Discuss the causes of the American Revolution. In your discussion consider the main areas of disagreement between the British government and the American colonists between 1863 and 1774.

Essay by funnyfcker March 2005

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Discuss the causes of the American Revolution. In your discussion consider the main areas of disagreement between the British government and the American colonists between 1863 and 1774.

the period of time from the 17th century to the 18th century was a vital time in American History. During this time, the British colonies, which would later become the United States, were developing their own unique societies and governments which would set the precedent for modern times. Also, during this time period, the British were also responsible in part for the American Revolution, which led to complete American independence from England. The American Revolution was caused by the loss of economic freedom in the british colonies in america, the actions of dedicated colonists, and the numerous taxes which were placed against the colonists. The American Revolution began as a result of mercantilism. Mercantilism is the theory that a country's strength and prosperity depends on its gold and silver reserves, which are created by possessing a favourable balance of trade.

During the 1760's, England had begun to apply the mercantile theory to its colonies on order to gain strength and prosperity. They did this by creating laws called the Navigation Acts, which restricted the colonies from trading with any country other than England. They enforced this by further restricting the colonists by making it mandatory that all goods leave on British ships, which would then return to England. Acts like the Sugar Act were passed by the English Parliament to offset the war debt brought on by the French and Indian War and to help pay for the expenses of running the colonies and newly acquired territories. This act increased the duties on imported sugar and other items such as textiles, coffee, wines and dye. It doubled the duties on foreign...