What Were The Reasons To Blame For The American Revolution?

This American essay will show that the reasons for the American Revolution were rooted in economics. The people of the thirteen colonies that made up the then United States resented the British Government’s levies of tax without representation. The Revenue Act of 1774 was primarily the reason for the rift between the colonies and the Crown. It was the phrase 'taxation without representation' that brought the colonists together to rise against the mother country. Often this revulsion against the tax policies of England was violent.

From then on things approached a point of no return for the colonies. In December 1773, the Boston Tea Party was staged as a reaction to the hated Tea Act that was passed earlier in the year. Later in 1774, the First Continental Congress met and formed an 'Association', which ended
up assuming leadership and encouraged new local groups to end royal authority. Because of the power of these Associations, many people joined the movement. This is when the mobilization of troops also began to take place. The leadership of the Association was able to stir up public opinion into revolutionary fervor.

However, not many people were in favor of violence.
This was more evident in areas where the population was of mixed ethnic origins. The same was true in areas that were untouched by the revolutionary movement. And even among those who were convinced that a change in government was necessary, violence was not the preferred option. Quakers and members of some religious groups and merchants of the middle colonies were not in favor of conflict. They instead preferred dialogue and compromise.

The patriots on the other hand preferred a violent revolution. People from poorer backgrounds also preferred this modus operandi. Lawyers and other professionals were also for a violent revolution. The primary reason for this was the knowledge that King George was in no mood to make concessions. By the fall of 1774 the mechanism of revolution was in place in local and colony levels. A Congress of the colonies was to be in charge of the revolutionary movement.

After a decade of parleys both the British and the Americans decided that only force can decide the future of the colonies. On April 19th, 1775 the Revolutionary War began, marked by the battle of
Lexington.

The blood spilled at the battles at Lexington and Concord only strengthened American patriotism and the resolve of the other colonies to join in and fight. On May 10th, 1775 the Second Continental Congress met and George Washington was elected commander of the patriotic forces. He and his army fought for the defense of the country’s liberty and consequently led America to independence.

The colonies expressed a desire for the restoration of peace between the two sides, but the British rejected the Olive Branch Petition. Together with this, many colonists felt that the longer they were associated with the British they too would eventually rot like the old mother country. For these two reasons the colonists resolved to continue with the war and eventually win independence.

This American essay explains succinctly the causes and events leading up to the War of Independence.