How to Identify the Main Cause of the American Revolution
- 1). Research the American Revolution, focusing on the years between 1760 and 1775 to determine what events historians claim started the war. Write out each event with a short description of why the colonies fought against the issue and how it contributed to starting the war. Your list should include such events as the Boston Tea Party, Townshend Acts, Tea Act, Quartering Act, Intolerable Act and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- 2). Determine which of these events had the greatest negative impact on the colonists, and which events could have been worked through if they had occurred independently. For example, the Tea Act itself was actually supported by Benjamin Franklin, but because the Tea Act was viewed as validation of the Townshend Acts the colonists rebelled and the Boston Tea Party occurred. Determining the difference between ancillary and major events will allow you to narrow down the main causes of the revolution.
- 3). Organize your list of major events in the order you believe most responsible for the war. When organizing your list, examine how each event relates to the other events on your list when ranked in order of importance. Because of the Boston Tea Party, the British government passed the Intolerable Acts which led to the colonists forming the First Continental Congress. Therefore, the Intolerable Acts should rank higher on your list than the Boston Tea Party, because the Continental Congress was responsible for the Declaration of Independence.
- 4). Look for any common themes you notice emerging from your list of major causes for the war. The Tea Act, Stamp Act, Sugar Act and Townshend Acts all involved taxation of the colonies, and led to "No taxation without representation" becoming a slogan for colonists who believed themselves unfairly represented in the British Parliament. Determining the main cause of the revolution requires understanding how smaller incidents equaled a larger overall problem.
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