American Revolution Essay, Research Paper
Events leading to the American Rev. During the late
seventeen hundreds, many tumultuous events resulted in
Colonial opposition to Great Britain. The conditions of rights
of the colonists will slowly be changed as the constriction of
the parliament becomes more and more intolerable. During
the Seven Years’ War England was not only alarmed by the
colonists’ insistence on trading with the enemy, but also with
Boston merchants hiring James Otis inorder to protest the
legality of the writs of assistance (general search warrants)
used to hunt out smuggled goods. «let the parliament lay
what burthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to
submit and patiently bear them, till they will be pleased to
relieve us….». This is a very strong dictum, that in 1764, the
colonists were of a submissive nature, and were weakly
pleading for self-autonomy. This small fire of anger will
become a huge conflagration as the rights are slowly
rescinded. On October 19, 1765 the Stamp Act Congress
and Parliamentary Taxation committee’s passed some laws
that attempted to strengthen the grip of the English crown.
«I.That his Majesty’s subjects in these colonies, owe the
same allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain that is owing
from his subjects born within the realm, and all due
subordination to that august body, the Parliament of Great
Britain.» This statement can be used as a summation of the
entire document that the Stamp Act Congress had initiated.
The statement depicts the colonists has having to be
submissive and servile in the view of Great Britain, this policy
angered the colonists very much, and was another
component of the transition of the colonists’ rights and
liberties. When the Declatory Act was passed in March of
1766, many colonies were attempting to claim that they were
«seceding» from England. «Whereas several of the houses of
representatives in his Majesty’s colonies and plantations in
America, have of late, against law, or to the general
assemblies of the same, the sole and exclusive right of
imposing duties and taxes upon his Majesty’s subjects in the
said colonies….be it declared …., that the said colonies and
plantations in America, have been, are, and of right ought to
be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial
Crown and Parliament of Great Britain;». The Parliament of
course denounced the attempt at independance and still
dogmatilcally passed the following law to show that the
colonists were still british subjects. Again, the colonists were
infuriated and later will resist the british imperialism on the
colonies. «All before, are calculated to regulate trade, and
preserve prpromote a mutually beneficial intercourse
between the several constituent parts of the empite»", yet
those duties were always imposed with design to restrain the
commerce of one part". This statement by the colonist (John
Dickinson), shows that th sole rason for new taxes is just for
the British gov’t to make money, at the expense of the
economy of the colonies. Dickinson makes a important
distinction between the rights of the colonies and the
authority of the parliament. Dickinson’s comments were
ubiquitous among the colonists, and thus infuriated them to
rebellion, and the seizure of basic democratic rights. «From
necessity of the case, and a regard to the mutual interest of
both countries, we cheerfully consent to the operation of
such acts of the British parliament as are bona fide restrained
to the regulation of our external commerce, for the purpose
of securing the commercial advantages of the whole empire
to the mother country, and the commercial benefits of it’s
respective members excluding every idea of taxation, internal
or external, for raising a revenue on the subjects in America
without their consent ….» The continental congress had
presented it’s colonial rights. These rights enable the colonies
to be more autonomous with exception to those several
states who are under the british control. One important
element of the document, is the idea of taxation without
representation; the said that raising taxes without consent
was illegal and that the commercial benefits of the colony
should be shared within the colonies, instead of England
becoming more and more economically prosperous. The
whole idea of mercantilism was about to be crushed, due to
this idea, of self-autonomy with respect to colonial
economics. «Ye that oppose independence now, ye know
not what ye do, ye are opening a door to eternal tyranny….».
This statement made by Thomas Paine shows the
foreshadowing, of what colonists would do. The British are
trying to prevent independence, and from doing so, they are
being tyrannical. Again, the rights of the colonists are being
questioned and rebellion shortly will be forthcoming. «That
whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new government, laying it’s foundations on
such principles and organizing it’s powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and
happiness.». What the declaration is really saying, is that a
society who has no or little rights (such as the colonies)
should be destroyed, thus separation from England. A new
society would follow, where the people of the society would
have these rights necessary for self-autonomy. The
Declaration of Independence was a strong justification for
revolution. The Revolution follows the Declaration of
Independence, where a transition occurs. The transition has
to do with the rights of the colonists. The colonists acquire
their rights through resistance to british imperial conformity,
by resisting certain policies detrimental to the inalienable
rights of a democracy. The transitional period was from
1760’s to 1770’s. This is a crucial period of time, because
this is where the center of power is transferred from the
british government (Parliament) to the colonial citizens. A
major component to this center of power was the rights of
the colonists, the colonists gained their rights through
resistence to an imperial power. This transition is depicted
through the progression of time in the documents.