Introduction
Every country has its own unique history to tell, and America does not differ from other countries. As a matter of fact, the period after 1750 was marked as an era of long-term economic political and social changes in most of the British colonies. These changes became a platform for Americans to demand their own independence as they were tired of the monarchy and the tyrant king who was miles away from their plays and did not respond to their pleas and demands.
The French and Indian war that lasted from 1754 to1763 was also known as Seven Years of War among Europeans. These events inspired Americans to revolt against their colonial powers. The war in 1775 broke out as a result of the Stamp Act of 1965, along a newly drafted Declaration of Independence in 1776 was a response to this (Rainey & Austin, p.35). The following paragraphs are devoted to the description of the stages that contributed to a rise of the revolution against British rule.
Salutary Neglect
The United Kingdom loosely controlled its colonies. As a result, it was easy to begin the war. Moreover, British authorities regarded the colonial government as an inferior one. Edmund Burke, an outstanding activist that protected human rights and a theorist that stood for changing and improving the political system, termed the policies executed by Britain to be a total neglect of the Americans. He brought the masses together through his electric and inspiring speeches that made people believe the policies’ leniency was not beneficial. The statements by Burke inspired the development of the independent economic and political system. Hence, they remained loyal but uncooperative to the British crown.
Peace Talks
Peace talks were initiated after the war in the North. Their main issue was France that was considered to be defeated by Great Britain. Britain seized French property in Florida and Canada from Spain, an ally to France. However, the war left Britain with massive debt. From this point, it came up with the idea of using the American colonies to generate wealth.
The Stamp Act of 1765 was passed by the British parliament with an intention to generate money from American colonies. The issues raised there were used to keep the British troops in the American colonies stable. In order to ascertain the legality, all the documents were to be stamped as a form of authority. Some of these documents included the title deeds, newspapers, and mortgages, among other vital detail (McKay, p.79).
Sons of Liberty
During this period, a group of patriotic Americans formed the Sons of Liberty movement. The objective of the movement was to oppose the stamp tax that leads to a course of physical violence. The group attacked official stamp agents, destroying the property and looting the British property. In response, the British assembly adopted the five resolutions presented by Henry Patrick, an American patriot to the Virginia House of Burgesses. As the Briton contemplated on how to handle the situation, the American Merchants stopped importing goods from Britain. They instead joined the Stamp Act Congress in protest of the Acts (Seyd & Patrick, p.92).
Americans’ dislike for the Stamp Act gave led to the American opposition. There was an increased argument between the colonists and the British government. Other Acts that significantly gave rise to the opposition were the Townshend Acts that were unpopular in America. In addition, the Boston Massacre helped significantly to fuel the revolution as the citizens continuously harassed the British troops. Finally, Boston citizens formed the Boston Tea Party to lead the revolution in America.
Works Cited
McKay, David. “The Reluctant European: Europe as an Issue in British politics.” Britain at the Polls 2005, Ed. John Bartle, Anthony King. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2006. 78-97. Print.
Ranney, Austin. The Doctrine of Responsible Party Government: It’s Origins and Present State. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. Print.
Seyd, Patrick. “Tony Blair and New Labor.” New Labor Triumphs: Britain at the Polls, Ed. Anthony King et al. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers, 2008. 49-75. Print.