In 1754, after turmoil between the English and French over territory in North America, tensions reached a boiling point, and the French Indian War began. The war was fought between the French and their Native American allies against the British and the Colonies. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed, giving the British control over massive amounts of previously French territory in North America. Although the French Indian War ended twelve years before the American Revolution began, it can be seen as the most important cause of the Revolution due to the damage it did to the British economy and the subsequent actions taken to relieve their debt.
The result of the French Indian War was that the British took control of all France 's territory east of the Mississippi River, and some of Spain 's territory in Florida. However, the British ended up going into huge amounts of debt after spending so much money trying to win the war. After the French Indian war ended, colonists continued to expand westward putting them in conflict with Native Americans. Soon, Pontiac’s Rebellion began, and Indian tribes started fighting for their land back. Because the British had no money to fight another war, they created the Proclamation Line, stating that colonists could no longer move west past the Appalachian Mountains. From the British perspective, they had just fought a war trying to protect the colonists and gone into a huge amount of debt in the process, so the Proclamation was a way to prevent that cycle from happening again. However, this was not received well by the colonists as they felt that they too had helped fight for control of that land and now they weren 't even allowed to settle on the newly gained territory. In fact, prior to the war, many colonists believed that the colonies would have been able to defeat the French on their own, and that “there would have been no need of troops from England”, and “of course the subsequent Pretense for Taxing America” (Franklin 110 Part 3). This is extremely important because it shows that many colonists felt it was Britain 's own fault for putting themselves into so much debt. If the British had not insisted upon assisting the colonists, then the British would not have become so indebted, and the resulting taxes would not have been necessary. This can be tied to a very important argument Thomas Paine made in Common Sense. In this piece, Paine makes the point that Britain can Britain can metaphorically be viewed as the colonies parent. However, he states that the colonies have grown up and no longer need the constant oversight of Britain. This idea fits perfectly …show more content…
The installment of these acts went on until the mid 1770’s, and by this time the idea that “All men have a Right to remain in a State of Nature as long as they please: And in case of intolerable Oppression, Civil or Religious, to leave the Society they belong to, and enter into another” (Adams 1), was largely supported by the population in the colonies. The colonists believed they had the natural right “to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man” (Adams 2). Samuel Adams states that the colonies have the right to leave their current society and join a new one and the colonists have the right to stand up against the oppression of Britain and start their own society. The colonists felt that many of the taxes and acts that were put in place by the British were oppressive and that they had the right be free from this oppression. Rights of the Colonists was written in 1772 by Sam Adams and played an important role in the colonists seeking of independence as it helped other colonists understand why the British imposed acts were wrong. Sam Adams said that the colonists had the right to life, liberty, and property.
Four years later, in 1776, Thomas Jefferson helped write the Declaration of Independence, and said that all men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The ideas expressed by Sam Adams in Rights of the Colonists would go on to contribute to the foundations of the document in which we live under
The result of the French Indian War was that the British took control of all France 's territory east of the Mississippi River, and some of Spain 's territory in Florida. However, the British ended up going into huge amounts of debt after spending so much money trying to win the war. After the French Indian war ended, colonists continued to expand westward putting them in conflict with Native Americans. Soon, Pontiac’s Rebellion began, and Indian tribes started fighting for their land back. Because the British had no money to fight another war, they created the Proclamation Line, stating that colonists could no longer move west past the Appalachian Mountains. From the British perspective, they had just fought a war trying to protect the colonists and gone into a huge amount of debt in the process, so the Proclamation was a way to prevent that cycle from happening again. However, this was not received well by the colonists as they felt that they too had helped fight for control of that land and now they weren 't even allowed to settle on the newly gained territory. In fact, prior to the war, many colonists believed that the colonies would have been able to defeat the French on their own, and that “there would have been no need of troops from England”, and “of course the subsequent Pretense for Taxing America” (Franklin 110 Part 3). This is extremely important because it shows that many colonists felt it was Britain 's own fault for putting themselves into so much debt. If the British had not insisted upon assisting the colonists, then the British would not have become so indebted, and the resulting taxes would not have been necessary. This can be tied to a very important argument Thomas Paine made in Common Sense. In this piece, Paine makes the point that Britain can Britain can metaphorically be viewed as the colonies parent. However, he states that the colonies have grown up and no longer need the constant oversight of Britain. This idea fits perfectly …show more content…
The installment of these acts went on until the mid 1770’s, and by this time the idea that “All men have a Right to remain in a State of Nature as long as they please: And in case of intolerable Oppression, Civil or Religious, to leave the Society they belong to, and enter into another” (Adams 1), was largely supported by the population in the colonies. The colonists believed they had the natural right “to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man” (Adams 2). Samuel Adams states that the colonies have the right to leave their current society and join a new one and the colonists have the right to stand up against the oppression of Britain and start their own society. The colonists felt that many of the taxes and acts that were put in place by the British were oppressive and that they had the right be free from this oppression. Rights of the Colonists was written in 1772 by Sam Adams and played an important role in the colonists seeking of independence as it helped other colonists understand why the British imposed acts were wrong. Sam Adams said that the colonists had the right to life, liberty, and property.
Four years later, in 1776, Thomas Jefferson helped write the Declaration of Independence, and said that all men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The ideas expressed by Sam Adams in Rights of the Colonists would go on to contribute to the foundations of the document in which we live under