During the course of history, one of the greatest governments ever to be formed is within the United States. The United States came about because of the American Revolution, which was a direct cause for the birth of this nation. However, what was some of the causes of the American Revolution itself? There were several causes and factors that played into this historical event, but one of primary causes of this revolution was the acts passed by the King that unfairly treated the colonists. There were five acts in total and each act played a crucial role in making colonists feel less patriotic towards Great Britain and desire an ambition for independence.
The first act passed in 1764, the Sugar Act, was a direct result of Great Britain’s war costs during the Seven Years’ War. Britain put this tax on the colonies which taxed sugar, tea, coffee, wine, etc. The outrage over this act was mainly manifested by the colonial elite who were the only people who could afford such luxury commodities. Also, the act was passed to prevent the colonists from trading with the Dutch, Spanish, and the French. Merchants and the colonial elite at this point began to dislike Great Britain’s intentions.
The second act passed in 1765, the Stamp Act, was an indirect tax on paper goods through the use of stamps. Once again, this hit the colonial elite the hardest as they were some of the only literate readers in the colonies at the time. This act led to the creation of the Sons of Liberty who protested this act all around Boston. Many riots broke out, especially against tax collectors and government officials.
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The third act passed the same year in 1765, the Quartering Act, forced colonists to allow soldiers to stay in their homes and provide them with necessities. After the Seven Years’ War, many colonists wondered why soldiers still stayed when they were supposed to return back to Britain. Soon after the first wave of taxes was issued, many did not want to house those that were fighting for the crown that they were beginning to resent. Many, including New York’s provincial assembly refused to house soldiers and as a result the New York Provincial Governor was suspended.
The fourth act passed in 1767, the Townshend Acts, placed taxes on all sorts of British imports. This act came after the recent Stamp Act Congress, where the colonist’s list of grievances including “No taxation without representation!” was ignored by the King. This act made the colonists even more enraged because of the act placing taxes on so many more goods compared to the Stamp Act repealed about a year before. As a result of protests, more troops were sent to enforce the taxes. Many boycotts were organized and after the Boston Massacre, the British repealed the Townshend Acts except for the tax on tea.
The fifth and final act before the inevitable revolution would occur came in 1774, through the Coercive Acts. These acts were in response to the Tea Parties held all throughout the colonies, which cost the British tons of profit. To the colonists, these acts were considered as the “Intolerable Acts”. They were called this because it consisted of such acts that made sure the King would have absolute power over his subjects. Such acts entailed within this act consisted of the existing Quartering Act, the Boston Port Act (which closed the Boston port after the Tea Party until all damages were paid for), the Administration of Justice Act (which essentially gave British officials immunity from crimes in the colonies), and the Massachusetts Government Act (which allowed the British governor to have total power over Massachusetts). These acts were the final straw and eventually delegates from every colony met in the First Continental Congress to discuss separation from Great Britain.
The five acts stated above each had its root causes for stirring anger and frustration. As the chronology of these acts were carried out, people began to express their anger and frustrations. Eventually, the American Revolution would come about and the colonies would win and draw support against the most powerful military at that time. These five acts discussed helped build the moral support to gain confidence and defeat the British. With that, these acts were necessary to cause the chain reaction of events that would create this great Republic that we have today.
References
- Author, Unknown. “The Intolerable Acts.” Intolerable Acts, crareacatholic.com/lasalle/Resources/8th%20Websites/luke%20justin%20olivia%20tarvis%20rev%20war/Olivia%20F.%20Rev%20 War/Intolerable_Acts.html.
- Brooks, Rebecca. “Acts of the American Revolution.” History of Massachusetts Blog, 29 July 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/american-revolution-acts/.
- Author, Unknown. “The Quartering Act: History of American Revolution.” Best Museums In Boston, www.bostonteapartyship.com/the-quartering-act
- Pimenta, Cristina. “The Founding.” The Founding, palmbeachstate.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-5199231-dt-content-rid-50097140_1/courses/POS1041_20201_258112/The%20Founding%20-%20American%20Government%281%29.pdf.
