans were not as directly aggressive as those used by the French. The American and French Revolution...

Words: 2424 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

How Did Frederick Douglass Create A Bill Of Rights

...of rights, what a right is, and what a right entails, evolved significantly over time from the Glorious Revolution of 1687-1688, to the American Revolution of 1773-1781, and eventually to the era of abolition and Frederick Douglass in the nineteenth century. The Glorious Revolution in Britain consisted of British Nobles and Parliament publishing the Declaration of Rights seeking greater autonomy and freedom from the lofty weight and absolutism of the seemingly arbitrary decisions of the king. The American Revolution led to a significant debate over rights, whether to create a Bill of Rights or not, and to whom rights apply and in what ways. Finally, with Frederick Douglass’ nineteenth century abolitionist narrative, his discussion of natural rights and the implicit or mandated laws and privileges of humanity and Christianity. The act of writing and recording rights ultimately facilitated great gains for the cause of human liberty and personal autonomy, the first assertion of one’s own autonomy with the Nobles of the Glorious Revolution,...

Words: 1690 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Dbq French Revolution Research Paper

...The French Revolution was a very important event in the history of the world. France was under a feudal-like system called “The Old Regime”, and it consisted of 3 estates. The 1st and 2nd estates were the richest while the 3rd estate consisted of the middle class and the poor. The 3rd estate is the one that started the French Revolution. The most important causes of the French Revolution were the lack of power for the third estate, the over taxation, and the ideas of the American Revolution. One of the most important causes of the French Revolution was the lack of political power for the 3rd estate. Before the French Revolution, the 3rd estate had almost no political power. It can be speculated that the lack of political influence was the...

Words: 593 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

How Did John Locke Justify The American Revolution

...progress. The Enlightenment’s four major concepts and its prominent figures justified the American and French revolutions, but one of the revolutions took the concepts to a greater extreme. John Locke was a prominent figure is the philosophy of empiricism. John Locke’s philosophy and the aftermath of the “Glorious Revolution” influenced the American and French revolutions. After the “Glorious Revolution” in 1688, the English...

Words: 490 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

French Revolution

...What were the main causes which brought about the 1789 French revolution. There were two main types of causes which caused the revolution, namely the fundamental causes (long term) which were caused long time before the revolution and the immediate (short term) which came at short notice The fundamental causes were The political causes: the governance system in France before 1789 was known as the Ancien Regime: during this time the king had an absolute power which meant that he could do what he wanted without consulting his decisions. An example of this is the letre de cachet which was a letter sent from the king saying that you are being imprisoned without giving you the chance to defend yourself. The estate’s general had last met in 1614. All the ministers in France were not chosen democratically but by the type of noble background they had. There was no freedom or press nor of press so the normal people could not have a say in their country`s government and so could not show their grievances. Socio-economic: the nobles and the higher clergy which were only 3% of the French population were the most privileged classes, they who were the most rich were exempted from paying taxes. On the other hand the peasant who could hardly afford to feed his family had to pay high taxes which made up nearly half of his income to both the monarchy and the church. The taxes which he had to pay to the monarchy were, the taille,vingtieme and gabelle. To the church he paid the tithe and...

Words: 959 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

American Rev.

...The American Revolution: The American rebellion known as the American Revolution has many different factors. A lot of political influences existed, it was primarily an economic rebellion, because of conflict over taxation and representation in Parliament. The colonists had strong beliefs that the English government was unfair and often tyrannical. The conflicts over trade, taxes, and government representation brought about the revolution that began shaping the United States as it is today. There were many economic influences on the American Revolution, these were not the primary causes. The colonists believed that the king, King George III controlled the colonies more than he should.. The Declaration of Independence shows this, declaring the United States free from "absolute Tyranny over the States." To add to this conflict, British forces were attempting to intimidate the colonists into submission. The colonist's attitude towards this policy was that it only gave them more cause and justification for violence.. In 1775, the colonists took up arms against the British troops in the colonies. They met at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Although these political conflicts were occurring simultaneously, the economic influences were greater.. The colonists couldn't even afford to pay many of the taxes imposed on them. The Stamp Act, for example, taxed practically everything imaginable. The British finally repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, but they immediately replaced...

Words: 487 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted

...Synthesis essay: why the revolution will not be tweeted Technology is being used all across the globe in everyday life. With the development of technology, the development of social media became very popular. In “Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted”, Malcolm Gladwell stresses that “real” revolutions do not depend on social media to be resolved or started; however, small revolutions can depend on social media or networking. Although Dennis Baron is sending the same message in “Reforming Egypt in 140 Characters?” there is one point that Baron makes that differs from that of Gladwell’s; Baron actually believes that a game changing revolution can occur with the use of social media. Gladwell believes that in order for a revolution to be successful, it does not have to rely on social media networks. In the beginning of his writing, he discusses the sit-ins that occurred in the 1960s. After acknowledging how fast the word spread about the sit-ins, Gladwell mentions that it happened without the help of “e-mail, texting, Facebook, or Tweeting” (314). Social media was probably not thought of in the 1960s. One of the biggest revolutions, the Civil Rights Movement, was accomplished without the need of social media. Also, it is easier to get participation on a social networking site rather that participation for something that is confronting a disgraced practice. Gladwell claims that it is easier for a person to donate blood rather than to protest for a certain...

Words: 1114 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

American History

...Essay Assignment #1 History can be used as a stepping stone in understanding the contemporary world and why its relevance can be connected to what has happened in the past to what is happening today. One of these examples in history that has made a huge impact in today’s world is the social and economic inequalities leading up to the American Revolution. The cause of the Revolution was due to many of the grievances that colonists had for the British. Knowing this fact, we can better understand how this is useful and relevant in understanding the economic inequalities in Egypt which led to the Revolution in 2011. The American Revolution was fought because of numerous unresolved conflicts that the colonists had with the British. Even after the war, there were problems still lingering. Some of these issues included freedom of expression, voting rights and political participation, and the Inflation of goods. Many of these disagreements resulted in rioting and protests, as well as boycotting of goods and such. Let’s start with freedom of expression. Speech was limited in Britain, but if referring to the boundary outside of Parliament, then there was no legal protection for freedom of speech. Moreover, an individual could be beheaded for criticizing the king and the government. Even before the Revolution, voting rights and the political participation was very limited when electing government officials. There were property qualifications in order to vote in America. For example...

Words: 1117 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Minipulated

...------------------------------------------------- Minipulated African Americans and the Revolution Nikki Jones Genesee community college History 203: Fall 2014 Nikki Jones Genesee community college History 203: Fall 2014 Manipulated: African Americans and the Revolution One of the most notable intellectual paradoxes in American history is how the founding fathers could promote the equal rights of man and their perceived enslavement by the crown while simultaneously holding a fifth of their own population in bondage. Another question that plaques the history of this great nation is why abolition, or widespread emancipation, did not occur at this period in time when revolutionary and republican rhetoric existed alongside of anti-slavery sentiments. A case can be made that Americans were speaking more loudly for the end of political enslavement, rather than the freedom of slaves themselves. The exclusion of slaves from the political forefront made it easier for Americans to make these hypocritical claims. Whether or not whites were able to justify themselves the exclusion of the black community from their cries for freedom, the parallels revolutionary rhetoric had on their own condition were not lost on slaves. Many took advantage of the revolutionary crisis and ran away and joined either side in hopes to attain their own independence. There reasons that Blacks chose to join the revolutionary fight are as varied as the individuals who made them. The motives were...

Words: 2286 - Pages: 10