The Causes of The American War of Independence

By the 1600s, many Europeans were leaving Europe to settle in the Americas. These migrants included middle-class landowners and those fleeing religious persecution in England (namely protestants and puritans). As a consequence, by the 18th century, most of the colonists were landowners and had a sense of being different from English natives. Although these settlers regarded themselves as English, they viewed themselves as different to Westminster. 

The 17th and 18th century was a period of 'enlightenment'. Thus, there was an explosion of new philosophies and ideas. One of these ideas was a belief in democracy and self-government. Salutary neglect allowed the colonists to practise self-government - the thirteen colonies were allowed to function with little interference from Westminster. 

The 'enlightenment' period was an intellectual movement that challenged long-standing beliefs in religion, politics, and science. These changed ideas were allowed to ferment and root themselves within the colonies because of salutary neglect. 

The Age of Enlightenment promoted the importance of education. Some of today's best universities and educational facilities were founded at this time - an example being Princeton University, which was founded in 1760. 

There was a growth in free schools and private education. Most free settlers were given a basic education and literacy raters were higher than in most other parts of the world. The curriculum emphasised practical subjects. Although Classics and Religion were still important, subjects such as English, Maths, and History were being studied by increasingly large numbers of people within society. 

The growth in education led to the growth of newspapers. In 1704, the colonies only had one newspaper. However, by 1776, the colonies had 40 newspapers. 

Pamphlets became popular. They were designed to be read out loud, so even the illiterate had access to enlightenment ideas. This form of text played a significant role in galvanising the colonists in the later stages of revolution. 

A growth of public libraries meant that more books were available for free - this helped to spread enlightenment ideas. 

In the 1720s, a new religious practise was formed - 'The Great Awakening'. The Great Awakening was a new form of evangelical mass that challenged some of the old ideas of religion. The Evangelical message was rooted in the idea of saving ones soul. The Evangelical style was incredibly popular, with preachers such as George Whitefield attracting crowds of up to 50,000. 

The Great Awakening had some key consequences, however. 

• It divided society - colonial leaders were generally against the Evangelists, whilst the poorer colonists were avid supporters. This pitted British loyalists against colonists. 
• It emphasised the importance of the individual and therefore encouraged people to question traditional authority. 
• The revivalists used open air preaching. Open air preaching was later adopted as a way of discussing political ideas, especially as the colonies lacked a unified congress. 

The Seven Years' War can be described as a turning point for two reasons: 

• It soured the relationship between the colonists and the colonial leaders. 
• Britain's need to collect taxes led to the end of the long-held approach of Salutary Neglect. 

Social Impact

• The colonists questioned their need for British protection (especially if they had to pay for it) as the French presence in the Americas had virtually disappeared. 
• In 1763, King George III issued a proclamation that forbade further western expansion. This proclamation was intended to prevent conflict with the Native American whilst Britain recovered from the Seven Years' War. The colonists resented this level of interference from Westminster. 
• Despite serving together in the Seven Years' War, the colonists and the British troops did not get on. The British saw the colonists as lazy, whilst the colonists saw the British to be too strict. Anomalies arose in rank - a British Lieutenant had, initially, been able to outrank a colonial Captain. 
• The Colonial Assemblies used the wartime emergency to begin printing its own paper money and hold its own courts. Both of these acts went beyond the purview of the Colonial Assemblies and in 1764 these became outlawed under the Currency Act. 

Economic Impact 

The Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763) was astronomically expensive. The British National Debt had inceased from £75 million to £133 million. At the time, the British GDP was £8 million pounds, but the interest on the National Debt was £4.4 million pounds. This, clearly, was an unsustaibable level of spending. As a result, the colonists were expected to contribute more through tax revenues. This was incredibly unpopular as the colonists had no ability to vote on internal taxation. This anger was epitomised in the famous revolutionary phrase 'no taxation without representation'. 

The imposition of taxes is inextricably linked to the causes of demands for greater independence. However, it is worth noting that, even after series of legislations, the tax that the colonists paid was still incredibly low.  The colonists could only pay up to 4 shillings per person - half of what their British counterparts paid. Nonetheless, the issue of taxation became a rallying point which unified the colonists and set them on a collision course with the colonial leaders. The core legislation that irked the colonists was: 

• 1764 Sugar Act - this placed a tariff on the import of refined sugar. It also meant that the Royal Navy was employed to intercept smugglers. Those caught smuggling would be tried in an admiralty court, thus causing many to believe taht the long held right of habeas corpus had been reduced. 
• 1765 Stamp Act - this placed a duty on documents that required an official stamp, e.g. legal documents. 
• 1765 Quartering Act - this allowed the British to place troops in empty buildings and private inns. The colonists were responsible for finding their supplies. 
• 1767 Revenue Act - these duties placed a tax on a range of goods, including paint, lead, and (most controversially) tea. 

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre took place in 1770. To put it simply, it was a small skirmish between the colonial troops and the people of Boston that escalated and resulted in the deaths of several people. This event served as a flashpoint which escalated tensions quickly. It also allowed rebels such as Paul Revere and Sam Adams to utilise this event as a form of propaganda. It was also the first time that the British had used violence to suppress the colonists, thereby shifting the perception of the colonial presence from allies to suppressors. 

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. It was a response to the Tea Act. The Tea Act allowed the East India Company to trade directly with the Americas, which meant that it was able to avoid the Navigation Act duties. Consequently, tea was considerably cheaper. Nonetheless, any taxation imposed by Westminster was seen as overstretching the purview of Parliament. A meeting to discuss what to do with the Boston Docks quickly became heated and an angry mob of men, dressed as Native Americans, stormed the ship and threw £10,000 of tea overboard. This was a direct challenge to the authority of Westminster and could not be ignored. Westminster's response to the Tea Party would be the 'Coercive Acts', which the colonists came to call 'The Intolerable Acts'. 

After the Boston Tea Party, it may still have been possible to resolve the situation peacefully. However, the notion of devolving power to the colonists was not one that was being considered. Instead, it was decided that the Bostonians deserved to be punished to set an example to the other 12 colonies. These measures were known as the Coercive Acts, but the colonists came to call them the Intolerable Acts. 

Boston Port Act of 1774 - closure of Boston Ports

Massachusetts Government Act of 1774 - the elected council was replaced by a council appointed by Westminster

Impartial Administration of Justice Act 1774 - anyone who kills in the act of intervening with riots would be tried in a separate colony with a British Judge.

Quartering Act - soldiers could be placed in private accomodation, including people's homes. 

These measures did not calm the colonists (as they had intended), but instead unified the Bostonians against the British rule. It led to the colonists co-ordinating their actions against the British, resulting in the first continental congress of 1774, followed by the second in 1775. 

The first Continental Congress established two key principles:

• The declaration of colonial rights and grievances. This reiterated the colonists' right to set their own taxation rates. 
• The Continental Association. This established a trade embargo. 

The colonists set up a committee to monitor each other and ensure that they were being kept to the agreed terms. 

The Second Continental Congress took place in 1775 and resulted in an escalation of tension: 

• The Olive Branch Petition. This was a final appeal made directly to George III to repeal any and all remnants of the Townshend Duties. This was dismissed. Importantly, it shifted the focus away from blaming Westminster to blaming the British Empire directly. 
• The Continental Army. This was established to raise an army against the British. Any facade of good relations had been shattered. 
• The Committee for Foreign Relations. This committee was set up to try and gain allies against the British. Given that Britain had just defeated Spain and France in the Seven Years' War, there was a receptive audience. 

Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, but it was considered to be a document that was finalised after debate and revisions. 

It had two important consequences - firstly, it set out the clear rights of the colonists to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. Secondly, it laid blame fully at the British Empire. 

Crucially, it was considered to be a document. The founding fathers sat down adn gave intense thought as to what it is meant to be an American. This started an intellectual journey that gave the colonists a coherent and enshrined sense of identity, which they had been lacking thus far. 

Note: this cannot be said to be a major cause of revolution as fighting had already begun at this point. Therefore, it is more likely to be a source style question. 

The Articles of Confederation set out the fundamental rights of a unified government. It is the antecendent of the American Constitution. Importantly, it was a mechanism of the colonists working together without sacrificing their own authority. 

• All states have to agree on any amendment to the constitution. 
• Any right not specifically granted to the congress was retained by the individual states. 
• There was no Prime Minister or President. 
• The congress could declare war, raise debt and paper money (which was based on nothing as they could not raise taxes).

The fact that there was no president and major laws needed full consent indicates that the individual statues were reluctant to cede power.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense:

• This was a highly influental pamphlet published in 1776. This quickly sold 12,000 copies. It was highly influential and argued that reconciliation was not a viable option. This helped to cement revolutionary ideas. 

The Role of Benjamin Franklin:

• Franklin was a chief Pennsylvanian diplomat who was sent to Westminster to argue against the right of the British to tax internal affairs (he accepted their right to control external trading tariffs). He helped to draft the Declaration of Independence and was a fervent pamphleteer.