Events leading to the American Rev. During the late seventeen hundreds, many tumultuous eventsresulted in Colonial opposition to Great Britain.
The conditionsof rights of the colonists will slowly be changed as theconstriction of the parliament becomes more and more intolerable. During the Seven Years’ War England was not only alarmed by thecolonists’ insistence on trading with the enemy, but also withBoston merchants hiring James Otis inorder to protest thelegality of the writs of assistance (general search warrants)used to hunt out smuggled goods. “let the parliament lay whatburthens they please on us, we must, it is our duty to submit andpatiently bear them, till they will be pleased to relieveus. . .
. “. This is a very strong dictum, that in 1764, thecolonists were of a submissive nature, and were weakly pleadingfor self-autonomy. This small fire of anger will become a hugeconflagration as the rights are slowly rescinded.
On October 19, 1765 the Stamp Act Congress andParliamentary Taxation committee’s passed some laws thatattempted to strengthen the grip of the English crown. “I. That his Majesty’s subjects in these colonies, owe the sameallegiance to the Crown of Great Britain that is owing from hissubjects born within the realm, and all due subordination tothat august body, the Parliament of Great Britain. “This statement can be used as a summation of the entire documentthat the Stamp Act Congress had initiated.
The statement depictsthe colonists has having to be submissive and servile in the viewof Great Britain, this policy angered the colonists very much, andwas another component of the transition of the colonists’rights and liberties. When the Declatory Act was passed in March of 1766, manycolonies were attempting to claim that they were “seceding” fromEngland. “Whereas several of the houses of representatives in hisMajesty’s colonies and plantations in America, have of late,against law, or to the general assemblies of the same, the soleand exclusive right of imposing duties and taxes upon hisMajesty’s subjects in the said colonies. . . .
be it declared . . . . ,that the said colonies and plantations in America, have been,are, and of right ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependentupon the imperial Crown and Parliament of Great Britain;”. The Parliament of course denounced the attempt at independanceand still dogmatilcally passed the following law to show that thecolonists were still british subjects.
Again, the colonists wereinfuriated and later will resist the british imperialism on thecolonies. “All before, are calculated to regulate trade, and preserveprpromote a mutually beneficial intercourse between the severalconstituent parts of the empite””, yet those duties were alwaysimposed with design to restrain the commerce of one part”. This statement by the colonist (John Dickinson), shows that thsole rason for new taxes is just for the British gov’t to makemoney, at the expense of the economy of the colonies. Dickinsonmakes a important distinction between the rights of the coloniesand the authority of the parliament. Dickinson’s comments wereubiquitous among the colonists, and thus infuriated them torebellion, and the seizure of basic democratic rights. “From necessity of the case, and a regard to the mutualinterest of both countries, we cheerfully consent to theoperation of such acts of the British parliament as are bona fiderestrained to the regulation of our external commerce, for thepurpose of securing the commercial advantages of the whole empireto the mother country , and the commercial benefits of it’srespective members excluding every idea of taxation, internal orexternal, for raising a revenue on the subjects in Americawithout their consent .
. . . “The continental congress had presented it’s colonial rights. These rights enable the colonies to be more autonomous withexception to those several states who are under the britishcontrol.
One important element of the document, is the idea oftaxation without representation; the said that raising taxeswithout consent was illegal and that the commercial benefits ofthe colony should be shared within the colonies, instead ofEngland becoming more and more economically prosperous. The whole idea of mercantilism was about to be crushed, due tothis idea, of self-autonomy with respect to colonial economics. “Ye that oppose independence now, ye know not what ye do, yeare opening a door to eternal tyranny. .
. . “. This statement madeby Thomas Paine shows the foreshadowing, of what colonists woulddo.
The British are trying to prevent independence, and fromdoing so, they are being tyrannical. Again, the rights of thecolonists are being questioned and rebellion shortly will beforthcoming. “That whenever any form of Government becomes destructiveof these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or toabolish it, and to institute new government, laying it’sfoundations on such principles and organizing it’s powers in suchform, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safetyand happiness. “.
What the declaration is really saying, is that asociety who has no or little rights (such as the colonies) shouldbe destroyed, thus separation from England. A new society wouldfollow, where the people of the society would have these rightsnecessary for self-autonomy. The Declaration of Independence wasa strong justification for revolution. The Revolution follows theDeclaration of Independence, where a transition occurs. Thetransition has to do with the rights of the colonists.
Thecolonists acquire their rights through resistance to britishimperial conformity, by resisting certain policies detrimental tothe inalienable rights of a democracy. The transitional periodwas from 1760’s to 1770’s. This is a crucial period of time,because this is where the center of power is transferred from thebritish government (Parliament) to the colonial citizens. A majorcomponent to this center of power was the rights of thecolonists, the colonists gained their rights through resistenceto an imperial power.
This transition is depicted through theprogression of time in the documents.
