Causes of the American Revolution

Many countries have undergone a complete revolution and dramatic constitutional change in the last two or three centuries. This has resulted in countries splitting up, the formation of new countries, and the independence of former colonies from their rulers. The United States of America was perhaps the first country to go through this change, winning its independence from Great Britain and becoming the first modern constitutional liberal democracy as a result of the American War of Independence. This was the culmination of a revolution in the second half of the 18th century.

What were the causes of the American Revolution, and why did it lead to the American War of Independence? Let's take a look and find out!

American Revolution Summary

The American Revolution is the name given to the period of political and ideological change in the British American colonies from 1765 to 1791. Until the 1760s, the colonies had a significant degree of autonomy from the British government. During the Seven Years' War, the colonial militia had been funded by local taxes, so at the conclusion of the war, the Colonies unsurprisingly expected taxes to go down as the need for defence decreased. However, the British government had accumulated such astronomical debt that British taxpayers demanded a drop in spending, and so the people of British America were expected to pay for their own defence entirely. This meant that taxes actually went up in the Thirteen Colonies.

Fig. 1. Map of the Thirteen Colonies.

With the colonists already disgruntled by this, the British government then began to impose its own taxes on the Colonies throughout the 1760s despite them not having any representation in the British Parliament, fuelling discontent and increasing opposition to the British. Thus began a cycle of punitive laws and taxes imposed by the British and ever-escalating resistance in the Thirteen Colonies.

This culminated in the American Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, which lasted from 1775 to 1783. A year into the war, on 4 July 1776, the Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence and formed independent states. They defeated the British in the Revolutionary War and gained full independence from the Crown with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Key terms

American Revolution Timeline

Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

There were two main ideologies behind the American Revolution - you will see that they are essentially the opposite ideals of what the Colonies had under British rule. They were unhappy with the imposition of taxes and laws without their consent, and with the permanent ruling class of Great Britain.

Liberalism and Republicanism

Liberalism is the idea that governments require the consent of the governed. It is often attributed to philosopher John Locke, who believed that as all humans were created equally free, a ruling class could not encroach on that freedom without the consent of those under their rule. There was a belief among the Founding Fathers that people had a natural right to overthrow their leaders if they abused their positions. Therefore, as the British were imposing taxes and other laws on the Colonies without their consent they could rise up and overthrow them.

Republicanism is the idea that a government representational of the people is elected for a pre-defined fixed term. Furthermore, republics (from the Latin 'res publica' or 'the public thing') typically write a constitution or set of basic rights which are guaranteed for all citizens and which cannot be altered by the government.

Fig. 2. John Locke's Treatises of Government (1690)

The Political Causes of the American Revolution

A series of acts passed by the British Parliament including the Townshend Act, Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts led to increased unrest and dissatisfaction in the Thirteen Colonies and are considered as main causes of the American Revolution. Opposition to British political and economic control over the Colonies could not be resolved peacefully and would lead to the Battles of Concord and Lexington.

Stamp Act 1765

Townshend Acts 1767-68

These are a series of Acts named for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Townshend. The repeal of the Stamp Act had quelled the Colonial anger to an extent, but these new laws fuelled the start of major widespread opposition to British rule. The Acts were passed in order to punish the Province of New York for refusing to follow earlier laws imposed on them, to create more effective ways to enforce trade rules and to raise money to pay Governors' and Judges' salaries. It further entrenched the British position that they had absolute authority over the Colonies.

Rather than leaving the Colonies to pay their own Governors and Judges, if Britain paid the salaries, they could pay more to those who supported the Crown and less to those who were critical; it was, in essence, a form of bribery.

• There is slight disagreement as to what exactly is included under the umbrella of the Townshend Acts, but generally, it is accepted that at least these five are included:
  • New York Restraining Act 1767
  • Revenue Act 1767
  • Indemnity Act 1767
  • Commissioners of Customs Act 1767
  • Vice-Admiralty Court Act 1768

The Townshend Acts sparked fury in the Colonies - unrest caused the British to land troops to control the outrage, ultimately leading to the Boston Massacre in 1770, a riot that saw British troops fire at civilians who were throwing rocks, killing five. Although at this point, the Townshend Acts were partially repealed, the British government insisted on retaining a duty on tea to assert their dominance over the Colonies. Although it was a minimal amount, they failed to realise that the Colonies' opposition was to the very idea of taxes imposed on them by the British without their consent.

Boston Tea Party and Intolerable Acts

This idea that American Colonists were opposed to the British imposition of taxes themselves rather than the amount was entrenched by the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The British had passed the Tea Act several months earlier in order to undercut Dutch smugglers who were costing the East India Company vast amounts of money.

Fig. 3. Flag of the British East India Company, likely to have inspired the flag of the United States.

Although the Tea Act lowered the cost of tea, it was the last straw for Colonists in Massachusetts, who, unlike other Colonies, could not persuade importers to resign or to return the tea to Britain. Colonial importers were also undercut by the East India Company due to the Tea Act. On 16 December 1773, between 30 and 130 men disguised themselves as Native Americans and threw 342 cases of tea overboard from three ships in the Boston harbour. This was the Boston Tea Party.

The British government responded by imposing five Intolerable Acts designed to punish Massachusetts and recoup the cost of the tea. This was a key turning point in the American Revolution and can be considered a major factor in starting the American War of Independence in 1775.

American Revolutionary War

The passing of the Intolerable Acts saw the closure of Boston's port until the cost of the destroyed tea had been repaid and the abolition of the Massachusetts Government - the Colony was placed under direct British rule. This greatly upset the Colonists, and the Colonies promptly rallied around Massachusetts. Twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to form the First Continental Congress and coordinate resistance to the British government in 1774. The Congress was content to attempt to compromise, agreeing on the non-importation and exportation of British goods rather than a declaration of independence.

The Second Continental Congress, which met shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, declared King George III a tyrant, and fighting began in April 1775. Parliament rejected the so-called Olive Branch Petition sent by the Colonies to try and find a peaceful solution in July 1775, and in August, the British declared that the Colonies were in a state of rebellion. The Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776, and the American Revolutionary War continued until 1783.