Economics Leading to the Revolutionary War essays

Economics Leading to the Revolutionary War essays After the end of the French and Indian War in 1763 the American people had taxes placed on them by the British. The British Parliament claimed that by placing the taxes they were defending the colonies for the Americans. During the twelve years following the war, the British enacted a numerous amount of taxes that allowed them to raise revenue from the American economy. This taxing of the American people hurt the American economy and started to push the American colonists toward an independence movement so they could have a free economy. Over the course of the twelve-year period there were six acts enacted to take money from the American economy. The Sugar Act of 1764 was the first act used by the British to channel revenue into Britain. The British specifically stated in the Sugar Act, ...a revenue be raised in your Majestys said dominions in America, for defraying the expenses of defending, protecting, and securing the same (The Sugar Act). This proves that the British were using this act just to raise revenue because they needed it to defray the cost of fighting against the French. The act forced tariffs on goods being imported into the colonies. Examples of these goods were sugar, molasses, foreign indigo, and coffee. This angered the colonists because they were depending heavily on trade with other colonies and countries outside of the North American continent. The colonists specifically stated in a petition from the Massachusetts House of Representatives to the House of Commons on November 3, 1764 that a prohibition will be prejudicial to many branches of its trade and will lessen the consumption of the manufac tures of Britain (King, Peter. Petition from the Massachusetts). The American colonists saw the impacts this act would have on the economy of Massachusetts because it was causing economic problems. The trade of one item of commerce being stopped caused problems. A person who d...