The Revolutionary War has truly shaped the modern American history by resolving the growing tensions by the British and those living in the colonies. However, it is crucial to recognize that the breakup of the British Empire and the American colonies could never be considered even remotely sudden. Many events have preceded the Revolutionary War and ultimately contributed to its outcome. The list of such events includes the Sugar Act of 1764, the Currency Act of 1751, the Stamp Act of 1765, the Quartering Act of 1755, as well as the Townshend Acts of 1767 (King & Case, 2020). All of these acts were important in that they further limited the freedom of the colonies and reinforced the British rule. In addition, the Boston Massacre played an integral role in demonstrating the attitude of Americans towards the British military and government as a whole. The Tea Act of 1773 ensured that the British East India Company could monopolize tea trade in both of the Americas. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning the Intolerable Acts of 1774 as another incident that has contributed to the Revolutionary War. Thus, these are all of the important events that have had a direct impact on the start and development of the Revolutionary War, although the most important event is yet to be discussed.
It is evident that the Boston Tea Party has been the most important event. Firstly, it is rightfully considered to be the first significant act of defiance the American colonists accomplished (Eastland-Underwood, 2019). Moreover, this act had been the one of conscious violence, demonstrating to the British Empire and the international community as a whole that the American colonies were not afraid of standing up for themselves and rebelling. Apart from nurturing the spirits of colonist patriots, the Tea Party led to even stricter restrictions and financial implications for the colonies. These intolerable punishment became the final straw, ultimately resulting in the transition of the political protest into war.
References
Eastland-Underwood, J. (2021). What was the original intent? The Tea Party movement, the Founding Fathers, and the American welfare state. Journal of Political Ideologies. doi:10.1080/13569317.2021.1956758
King, D. L., & Case, C. J. (2020). A brief history of taxation of American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War. Journal of Business and Accounting, 13(1), 154–174.