ipl-logo

Analytical Essay: The Declaration Of American Independence

767 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What was the significance of the Declaration of independence

The tale of American Independence is often a familiar story that evokes the national pride inside the heart of every American. The tyranny of Britain stanched the fundamental liberties of the American colonies and against all odds they fought against oppression and won, securing the liberty and freedoms for the future citizens of an emerging nation. And although its easy to see the American Revolution as first beginning on the battlegrounds of Lexington and Concord, the revolution goes beyond the Declaration of Independence and war, it was a much broader intellectual movement that carved the American identity then now and forever. It describes the era when radical new ideas empowered the minds of American patriots to fight for self-government …show more content…

Despite Boston’s geographical size, it was a densely populated and was heavily networked. With access to its many ports all classes of society interacted daily with one another. Ship-makers would build ships for shippers, the importers received goods from the shippers, and merchants would sell to the shoemakers who would make shoes for a sailor about to sail on a boat built by a ship-maker. Alike Boston, the other colonies had sense of autonomy within the British empire. They paid taxes, but most were external taxes to regulate foreign trade, even then Britain 's laxity over colonial affairs brought a quasi-independence often called “Salutary Neglect”. Upon the wake of the French and Indian war, Britain redefined its approach to imperialism and began imposing and enforcing new taxes on the colonies to pay off its immense war debt. These new policies sparked discourse throughout the colonies as they demoted the American colonist to second class subjects by denying them parliamentary representation. Most colonies, vocalized their opposition through formal pleas to King George III. The Virginian house of Burgesses sent a formal petition pleading for parliament to revoke the illicit taxes. The people

Show More
Related
1248 Words | 5 Pages

Settling in the New World provided both the American settlers and the British government with many opportunities. For the colonists, North America provided an opportunity to improve their lives and escape religious persecution. For the British, settlers in North America provided access to raw materials and new markets in which to sell finished goods. This mercantilist relationship continued for several years, until the colonists began to question Parliament’s right to treat them differently than other British citizens. Taxes were imposed on the colonists as a means of helping to pay the debt Britain had incurred fighting the French.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

British taxes per capita was 26 shillings a year while Colonial American taxes was 6 pence, fifty-two times less than the British taxes. Before the Independence War American colonists were legitimately citizens of Britain and it is reasonable to made colonists, who did not contribute much to the mother country, share the costs after the war and balance the British wealth. Some in American colonies argued that without the representation in the Parliament, there should not be taxation. However, direct representation was not quite necessary: “each member of Parliament sat ‘not as Representative of his own constituents, but as one of that august Assembly by which the Commons of Great Britain are represented.’’’ The consciousness of self-sufficient independence among colonists led to their resentment of taxation, but not the tyranny of the King George.

Read More
1167 Words | 5 Pages

The chapters of our textbook, America: A Narrative History, written by George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shi, takes us on a historical yet comparative journey of the road to war and what caused the American Revolution, an insight into the war itself, and a perception to what life was like in America after the war was over. The essays of the book, America Compared: American History in International Perspective, collected by Carl J. Guarneri gives us a global context and a comparison between the North and South Americas in the dividing issues of labor, slavery, taxes, politics, economy, liberty, and equality. Part One These chapters in our textbook Tindall describes; the road to the American Revolution, the road to the surrendering of the British, and the road to the American colonists receiving their independence and developing the government which the people of the United States will be governed by. The road to the American Revolution consisted of several events, which escalated to the war that began April 19, 1775, as the tensions between the American colonies and the British Government advanced towards breaking point.

Read More
900 Words | 4 Pages

Because of all the war debt inherited by King George, both the Sugar and Stamp Acts were enforced to bring in extra income in an effort for the crown to be able to satiate their debt. Even in the efforts of the colonist to suggest alternatives to the taxes, the crown remained obstinate in their crusade for American monies. After claiming that they were lacking actual representation in England, The Monarchy continued to work off the existing system of virtual representation to represent the colonists. Much of the animosity towards the topic of fair and honest representation stems from the British’s own wording of their agreements with the settlers. Verbiage in official acts, like the Navigation Act, only further confirmed that the British viewed Americans as non-English citizens under the protection of the

Read More
1558 Words | 7 Pages

Between 1763 and 1775, there were three ‘Imperial Crises’ which occurred between the British and the American colonists. The conflict that was produced during this period arose through an undefined balance of political and economic power between the two parties. In 1763, Britain had just concluded the French and Indian war and was left with an immense and almost crippling debt of around 140 million pounds sterling (“Turning Point In American History”). In Britain’s eyes, the most effective way to reduce this debt was increased taxes. Unfortunately, the people of England were already massively overtaxed, which meant the last option for the British was to tax the American colonists.

Read More
676 Words | 3 Pages

The Britain felt that it was only natural that the American colony would pay the mother country more for their protection after the Seven Years War with France. England was trying to relieve some tax burdens by increasing the tax on the colonies (xix). “that the main purpose of country’s overseas possessions were to serve the business interest of British merchants and manufacturers and to provide the mother country with raw materials” (xvii). However, such increase in demand, and pressure seemed unfair to the American colony despite the fact that they had been paying less tax compared to an English

Read More
955 Words | 4 Pages

By the time the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, there were thirteen settlements, or colonies (Bigelow, McConnell, Schmittroth, 1). For more than 140 years, the colonies and Great Britain, the "mother country," shared strong bonds of friendship and business, based on a common language and customs and a profitable trade relationship (Bigelow, McConnell, Schmittroth, 1). The colonies sent farm products and raw materials to Great Britain and in return got British-manufactured goods (Bigelow, McConnell, Schmittroth, 1). With that being said, it wasn’t always bad for the thirteen colonies and Britain. Along the course of time, however, some things transpired to alter the once good

Read More
426 Words | 2 Pages

During the Colonial Era (1492-1763), colonists were justified in waging war against Great Britain; due to the inequitable Stamp Act, the insufferable British oppression, and the perceived tyranny of King George III, the king of Great Britain, however, the colonists were unjustified in some of their actions. In Colonial America, colonists were justified in waging war against Great Britain, because the Stamp Act was unfair and viewed as punishment. Because of the war, Britain had no other choice but to tax the colonists to pay for the debt. For example, according to document 2, the author states that the act was not only for trade but for “the single purpose of levying money.”

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

The British government was not looking for the best of the people. They were only thinking about what they wanted; the government was not interested in what the people wanted so they decided to make decisions on their own, which resulted in changes that form the United States today. Because of this, they were justified in rebelling and declaring independence. One reason why the colonists decided to rebel and declare independence was because of taxation.

Read More
787 Words | 4 Pages

The American Revolution is undoubtedly one of the most defining events in American history. The American colonists, after suffering under unjust and improper taxation, decided to revolt from Great Britain and sought to become a nation of sovereign, independent states. “Taxation without representation,” as we have come to know this as, is perhaps the most major cause of the war. The climax of this war, the Yorktown Campaign, perfectly encapsulates the colonists’ desire for independence and their yearning for their own sovereignty (History).

Read More
654 Words | 3 Pages

The American Revolutionary War was a time of great milestones for the American people. Under British rule, the colonists were treated poorly and unfairly, creating an uprising among the people that sparked a time of change. The colonists decided to fight back against the British rule and they considered the idea of becoming independent from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776 this important and renown document was first presented to the public, serving as a beacon of hope and change (Anonymous, N.d.). It is extremely important to remember what issues the colonists faced and realize the important value of this document.

Read More
591 Words | 3 Pages

What is America ? Early America was a formation of colonies formed into one united nation. The founding fathers of America shaped all of America 's ideas, and also structured the american democracy which is still present today. The American colonies now free from British rule could act freely and establish Their own new formation of Government, the declaration of independence, which separated them from British rule, and the Bill of rights.

Read More
496 Words | 2 Pages

The Declaration of Independence (Website for Declaration of Independence - week 3 and MindTap 4 – 4f), The Constitution of the United States (Website for The Constitution of the United States - week 4) and the Bill of Rights (Bill of Rights – week 4) were all things I think America got right. I believe the Declaration of Independence is where the union with the colonies began. The colonies decide enough was enough with British leadership decisions and unfair treatment with the Sugar Act (1764), the Currency Act (1764), The Stamp Act (1765), The Townshend Revenue Act (1767) and The Coercive Acts (1773-1774) (4-3a-4-3e, Chapter 4). It was finally time to separate and create the American government because the British were not looking out for the American colonies and their interests. The Declaration of Independences says, “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to

Read More
179 Words | 1 Pages

FINAL VERSION: According to The Declaration of Independence, people, who are the ones that institute the government, have the power to abolish a person from the government and vote to elect a new one and I totally agree with this. The government has to do the best they can to maintain a country united and safe, but many governments cannot do that, which was the case of Richard Nixon who resigned before the impeachment happen. The people also have the power to take someone away from the government when that person steals or is judged not be able to take care of the country. Many people say that a good government is the one that they can trust, which is the example of Barack Obama.

Read More
726 Words | 3 Pages

During the writing of “The Declaration of Independence”, Thomas Jefferson go to great lengths to describe why the colonies were choosing to separate themselves from Great Britain. This is done not only so readers will have a detailed description of what the American people were facing while being ruled by the King. The vivid depiction of all the cruelty he has shown towards the people. Furthermore, the lengthy, highly descriptive examination of all the wrongs and showing that the colonists made many appeals to the King but also the people of Britain that the reader now feels as if it is wrong for the Colonies to be under Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson begins by detailing the ethical standings of all people that live within the colonies.

Read More

More about Analytical Essay: The Declaration Of American Independence

Related Topics

Open Document