The American Revolution was a war for independence between the American colonists and the British. The tension was caused by the varying opinions about the taxes being placed on the colonies by the Parliament. The colonists believed that the taxes were unfair and unlawful, and that they should declare independence from England. On the other hand, the British believed that they had every right to tax “their” colonies. Both sides had several reasons supporting their point of view. According to the colonists living in North America, the taxes and acts imposed were unfair. Firstly, the British taxed them without their consent and didn’t give the colonists a say in the Parliament. Shouldn’t they be allowed to have representatives now that they were being taxed directly? Additionally, the people living in the colonies were not given that same rights as other English citizens. For example, …show more content…
For instance, they believed that they should have the right to tax the colonies that only exist because of the support England offered. They had also supplied their settlements with a market to trade goods in, so shouldn’t the people living there be loyal to them and their decisions? Moreover, the colonists should have to pay off part of the debt that was caused when Britain protected and fought for the colonies in the war. If it wasn’t for their interests of moving into the Ohio River Valley, there wouldn’t have been dues to repay. Some argue that only their colonial governments can tax them. However, this isn’t true, for the Declaratory Act states that Britain can make decisions for all colonies in all cases. Finally, the colonists barely have to pay anything compared to other English citizens. People residing in England pay 17 pounds each, equal to $340 whereas the inhabitants of the New World only had to pay 18 shillings, or $18. In conclusion, the English have many points backing up their decision to tax the