Causes of the American Revolution: 1763-1775 - Essay Example

of the of the Causes of the American Revolution: 1763-1775 The American Revolution was not a sudden reaction of the American public. A series of events starting from 1763 increased the tension between the American colonies and the Great Britain and finally led to a war in the year 1775. The seed of the American Revolution was sown with the end of French and Indian war which left the victorious British heavily indebted. They started to impose heavy taxes to recover from the expenses incurred during the war.

The first of these was the Sugar act passed in 1764, which increased the duty on the imports of sugar, molasses and other specified items. This was not well received by the colonies as they had no political representation in the parliament and the taxes were imposed without taking their concerns in consideration. A stamp act was then passed in 1765 that required tax stamps on many items including the marriage licenses. In the same year, a quartering act was passed which issued commands to the colonies that they were supposed to provide housing to the British soldiers if it deemed necessary.

The British therefore not only suppressed their economy but also started to affect the life of a common man, something which greatly angered the American community. In 1770, the British and the colonists openly engaged in Boston in which the soldiers brutally massacred without listening to the views of the people. The Americans increased their activity against the British and in 1773, a group of colonists’ dumped tea from the three ships present at the Boston harbor. By 1775, the incidents of clashes between the colonists had increased greatly and major battles took place in Lexington and Concord.

The cruelties of the British that started in 1763 had reached its apex in 1775 causing the Americans to openly revolt against the British. Works Cited Brainard, Rick. Causes of the American Revolution: The Problem Begins. 15 july 2011. Web. Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (Oxford History of the United States). Oxford University Press, USA; Rev Exp edition, 2007. Print. Wood, Gordon. he American Revolution: A History (Modern Library Chronicles). Modern Library, 2003. Print.