Causes of the American Revolution
The American Revolution (c. 1765-1789) was a definitive event in Western history that saw the emergence of the United States and helped spawn additional waves of revolutions and societal upheavals on both sides of the Atlantic. Though the causes of the revolution are often presented simply – 'no taxation without representation' – its true origins were much more complex.
The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
Charles Édouard Armand-Dumaresq (Public Domain)
There were many different causes of the American Revolution, and although historians still argue over the degree of importance that should be accorded to each one, it is generally thought that the main causes were:
Creation of an American identity, separate but closely entwined with that of Britain
Parliament's policy of salutary neglect and its eventual abandonment of it
A century of colonial wars
Restriction of westward expansion
'Unjust' taxes
A series of escalating conflicts between American 'Patriots' and British officials, including the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and Intolerable Acts
Certainly, there were many more causes, both major and minor, that should be considered, but these factors will hopefully give the reader a clearer understanding of why the American Revolution took place.
The American Identity
Perhaps no issue was more central to the origins of the American Revolution than that of the American identity. As late as 1775, on the eve of independence, many American colonists still considered themselves to be Englishmen, good and loyal subjects to the king – indeed, just before the Battle of Bunker Hill (17 June 1775), regiments of American rebels reported for duty by announcing that they were “in his Majesty's service” (Boatner, 539). It was, in fact, the belief in their own Englishness that led the colonists to value their liberty so fiercely.
Since at least the Glorious Revolution of 1689, the English prided themselves as the freest people in the world; compared to the absolutist monarchies, the constitutional monarchy of Britain was certainly more limited, with Parliament claiming the role as the voice of the king's subjects in matters such as taxation. According to the various legal documents that comprised Britain's abstract constitution – the Magna Carta (1215), for instance, and the Bill of Rights of 1689 – Britons were guaranteed certain rights such as self-taxation and representative government, which were exercised through the election of Parliament. Those who did not meet the property qualifications to take an active part in politics were considered virtually represented in Parliament.
When the first English settlers came to North America, they still considered themselves Englishmen – they spoke the same language, shared the same history, and owed allegiance to the same king. These colonists believed that they were still entitled to the 'rights of Englishmen', rights that were soon enshrined within their own colonial charters. Representative government, for example, was of great importance to the colonists; most colonies saw the establishment of legislative assemblies that were, at times, more powerful than the royally appointed governor. These assemblies were often responsible for the levying of taxes and the implementation of other policies, and, so long as these policies did not conflict with the interests of Britain, Parliament did not interfere.
So, as generations passed and the colonists became used to governing themselves, they began to develop separate identities underlying their Englishness. The Puritanical culture of New England, for instance, developed quite differently from the tobacco-based society of Virginia or the Dutch origins of New York. But despite all this, the colonists' 'rights of Englishmen' remained as cherished as ever, leaving the colonies in for a rude awakening should their perception of their own Englishness be challenged.
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