Revolutionary War: Is the Colonists' Break from Britain Justified?
10/1/2014
U.S. history and Government Mr. Smith
Question: Were the colonist justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain during the Revolutionary War?
The colonists were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain during the revolutionary war. The war for American independence began with in 1775 and lasted at least until 1783 when the peace treaty with the British was signed. The colonies of England wanted to be independent and no longer serve the mother country. After the French and Indian war in 1754-1763 Britain nor the colonies wanted to pay for the war, both the colonies and Britain went back and forth with reasons why the other should pay for the war. In the end Britain ended up raising taxes and adding taxes to foreign goods such as sugar, coffee, and some wines. This bill was called the sugar act, which became active on April 5, 1764. Britain continued to pass bills like the intolerable acts, the stamp act and the tea act. All of these bills and events like the Boston tea party lead up to the battle of Lexington, which was the first battle out of many for American independence.
John Dickinson was a political leader who lived in Pennsylvania; he served in the stamp act congress and the continental congress. In document 2 it states that he looked over all the laws relating to the colonies. Dickinson said all acts before the stamp act were justified but all others after that were not. The stamp act was written in 1763, two years before the war. After the stamp act the purpose of the acts were to raise revenue coming from the colonies to profit England. Dickinson states that laws after March 22, 1763 only had the “purpose of levying money upon us.” In document 5 John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson explain and justify why this war began. They start off by saying “Britain was declared that parliament can “of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever.” That means Britain has given parliament the power to pass any
U.S. history and Government Mr. Smith
Question: Were the colonist justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain during the Revolutionary War?
The colonists were justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain during the revolutionary war. The war for American independence began with in 1775 and lasted at least until 1783 when the peace treaty with the British was signed. The colonies of England wanted to be independent and no longer serve the mother country. After the French and Indian war in 1754-1763 Britain nor the colonies wanted to pay for the war, both the colonies and Britain went back and forth with reasons why the other should pay for the war. In the end Britain ended up raising taxes and adding taxes to foreign goods such as sugar, coffee, and some wines. This bill was called the sugar act, which became active on April 5, 1764. Britain continued to pass bills like the intolerable acts, the stamp act and the tea act. All of these bills and events like the Boston tea party lead up to the battle of Lexington, which was the first battle out of many for American independence.
John Dickinson was a political leader who lived in Pennsylvania; he served in the stamp act congress and the continental congress. In document 2 it states that he looked over all the laws relating to the colonies. Dickinson said all acts before the stamp act were justified but all others after that were not. The stamp act was written in 1763, two years before the war. After the stamp act the purpose of the acts were to raise revenue coming from the colonies to profit England. Dickinson states that laws after March 22, 1763 only had the “purpose of levying money upon us.” In document 5 John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson explain and justify why this war began. They start off by saying “Britain was declared that parliament can “of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever.” That means Britain has given parliament the power to pass any