Explain The Ideology Behind The Colonials Grievances

Towards the end of the 18th century in America, the colonials were ready for a change. For over a hundred years, the colonists had been governed from thousands of miles away, and the relationship between them and England was progressively declining. This progressive decline manifested itself as the American Revolution. However, in order to understand the significant rebellion that gave colonials their independence, one must examine the ideology behind the colonials grievances in the years leading up to the rebellion. The colonial leaders viewed the relationship between humans and the government much differently than Great Britain, which led to the introduction of political ideas away from the British political system. It was through a combination of Whig ideas such as fear of an absolute ruler, the importance of a balanced government, and the need of a government protecting people’s rights that helped start the formation of American politics.

By appointing a ruler with absolute power, they must rule by divine right. This was the claim that a king was given his position by some higher power, which the colonial leaders did not agree with. The colonial leaders saw how oppressive this power can be and did not want to transition from an already oppressive British government to an oppressive monarchial government. In a monarchial government, the people get no representation in the policies being implemented over them, which was one of the grievances of the colonials prior to the revolution. For instance, the colonies were not directly represented in the British Parliament, so any laws passed taxing the colonists (Stamp Act, Sugar Act) could not be stopped. This grievance led the founding fathers to emphasize the importance of a balanced