The War for American Independence

The War for American Independence
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The War for American Independence The beginning of the American Revolution was a pivotal moment in world history, marking the emergence of the United States as an independent nation. The political and economic climate leading up to this moment was shaped by several factors, including social, cultural, and ideological forces (Dickinson, 2014). As a result, there was a resurgence that influenced the American patriots to declare independence from Great Britain based on factors such as taxation policies, British mercantilism, Enlightenment ideas, the limit on colonial self-government, and the Boston Massacre. One of the primary factors that led to the American Revolution was the British government’s taxation policies. During its colonial rule, the British Parliament developed and imposed various taxes on the American colonies to finance their wars and protect their colonies from foreign invasion. As a result, there was a continued sense of injustice where American colonists felt they were being unfairly taxed without representation in such decisions. For instance, the Stamp Act of 1765 imposed a tax on all printed materials and official documents (Library of Congress, 2023). This was vehemently opposed, leading to protests and demonstrations since it was deemed unfair to the colonies. Apart from that, another issue that fueled the American Revolution was the British system of mercantilism. The British government saw the colonies primarily as a source of raw materials and a market for British manufactured goods. As a result, the British government passed a series of laws, such as the Navigation Acts in 1651, that restricted colonial trade with other countries and required the colonies to sell certain goods exclusively to British merchants (Dickinson, 2014). This mercantilist policy was a source of frustration for many American colonists, who believed they were being exploited by British merchants and not benefiting from the wealth their labor produced. Thirdly, another factor crucial in the American Revolution was the growth of Enlightenment thinkers who emphas...