American Revolution American Revolution A revolutionary is someone that is not eager or does not feel the need to be a revolutionary. That is what the colonists were when they established their lives in America. The British were proud to be English and not French or Dutch. They looked up to the king and used English things.
They respected Britain. For them there was no need to be a revolutionary. They didn’t want to fight the power of the government. The Colonists really respected the king and all his power. He was an all mighty god to them. The king was the ruler of their lives.
An example of this was when Benjamin Rush sat on the throne of King George III. He feels high and powerfull sitting on the throne. The Colonists honor King George III. The colonists used all types of English things. In New York people read British books, in Virginia children went to British schools. In Boston the people used British wedgewood to drink their tea.
The first act leading to any sorts of disorder and bad feelings against the British Parliament was the Stamp Act. In the spring of 1765 the parliament decides to tax American colonists because the defense of the colonies is so expensive. They start taxing documents and all kinds of goods. A lot of colonists believe that this was for their own good and defense but most of the colonist thought that this was a very unfair act. American aristocracy like George Washington, Ben Franklin and Sam Adams fear of not being respected.
George Washington is angry at the parliament because they raise the taxes without peoples consent. The commoners now feel that they are put in the same spot as servants, women and children who didn’t have a say in the government. Everybody is angry whether they are sailors who get taxed on dice and cards, or lawyers who get taxed on documents. The Stamp Act was a main turning point for people to be reluctant to being revolutionaries. They weren’t even close to being revolutionaries but the feelings started to rise in them after this act. They were starting to feel concerned if they were getting ruled fairly.
The aristocracy are the ones with the strongest feelings since they are so close to the parliament. They make sure that there feelings get spread among the commeners. Sam Adams, part of the aristocracy feels that the colonists need to defend their liberty. He feels that the power to tax is the power to destroy.
He hangs an effigy of a tax man from a tree and publishes it in the newspapers. They make the real man resign because of the threats, there for the tax cannot be put into action. Thomas Hutchison is Chief Justice of massachusettes. Privatlhe is against the tax but publicly he does not want to show this.
Opposition colonists destroy his house and his possessions, but let him live. Now that the colonists are getting very upset and angry they decide to take action, the first step to being real revolutionaries. They boycott the Stamp Act. This is a very significant event because it is now not only aristocracy getting involved but also the commoners them selves. They seize and stop stamps as they enter the port. In London Ben Franklin reminds parliament that the colonies are Britain’s biggest market.
Colonists will start making their own clothes instead, and Britain will have no profit at all. Britain’s main revenue is trade, not taxes, so the Stamp Act is abolished in February, 1766. The Stamp Act has been abolished and the colonists are happy again. They realize that they are well of compared to nations ruled by autocrats.
They have much more liberty, “The pride, the glory of England,” said by King George III. In 1760 there is a lot of immigration and no one is suffering from poverty since their is plenty of land, and it is very cheap. The triangular trade between America, England, and Africa is going very well. Everything seems well, and colonists think that the Stamp Act was just a one time mistake, and boycotting will never have to take place again, but they are wrong. Britain feels that the contentness will not last and that the boycott act and the abolishment of the Stamp Act will cause for further disobedience.
They create a Declaratory Act in which parliament has the right to create any necessary laws for the colonies. For a year it is not put into action but then they start taxing all manufactures goods. Ben Franklin writes poem in the newspaper about England being an old mother who might be wrong but still should be respected. This does not help and the colonist are back to were they stood during teh stamp act. The colonist are scared since parliament has put has used the same type of tactic against Ireland. Once again they decide to boycott.
This time to commoners are getting more involved by participating in town meetings and politics. Both rich and poor start making their own products. The boycott is hurting Britain a lot. Public courts are set up and the colonists and convict may lories. They tar and feather a customs official.
This is the first sign into a serious revolution since it is their first act of violence. Sam Adams has now become the ring leader because he feels that America has to stand up for their liberty. Thomas Hutchison writes a letter to the parliament explaining that the idea of liberty has been taken to far, and that parliament needs to take action. Britain sends troops to Boston to restore, order, and arrest the ringleader Sam Adams.
Americans are now very angry and frustrated so on March 5, 1770 Americans throw snowballs at soldiers and 5 colonists are killed. The colonists are not proud to be British anymore and feel that they have been betrayed. This is called the Boston Massacre. War of words starts and open conflict is not far away. British taxes are not effective and the boycott keeps on going. Ben Franklin has even now started to hate England and feels that Thomas Hutchinson is to blame for everything.
He makes him a public scapegoat. The last event that sets of the revolution is when the parliament decides to tax tea by 3 cents per pound. Tea is not expensive since Britain has so much of it coming from Asia, so they thin that it will not arouse any disturbance since it will still be cheap. What the British don’t understand is that the colonists aren’t upset that they re increasing the prices by taxing, but it is the fact that they are taxing without the people’s consent.
Being part of the British civilization they need a say and a vote in rules and laws made for themselves. On December 16, 1773 a group of revolutionaries dressed as Mohawks Indians go aboard and dump 340 chests of tea from an incoming boat, into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party is not a violent act but England is still very upset. They see it as a defiance.
In January 1774, the king’s privacy council meets to discuss the removal of Thomas Hutchison as a governor, but Ben Franklin has been recognized for destroying the harmony between England and America. Ben’s reaction is, ” I’ll make a little man out of your king for this!” Ben now considers England an enemy. He is threatened with prosecution for steeling letters, so he leaves England. Finally parliament sends ships and troops to Boston, to close the harbor and put America under military rule. This fulfills colonists worst fears. The main reason for all the hate and anger that the colonists felt was not the fact that the prices were getting raised by the taxes but the fact that they were getting taxed without their approval.
They felt that being a citizen of England that had right to a say and vote in the government. That was not being respected by the British so they went from one extreme of reluctant revolutionaries to being revolutionaries. This process took a lot of steps but in the end they felt that there was a need and they were eager to fight for their liberty.
