History
Uploaded by Hunter826242 on Mar 24, 2008
REVOLUTION
Seventeen sixty-three, a year of great celebration, it was the year of the French and Indian War’s end. The defeated of the French and their Native American allies, by the British, in North America. The colonists rejoiced with the British victory, because they could now live in peace. However, as time past and the cost of the war were being charged to the colonies, the colonial thirteen began to feel enmity towards England. The Americans became unified and severed their bonds with Great Britain. This separation was inevitable, as Thomas Paine, the great American philosopher said in his most famous essay, it was only “Common Sense” for the 13 colonies of America to declare their independence from the Empire of Great Britain.
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was soon published in January 1776. In it, Paine asked the question of why a huge landmass like North America be ruled by such a small country like England. Paine had witnessed the battle of Lexington and Concord back in April of 1775, and although he was a peaceful man, he deserted the crown, and encouraged his fellow Americans to do so as well.
“We are not yet recovered from a War undertaken solely for their protection. they should contribute to the Preservation of the advantages they have received.”
Thomas Whately wrote the above statement to explain why Britain was taxing the American colonists. The French and Indian War was fought over the land in North America. The thirteen colonies were an investment to Britain. The French and Indian War was fought over capital, not to protect the local colonists. After all, the people who were sent to the Americas were outcasts, banished because of religious differences. So how could Britain be justified in taxing the Americans if they didn’t care about them?
Great Britain had the right to tax her colonies, and regulate their trade. Even thought the colonies in America, were being taxed to gain revenue.
“The Townshend Acts claim the authority to impose duties on these colonies, not for the regulation of trade, but for the single purpose of levying money on us.” The Townshend Acts- John Dickinson.
The only point of the Townshend Acts was to make a profit for Britain off her American colonies. This money wasn’t going back across the Atlantic to help the colonists become more self-sufficient, instead...