Defining Causes of Amer. Revolu. essays

Defining Causes of Amer. Revolu. essays One of the defining points of history was the American Revolution. Endlessly covered in classrooms across the nation, it was a period that affected so many in such a small amount of time. Yet, what were the true causes of the American Revolution? The most basic of reasons are, of course, related to a nations economy. Many wars, even today, are sparked because one country feels it does not have equal trade relations with another and is getting the so-called short-end of the stick. This occurred over two hundred years ago, between England and the colonies, igniting the flame of freedom in the colonists. When the colonies were founded, the only goal England had was to increase the amount of gold in its Treasury. To do this, they needed a balance of trade in their favor. To accomplish this task, merchants used mercantilism in their system of trading with the colonies. Mercantilism is based on the belief that if a country possesses more land, than an increased profit can be made. However, England being an island, there was a set amount of land that could be had. In effect, Englands citizens and its government had to look elsewhere. The gaze turned westward across the Atlantic Ocean, to the New World. After conquering the eastern seaboard, England set about exploiting the natural resources in the colonies. For a time, the colonies shipped raw materials to English factories, who produced goods from these materials, then sold the products to the colonists for an increased price. However, this did not last, as England became increasingly greedy and went about conquering lands in the Far East, such as India, and other islands, such as Australia. England removed much of its influence from the colonies, leaving them with a period of salutary neglect, enabling the colonies to establish trading with many other countries. During this period of prosperity, England came to the realization that it...