Speaking about American Revolution, people tend to focus on a range of issues that seem to be the most doubtful. Much attention is paid to the justification of English taxes and American resistance. In addition to that, historians argue whether it was possible to avoid revolution or it was inevitable. This paper will discuss such questions in detail to reveal one more perception of the relationship between England and the colonies.
When the French and Indian War started, England protected itself and its colonies. In view of this, English taxes seemed to be rather reasonable. The country protected the population and had a right to ask for something in return. British soldiers spent their effort, and it was critical to support them financially. People affected by the war required clothes, food, and water, but these resources could not be obtained out of thin air.
Moreover, British population had already been taxed at that time. Thus, it was not fair to benefit the colonists who were people of Great Britain and had to follow its rules and laws. In addition to that, according to The Royal Proclamation of 1763 presupposed that Britain could control the colonists in the west (OpenStax College, 2014). Finally, it tried to reach peaceful relationships and to end the war, unlike its colonies.
Even though British taxation could be justified, it seemed to be distributed on too many different goods. Frequent and high taxes did not appeal to the colonist, which led to their dissatisfaction. At the same time, many people who lived in the colonies considered that King George was not their leader; thus, he had no right to make them pay taxes or follow any other regulations (Locks, Mergel, Roseman, & Spike, 2013).
The representatives of the colonies wanted to vote for a parliament that would tell them what they were obliged to do. The issue of violated privacy also occurred at that time and it was triggered by the Writs of Assistance. Believing that some individuals had smuggled goods, officers could search their homes and destroy their property. In view of this, the colonists’ resistance to pay taxes can be approved.
It can be claimed that the American Revolution was triggered by British taxation because the colonists were not willing to pay more for a wide range of products they required daily. Nevertheless, it is also critical to realize that it was only one of the factors that led to dissatisfaction. While taxation was the most obvious cause of the revolution, it is also significant to focus on the colonists’ unwillingness to accept King George as their leader and to follow British rules. Their desire to become independent and to avoid British influence is undeniable. Hence, it is possible to presuppose that the breakaway would happen later even if the issue of taxation was overcome successfully.
Personally, I would have supported the colonists during this revolution. I believe that all these events were critical for the contemporary America and Britain. The population of the USA would not become so confident in its rights without the revolution and the country would not become the leader in many industries if it was still controlled by Britain.
In this way, it is possible to conclude that the issues associated with taxation that were faced by Britain and its colonies were caused by the inability to find a common language. The British had to pay debts after the French and Indian War so they developed taxes. However, the colonists focused on their independence and were not willing to obey to the British power. It could be possible to adapt taxation so that it did not lead to so critical resistance entailed by the revolution. Nevertheless, the breakaway could not be avoided eventually.
Question: In what way taxation could have been altered for it to be accepted by the colonists?
References
Locks, C., Mergel, S., Roseman, P., & Spike, T. (2013). History in the making: A history of the people of the United States of America to 1877. Web.
OpenStax College. (2014). U.S. history. Web.