American Revolution
Among the many complex factors that contributed to instigating the
American Revolution, two stand out most clearly: England's imposition of
taxation on the colonies and the failure of the British to gain consent of those
being governed, along with the military measures England took on the colonists.
Adding to these aforementioned factors were the religious and political legacy
of the colonies, and the restriction of civil liberties by the British.
Parliamentary taxation was undoubtedly one of the greatest factors inspiring the
American public to rebel in the years leading up to the American Revolution. One
of the most striking examples of this kind of taxation was the Stamp Act of
1765. After many years of fighting, England badly needed revenues from their
colonies, and they sought to acquire these revenues from the New World, thereby
increasing their influence over the colonial governments. These theories of
"New Imperialism" were what prompted Prime Minister Grenville to pass the
Stamp Act.
The Stamp Act of 1765 stated that persons of almost any profession
were obliged to buy stamps for their documents. In other words, the act imposed
a tax on every printed document in the colonies. For example, a printer had to
buy stamps in order to legally be able to distribute his publications. While the
act itself was not so detrimental to the economy, it was the ideals behind the
act (a direct attempt on the part of the mother country to further itself and
raise revenues in the colonies) which drove the revolutionaries' cause. In
October of 1765, the same year the act was passed, the Stamp Act Congress met
with delegates from nine colonies and petitioned the King of England, along with
the two houses of Parliament. This petition and reaction to the act became the
first formal...
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nice essay. it was really great until the end. you ended too quickly. but other than that it was really good
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