Why did the American Revolution start?
2 Answers
It started because of the unfair taxation the British Parliament had thrust upon the colonists.
Explanation:
The famous slogan "No taxation without representation" clearly indicates what the grievances of the colonists, they abhorred the lack of representation they had in the British Parliament and refused to pay taxes enacted by the latter.
The American colonists felt that their rights were being taken away by arbitrary actions of tyrannical British throne.
Explanation:
King George was more German than British. The American colonists felt that King George neither understood or cared about the American's rights.
In 1763 The King declared that the colonists could not settle on the West side of Appalachian mountains. Many settlers had already settled in places like Boone's Town in Kentucky on the West Side of the Appalachians. The Colonists had fought along the British in a large part to ensure their right to claim new lands. It seemed wrong that King could just arbitrarily take this right away, that was so important to the settlers.
King George also dissolved local democratic legislatures replacing them with royal governors appointed by the Crown. This was outrageous to the colonists.
The final straw was the unfair taxes placed on the colonies in order to pay for French and Indian Wars. The colonist felt that the British got all the benefit from the French and Indian Wars and the colonies were blocked from new settlements. Why should the colonies have to pay for war that did not benefit them. Worse the colonies had no say in the taxes. No taxation with representation.
The colonists felt that their basic rights as "Englishmen" were being taken away by a German King who didn't care about them or their rights. It seemed that King George did not regard them as Englishmen but as second class citizens.
