Justification of the American Revolution
The American Revolution was the uprising of the existing thirteen American colonies to gain independence from Britain in the mid 1700’s. The American colonists began questioning Britain’s authority as early as the French and Indian War. During the French Indian War, the colonies wanted to defend themselves against the French in North America. They asked King George for permission to raise armies in order defend themselves. Although their reason to raise an army was sincere, George II was suspicious of the intentions of the colonial government and disapproved their petition. After the French Indian War, Britain decided to raise money by taxing the American Colonists for reparations. Taxes such as the Stamp and Tea Acts created controversy throughout the citizens. Some thought that Britain stepped over the boundary with taxes and some reacted violently. The Boston Tea Party as well as the Boston Massacre arose from such actions. With Britain’s Intolerable acts, the colonists made a daring proposition. The colonists, in the First Continental Congress sent a letter to King George declaring war. Although the British government likely procured strong reasons for limiting the opportunities, rights, and freedoms available to American colonists under British rule, the American Colonists were justified in their desire to claim independence from the British government due to taxation without representation in government meetings, limitations by laws that restricted their freedom and the violence and control they were subjected to on the part of the British soldiers.
The Americans were justified for claiming Independence because of “Taxation without representation”. After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, Britain was in huge debt. Because the war fought on American soil and British soldiers protected the American colonist, Britain felt it was right to tax the colonists. On March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act was created, which was a tax on paper good. The tax of Stamp Act was