The American Revolution that helped America to win its independence and fight against the British Crown was triggered by a series of events. Some of the major causes of the revolution have been discussed below:
Causes of the American Revolution
The Colonies
The colonies in America were founded by people who wanted to escape from slavery or from religious and social inequalities. With the increasing power and control of the British over these colonies, the people feared the loss of freedom and wanted to do everything to remain free and this was one of the major reasons for the revolution.
The French and the Indian War
The war was fought between 1754 and 1763 and led to a lot of money being spent. Additionally, the American colonies and France allied with native Americans for the war. This also meant stationing the British troops in the American colonies and providing for their essential needs. To do so, the British government started imposing taxes on the people of the colonies with brought about a lot of resentment.
Taxes and Laws
There were several unfair and unjust laws and taxes that were imposed by the colonial government on the people of the colonies. The Sugar Act that increased taxes on molasses, the Stamp Act that required duty to be paid on legal documents and paper were some of the acts that led to discontent of the people. In addition, the government collected a high amount of taxes from the people who were not happy with the tax laws.
Boston Protests
Many people from the colonies started to protest against the laws and taxes in Boston. During one of the protests, shots were fired and this led to a massacre in Boston. This added fuel to the fire and prepared a strong ground for the revolution. The colonial government at this time also imposed a new tax on tea and this was protested against in the form of the Boston Tea Party.
Attacks on Towns
The British also attacked several towns like New York, New Jersey as well as the coastal towns in America that made people run for their lives. This further led to increasing unity between the people of the colonies who wanted to revolt against the government to stop atrocities and gain their independence.
The First Continental Congress
In the year 1774, 12 out of the 13 colonies of the Americans sent representatives to the First Continental Congress to raise their voice against the unjust acts and laws. A petition was sent to King George to repeal the act, but Congress did not receive any response. As a result, the people of the colonies decided to boycott British goods and this became one of the main reasons for the revolution.
All these events eventually led to the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, at the end of which America was able to gain its independence.