"The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution based on the principles of the American Enlightenment..."
This topic discusses the factors that led to the American Revolution, such as British taxation policies, restrictions on colonial trade, and political and religious issues.
British taxation policies: The policies implemented by the British Government that led to increased taxes on the American colonies.
Salutary neglect: The British policy of not enforcing strict laws governing the American colonies.
Colonial resistance: The ways in which American colonists resisted British policies.
Proclamation of 1763: The decree by British King George III that barred American colonists from settling beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
Tea Act: The British legislation that taxed tea, which led to the Boston Tea Party.
Stamp Act: The British tax on newspapers, legal documents, and other items printed on stamped paper.
Quartering Act: The British legislation that required American colonists to provide lodging for British soldiers.
Boston Massacre: The incident where British soldiers fired upon American colonists, killing five.
Boston Tea Party: The event where American colonists protested British tea taxes by dumping tea into Boston harbor.
Intolerable Acts: The series of British laws designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.
First Continental Congress: The meeting of American colonial delegates to oppose British policies.
Lexington and Concord: The first battles of the American Revolution.
Second Continental Congress: The meeting of American colonial delegates to establish a government and prepare for war.
Declaration of Independence: The document that formally declared American independence from Great Britain.
Battle of Bunker Hill: The first major battle of the American Revolution.
Saratoga: The turning point of the American Revolution.
Treaty of Paris: The agreement that ended the American Revolution and recognized American independence.
Founding Fathers: The group of American statesmen who played a key role in the American Revolution and the drafting of the United States Constitution.
Revolutionary War: The conflict between Great Britain and the American colonies that led to American independence.
Articles of Confederation: The first governing document of the United States after its independence from Great Britain.
Economic Causes: The British imposed a series of taxes and restrictions on trade that caused financial hardship and resentment among the colonists. The colonists also believed that they were being exploited by British merchants and businesses.
Political Causes: The colonists had limited representation in British government and felt that their voices were not being heard. They also objected to the British policy of appointing colonial governors and officials rather than allowing them to be elected by the people.
Social Causes: There were significant cultural and social differences between colonists and the British. Colonists were increasingly embracing democratic ideals and resented the hierarchical British class system.
Ideological Causes: Colonists were influenced by Enlightenment thinkers who stressed the idea of individual rights and freedoms. These ideas clashed with British policies that stifled such freedoms.
Military Causes: British attempts to enforce their policies led to armed conflicts, such as the Boston Massacre, which further fueled dissent among colonists.
Religious Causes: Many colonists were deeply religious and believed they had a divine right to self-government. The British policies and imposition of the Church of England on the colonies were seen as threats to religious freedom.
Geographic Causes: The vast size of the colonies and the distance between them and Britain made communication and governance difficult. This led to a sense of independence and self-reliance among colonists, which clashed with British desire for control.
Cultural Causes: Colonists had developed a distinct American identity and culture that was different from that of the British. This cultural divide contributed to tensions and resentment between the two groups.
Legal Causes: Colonists believed that they were entitled to the rights and protections of English law. However, they felt that British policies violated these rights and protections and thus justified revolution.
Personality Causes: Personalities of leaders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, etc., played a role in the American Revolution, as they encouraged rebellion and worked to unite the colonists in their fight for independence.
"...which lasted from 1775 to 1783..."
"...they had no direct representation."
"...acts that were intended to bring the American colonies under more direct rule by the British monarchy and intertwine the economies of the American colonies with Britain..."
"...imposed taxes on official documents, newspapers, and most things printed in the colonies..."
"Leading to colonial protest and resulting in representatives from several colonies convening the Stamp Act Congress in New York City..."
"The British responded by closing Boston Harbor and enacting a series of punitive laws..."
"...colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia, where they formed the First Continental Congress and began coordinating resistance to Britain's colonial governance."
"On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia responded by authorizing formation of the Continental Army..."
"Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence..."
"The Declaration of Independence... famously proclaimed that 'all men are created equal.'"
"...in a setback for American patriots, the British captured New York City and its strategic harbor."
"...significant victory, capturing British troops at the Battle of Saratoga."
"Following the victory in the Saratoga campaign, France then entered the war as an ally..."
"On September 3, 1783, the British signed the Treaty of Paris in which they acknowledged the independence and sovereignty of the thirteen colonies..."
"In 1787, at the Congress of the Confederation in Philadelphia, American delegates authorized, and states then ratified the United States Constitution..."
"It provided for a relatively strong national government structured as a federal republic..."
"With its victory in the American Revolution, the United States became the first federal democratic republic in world history..."
"In 1791, a Bill of Rights was ratified as the first ten amendments, guaranteeing fundamental rights used as justification for the revolution."
"Subsequent amendments, including the Reconstruction Amendments, the Nineteenth Amendment, and others, extended those rights to ever-greater categories of citizens."