Key Events Leading to Revolutionary War Essay -- essays research paper

Events Leading to the Revolutionary War In the 18th century, world advances were made through ones connections. The closer relationship one had with the king, the better opportunity they have. Cronyism allows people with less talent to rise in society. However, living in colonies reduced the influence of cronyism. One could rise economically and socially through hard work and good fortune. In Britain, King George III appointed George Grenville as first minister with responsibility for solving the debt crisis of the Seven Years’ war. The British at home were highly taxed so it seemed reasonable to tax the Americans as well. The Parliament taxing the colonists without representation led to some of the key events leading to the American Revolution. The Stamp Act was a tax created by the Parliament that required people to buy stamps for paper transactions such as newspapers, legal documents and playing cards. The stamps were to be bought only with specie, which was hard to get because it was scarce. The colonists mostly used paper money or credit. This tax affected everyone in the colonies, from the wealthy to the poor, to business owners, to lawyers, and even commoners. Colonial assemblies saw the stamp act as infringement on their power. Not even people with authority in the colonies had a say on these taxes. Other groups saw it as a nuisance and as legislation that could increase cronyism and dependence on political connections. The colonists protested against the Stamp Act; they threatened and attacked the people who distributed the stamps and formed groups to lead protests. The â€Å"Sons of Liberty† was a group who led some of the protests and also organized networks to boycott British goods. In 1776 the Stamp Act w as repealed. The king and the Parliament both agreed that the Stamp Act was a bad idea but still felt that the colonists needed to be taxed. The Parliament then put out the Declatory Act which asserts the right to tax Britain including all of its colonies. Since Parliament felt that the Colonists still needed to be taxed, the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 conceived by Charles Townshend was passed. This was a tax on imported goods such as paint, teas, glass, paper and lead. It also authorized courts to crack down on smuggled merchandise. This tax was not any better than the Stamp act. â€Å"It raised revenue without the approval of colonial assemblies and... ...ed the First Continental Congress. They met to discuss the declaration of their rights, but were not ready to declare independence. They took a militant stance by saying â€Å"Everyone qualified to fight should learn ‘the art of war as soon as possible, and†¦appear under arms at least once a week† (Ayers 143). They also created an economic boycott, ending all trade with Great Britain. The Committees of Observation and Safety was made to enforce the ban on local trade through elected local committees. King George III considered this as a rebellion and took forceful action in the battles of Lexington and Concord. Only 8 colonists died and out of 700 British soldiers, 73 died and 202 were missing or wounded. They were harassed back to Boston and surrounded by militias. Being taxed by the parliament only makes the colonists realize that they don’t need to take orders from the British anymore. Resisting those taxes became a war for independence. They no longer need to have ties to a country that they have nothing to do with. By protesting against the parliament the colonists were finding that they can self-govern themselves, rather than having to rely on the parliament to do it for them.