Have you ever complained about there being too many rules at school? Have you complained about the tardy policy or the policies regarding the use of cell phones during class?
Before the American Revolution, many colonists felt that the British government had imposed too many rules on them. They also felt that Great Britain was taxing them on necessary items without their consent.
Read more about some of these complaints below:
In 1765, the British Parliament enacted the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of the British Empire in North America. The act stipulated that printed materials in the colonies must be produced on stamped paper manufactured in London, which carried an embossed revenue stamp. American colonists were required to buy a stamp for every printed document used in the colonies. This applied to legal documents, magazines, newspapers, and many other types of paper used throughout the colonies. The purpose of the Stamp Act was to pay for debts incurred by the British as a result of the French and Indian War.
In 1767, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts. These were a series of taxes on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea. The purpose of these acts was to pay for the installation of British governors and other administrators.
American colonists protested the Townshend Acts as well as subsequent acts that continued to impose taxes on the colonists. The British responded by dispatching the Royal Army and Navy. The tension between the two entities eventually led to the Boston Massacre and later the American Revolution.
Eventually, a group of like-minded individuals representing the American colonists met secretly in Philadelphia to discuss their complaints against Great Britain. It was acts such as the ones mentioned above that led these representatives to sever political ties with Great Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, lists the grievances of the colonists and announces the separation from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence also established the United States as an independent nation.
Click the link below to watch the video introducing information about the Declaration of Independence.
In this lesson, you will examine a few excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and summarize the political principles or ideas in each excerpt.
Sources of images used for this section as they appear, top to bottom:
