Sean Kim Green US History 11/30/11

Cause of the American Revolution Paragraph

Although there are many factors that contributed to the Declaration of Independence from Britain, the most important factor was the matter of all the grievances that the King imposed on the colonists. First, the King had forced on the colonists many expensive taxes without giving them representation in Parliament. This is shown in the Declaration of Independence itself, where it states that the King was at fault For imposing taxes on us without our Consent (Call to Freedom, pg. 196). These taxes angered the colonists because they were made without any permission from the colonists themselves. They also sowed the seeds of rebellion and desire to be independent in the colonists hearts. Second, the King had forced the colonists to quarter British soldiers in their own homes. In the Declaration of Independence, the signers claim that Britain was guilty of quartering large bodies of armed troops among [the colonists] (Call to Freedom, pg. 196). This quartering act was a glaring example of how Britain consistently failed to treat the colonists like British citizens. Because of this act, the colonists became even more angry and rebellious. Lastly, the King had begun to openly attack the colonists and even sent mercenaries to fight against them. According to the Declaration of Independence, the King had opposed the colonists by transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, (Call to Freedom, pg. 196). This showed that the King now treated the colonists like enemies, and this was the last straw for the colonists. Because of this grievance, many of the colonists now openly strived for independence. After enduring all the atrocities that Britain had committed, it is obvious to see why the colonists would write a Declaration of Independence and establish themselves as a separate nation from Britain.