AMERICAN REVOLUTIONIn the four articles I read Louis Hacker, Charles Andrews, Oliver Dickerson, and Lawrence Gipson have quite different views on what might have caused the American Revolution. Louis Hacker reflected that there were economic and social causes. Charles Andrew associated the presents of political and constitutional problems with the cause of the revolution.
Oliver Dickerson engrosses the thought that the navigational Acts were a small cause but not the main one. Lastly Lawrence Gipson speculated that the Great War caused it. Perhaps all are correct, perhaps the other way around. Louis Hacker simply suggest that there were economic and social problems. There was conflict between the colonies and England. Formulation of a wise program regarding the Indian problem, as well as a system of defense, and revenue were the three things the Western Empire was based on.
England had to gain control of American economy by establishing tax measures. According to Beer, the purpose of their program was to protect the English capitalist because at that point it was being jeopardized in account of the intensification s of colonial capitalist competition. The colonies wanted to exchange goods without being taxed and governed by England. By trading with other countries the English mercantile system was going down hill. The colonies then decided to buy and trade from other countries and in result the England’s economic system failed.
Charles Andrews had another theory, which involved the political and constitutional problems. The British Parliament and the colonial assemblies believed they were superior to the voting public that they represented. So the people started to dispute the Parliaments powers and it became their enemy. The colonies set up a constitutional organization resembling the British system. Britain was not happy because they had little control over it and that led to the revolt.
Oliver Dickerson states that the navigational Acts was part to blame but not as much as excessive taxation and fees. At the beginning England and America got along. Then America became more prosperous, and England wanted to clip Americas wings, so England introduced the Navigational Acts. When America did not comply with the acts , England was not happy. England became even more fasicious and gave the colonials heavier taxation and excessive fees.
And that became the main problems setting the revolution off. Finally Lawrence Gipson speculates the Great War as the antagonist to the revolt. The Great War for the Empire gave the colonies victory for the first time over the French, their Indian allies and the Spaniards. By these victories it gave the colonies freedom to expand in wealth, land, and as an over all country. The colonies felt a desire for freedom. This had never happened before.
Even though England and them had been friends for years, their friendship would be destroyed. England tried to regain America again but by this measure the American Revolution broke out and America would soon be independent. Either way you perceive the causes of the American Revolutionits very obvious that England was to dominating for their own good, and the colonies were not going to tolerate it. In almost all of the articles there is something about England wanting control over the colonies. Ranging from raising the taxes to regulate who they buy and sell from to the colonies constitution.
If I had to write an article explaining what I thought was the cause I would simple say that England wanted way too much control.
