There's No Need For British Rule

Only 12 years after the colonists were undoubtedly loyal to their mother country, the Americans rebelled against British rule. John Adams, explained this change of attitude by writing: "The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people."

The British Isles and the colonies were very far apart.   Industry, thrift, and courage brought greater rewards to the colonists in America than in England. They did not have to depend on anyone for the success of their lives. The colonists cared properly for their families without the help of the British. They were inclined to be self-reliant, optimistic, and independent. Unlike in England, where social status and wealth limited a person, the colonists could easily obtain land in the New World.

The colonists did not need the British to rule over them, to do well. The typical American of the 1700's belonged to a farm-owning family. People in towns or villages were usually craftsmen or tradesmen who earned good wages. The American colonies had aristocratic planters and merchants. But these men did not enjoy the respect or the power of
members of the British aristocracy. Their influence was diminishing as war approached. The colonists tried to gain control of their local affairs. In Connecticut and Rhode Island, they controlled the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Through this control, they took away little by little, the authority of British-appointed officials.

British laws controlled the overseas trade of the colonies. The colonists did not bitterly resent this until the Revolutionary feelings began developing. British policy regarding the colonies began to get stricter in 1763. Political leaders in London decided to keep a standing army in North America, and proposed to support this army by taxing the colonists. They began to enforce acts covering colonial trade and navigation. As a result, parliament passed the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765, which angered the colonists. But the Britain's continued pushing the colonists' limits by trying to manage Indian affairs from London, and to slow down the westward expansion of the colonies. The British wanted to tighten its grip, so the Americans resisted.

[ Up ] [ Next ]