Causal Chain leading to the Events
The American Revolution is an event that was born of a chain of causal issues that began with the Seven Years’ War in 1756 and ended in 1763. American colonists discerned their ideological differences with the British empire, issues that would be exacerbated during this period. The British empire negligently considered America a vassal state and imposed hefty taxes to replenish resources lost during the military and naval campaigns against the French for territorial dominance (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). In this instance, the British imposed a Stamp Tax in 1765, requiring taxes on all printed goods. These taxes were repealed and replaced with the Townsend Tax in 1767, further alienating the Americans from the Britons as they saw them as oppressors (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). They claimed they would not pay taxes against their will as they did not have a representative in parliament.
Britain’s aggressive tactics in the US resulted in a series of riots met with repression, causing the relationship between the factions to deteriorate further. Coincidentally, riots erupted in Boston while the governor of Massachusetts was calling on the other twelve colonies to resist increased taxation. This led to the Boston Massacre of 1770, providing a reprieve against taxes as Lord North revoked the Townsend taxes and pulled out his soldiers from the area (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, (2018).). However, individuals such as Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Adams took this opportunity to stoke people’s anger against the British. While they did not contemplate fighting their British masters, the colonies’ residents started seeing this as a viable option to prevent further oppression, further bringing the colonies closer to the American Revolution.
Ramifications
The Seven Years’ War, and the Boston Massacre, led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the final issue that led to the revolution. In this instance, Samuel Adams and a group of colonists boarded an East India Company trading ship known as Dartmouth and poured 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). The British did not see this rebellious action as dangerous for their American plan and did not appease the colonists. The government imposed the Intolerable Acts and closed the Boston port (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). It also necessitated the colony pays the East India Company for the damages incurred while increasing the governor’s power. These restrictions proved that the British did not share ideologies with the colonists, who saw revolution as their only way to freedom.
It is important to note that Britain’s actions also irked some members of parliament and caused a rift within the government. The Whigs deemed it prudent to appease the rebels and institute reforms that would grant some power to the colonists (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). On the other hand, the North Tories discerned it necessary to illustrate parliament’s might on the colonies. The Tories won this argument while the colonists formed the First Continental Congress, a militia group opposed to British rule (Allison, Ferreiro & Núñez, 2018). Militia and soldiers clashed at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, signaling the start of America’s revolution.
Impact on the World
America’s revolution led to various connotations for the world. The British colonial empire began disintegrating as more countries sought their independence from the nation. Additionally, the USA was born of this rebellion, ushering in a new age that would see the country rise to the top and dominate the global order as the most powerful nation in the world. Without the Seven Years’ War and subsequent issues in the colonies, the nation would have remained under British rule. America’s freedom also led to various conversations involving freeing enslaved people. While this issue would remain unsolved for decades to come, America’s independence elicited a necessity for freedom from one’s oppressors and would shape the American civil war in the future.
Reference
Allison, D. K., Ferreiro, L. D., & Núñez, J. M. B. (2018). The American Revolution: A world war. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books.