The American Revolution

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the various events and conditions that led up the 1776 American Revolution. It looks at three of the biggest contributory factors, namely, the Seven Year's War, the thriving economy of the colonies and the injustices of British rule, as manifested in policies such as the tax on tea and the Stamp Act. The paper argues that conditions such as the Seven Year's War and the economic growth in the colonies provided a strong foundation, while the Stamp Act was the kindling that ignited revolutionary fervor.

Table of Contents:
Seven Years War
Unjust Laws
Economic Growth
Summing Up

From the Paper:

"In conclusion, a myriad of events and conditions laid the foundation for the American Revolution, which culminated in the birth of the country in 1776. Fifty years earlier, the Seven Years War drove out the French colonizers, decimated Native American nations and also crippled the British military. The British Parliament scrambled to make up for the economic shortfall by taxing the American colonies. The American colonists, however, rightfully questioned the legality and morality of these taxes, contributing to the revolutionary fervor."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Fred. Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 to 1766. New York: Vintage Books, 2001.
• Henretta, James and Gregory Nobles. "Evolution and Revolution: American Society, 1600 to 1820." Excerpted in The American Revolution. Kirk Werner, ed. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
• Nash, Gary. The Urban Crucible: The Northern Seaports and the Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.

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