The Start of the American Revolution
How did the colonists justify their protests and ultimate rebellion? What sources did they call upon? What philosophies were influential? How was the language of freedom and liberty used?
The King of England was using the colonies as an economic tool. He taxed them heavily and made sure they had limited trade partners so they could make a huge profit. In 1761, Otis led Bostons fight against the “writs of assistance.” These writs were search warrants empowering agents to search homes for any evidence of smuggling. In Virginia, Patrick Henry was one of the first colonists to call for the establishment of an army to fight the British. He was not a very well read and deep thinker, but he was one of the colonists most effective trial lawyers and was elected to the House of Burgesses. In the spring of 1773, Parliament enacted a law that angered the colonists into organizing a group to protest the wrong doings. Samuel Adams of Massachusetts was the most substantial revolutionary. Adams was at the center of every major protest in Boston; the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Duties, and the primary figure in the unsuccessful attempt to exploit the Boston Massacre. The colonists justified their protests and ultimate rebellion because of the taught that there actions were fair and just. England was treating the colonists as if they weren’t British citizens. They continuously added extra taxes and acts to continue reaping profits from the colonists. The colonists believed that any extra tax or act imposed upon them that was not imposed amongst British colonists was unjust. Since the British did not make things fair they rebelled. Violence did occur until the British Massacre, were British soldiers fired and killed five Bostonians. On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” New England and the southern colonies were solidly for
The King of England was using the colonies as an economic tool. He taxed them heavily and made sure they had limited trade partners so they could make a huge profit. In 1761, Otis led Bostons fight against the “writs of assistance.” These writs were search warrants empowering agents to search homes for any evidence of smuggling. In Virginia, Patrick Henry was one of the first colonists to call for the establishment of an army to fight the British. He was not a very well read and deep thinker, but he was one of the colonists most effective trial lawyers and was elected to the House of Burgesses. In the spring of 1773, Parliament enacted a law that angered the colonists into organizing a group to protest the wrong doings. Samuel Adams of Massachusetts was the most substantial revolutionary. Adams was at the center of every major protest in Boston; the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Duties, and the primary figure in the unsuccessful attempt to exploit the Boston Massacre. The colonists justified their protests and ultimate rebellion because of the taught that there actions were fair and just. England was treating the colonists as if they weren’t British citizens. They continuously added extra taxes and acts to continue reaping profits from the colonists. The colonists believed that any extra tax or act imposed upon them that was not imposed amongst British colonists was unjust. Since the British did not make things fair they rebelled. Violence did occur until the British Massacre, were British soldiers fired and killed five Bostonians. On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” New England and the southern colonies were solidly for