Dispute over Taxation and presentation in the American Revolution

Dispute over Taxation and presentation in the American Revolution

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The American Revolution mainly occurred towards the end of the eighteenth century. America had thirteen colonies that were all under the British rule. It is during the revolution that the thirteen colonies gained independence from the Britons and formed the United States of America. Covering the last half of the century the Revolution was one of the most significant in human history. It was during this period that the colonies rebelled against the British rule causing the American Revolution or the War of American Independence. It is believed to have been caused by a unique nature of those colonists that ruled the states. There were several disputes over varied issue. The dispute over taxation as well as over representation could have been a noble appeal to the existed principles of freedom. It could as have been an issue of the pocketbook. While looking at these, the motivations of the revolutionaries would be discussed.

A great tension amid the various Americans colonists and British colonists developed in the country. There were claims the existence of high taxation that had no representation. The issue of taxation without representation called for the Boston Party. The Party’s main aim was to tackle the issue of taxation and that had created great tension among Americans. There was no representation in the parliament for the thirteen other colonies in America irrespective of the fact that everyone in those colonies was a subject of paying taxes. The British parliament was seen as unfair to the other colonies. Their superiority and lack of representation of the other colonies caused the British to exploit them through taxation (Silverman). Taxation by the British was being done any way and any amount thought by the British could be charged as taxes. No colonists had a way of fighting taxes against the British wishes or decisions. They therefore were afraid of the possibility of the British taking their properties if they reacted against them (Silverman).

Before the revolution, reactions from the other colonies forced the British to repeal most of the taxation laws it had created. The taxation laws had been created by the British without even consulting the other colonies. They were actually in favor of the British government but exploited all the other colonies. The major reason for this is due to its higher power that made them to reign freely and tax colonies. The protests against taxation laws strengthened tension across colonies. In Boston, the tension was even worse. This saw the British government station their own soldiers by the end of 1768, particularly in October (Silverman).

Tea appeared to be the center of the protests. This was seen throughout the colonies. The major reason behind this was that tea was the most popular hot drink and was used by all the colonies. Another reason was that it was associated with the British culture and controlled a significant portion of the British finances and cultures. The other colonies that were under the British rule saw that as a weakness to the British and therefore sort to secure their freedom by pressurizing them first. The connect of the British government with tea, both culturally and financially formed a basis for the protest through tea. Tea was imported by East India company, owned by the British.

Tea was imported from China then sold to the colonies by the British government at very elevated prices. The high taxes imposed on the product at will were meant to pay for the French Indian Wars that were very costly. High taxation on the tea sold to these colonies caused the eruption of cheap tea smuggling as well as several British tea boycotts. Later in 1767, the British repealed the tea taxes but they only lasted for a short while only being restored by the Townshend Acts. This Act also increased taxes on other imports by the British government, often being sold to the colonies. This aroused more and worse protests that lead the British government to repeal all taxes on imported goods including tea in 1770. The repealing was done through the same Act, the Townshend Act (Silverman). This was only done to culminate the riots and protest that persisted. At the same time, the British had to look for a way of covering their lost taxes by coming up with other taxation schemes. These other schemes called for more troubles across the colonies especially after the enactment of the Stamp Act. This act caused a lot of rioting and protesting that was too severe to an extent of the resignation of most of the stamp commissioner even before the act was effective. Some even left the colonies they worked in (Silverman).

The year in which the Boston party was held, 1773, the Tea Act was passed by the British government authorizing a direct shipment of tea to the colonies by the British importing company. Only three pence was charge on every shipment. This greatly lowered the taxes, but most of the colonies were not satisfied. They were pushing for zero taxes an aspect that would have been impossible with any government. There was now claims that law taxes was as a result backdoor shipment methods in order for the government to cut the usual amount while tricking them with a tax reduction hypocrisy (Silverman).

Looking back on the Stamp Act in the year 1765, the act was too oppressing. It required that stamps be added on all documents that were printed. These included bonds, newspapers licenses, title deeds and playing cards. They were not to be obtained for free but were to be purchased. They represented the amount of tax charged by the British government on every publication in the colonies (Lissa). The problem was that these taxes were not meant for development projects but to assist the British in paying for their debt. The British had incurred this debt at the time they were fighting the French-Indian war. The war covered a period of nine year starting from the year 1754 and ending in 1763. They also had troops that required maintenance. The stamp funds were also aimed at covering this (Lissa).

Stamp taxes was paid by the British colonies direct to England. Being the first time for the colonies to pay taxes direct to England rather than their American legislatures, they were very irritated. The fact that the Act was passed without their consultation or even debate caused a major problem that made the colonies attempt in resisting the British Authority and its Parliament. The American colonist used the principle of no tax without representation, a principle that was being violated by all acts and even more by the Stamp Act (Lissa). This was the beginning of the American revolution and its independence fight.

Ironically, those who promoted the law had expectations that a violence would prop up, but they never get prepared for the resulting reactions and violence (Lissa). The Americans were now calling for freedom rather than complaining from the fact they were unable to pay for the taxes. The major issue for the reaction was very noble, requiring freedom and that they could be represented in the British government. It was hard for them to imagine of paying taxes without the freedom to participate on decisions in the parliament on the use of such revenue. They mainly needed representation (Lissa).

In 1689, a Bill of Rights passed by England forbade any imposition of taxes without parliamentary representation. Since then, colonists insisted on being taxed on the condition that the taxation was based on their own consent (Lissa). Such consent would only have been possible with parliamentary representation so that they would contribute to any law that overrules them (Lissa). Any laws that was passed in parliament without their consent was seen as a violation of their own rights. The refusal of the Great Britain to repeal the Act in accordance to the demands of the colonist but rather pushed on enforcing it angered them resulting to a rebellion. This was accompanied by riots, mob attacks, boycotts, and destruction of the stamp offices by mobs.

The American Revolution is said to have been caused by many reason but the Stamp Act and lack of representation are associated with the major caused. The Revolution being a conflict between the thirteen and the Great Britain governance, was steered by the Enlightenment as well. Many writings of the French Enlightenment went as far as North America (Kelly). The writings were awakening call to many colonist who felt that they had to be freed from the British governance.

The cause of the revolution cannot be traced with certainty but it was generally a disagreement with the way the British treated the American colonies against the way the colonies’ feelings and wish of being treated by the British. The Americans rights were denied completely, besides being exploited through taxation without representation (Kelly). The British on the other hand had a feeling that all the colonies had to submit to their crown and power. They had a feeling of superiority and wanted to exercise it on the less powerful colonies (Kelly). It then follows that the dispute over taxation without representation was noble appeal to the principles of freedom based on the England Act of 1689 but not merely an issue of the pocketbook. They had a right to call for their freedom from the hands of the British Crown.

Works Cited

Kelly, Martin. Causes of the American Revolution . 2012. 19 Oct 2012 <http://americanhistory.about.com/od/revolutionarywar/a/amer_revolution.htm>.

Lissa. Stamp Act Leading to the American Revolution. Mar 2011. 19 Oct 2012 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Stamp-Act-Leading-To-The-American-627245.html>.

Silverman, Jacob. How the Boston Tea Party Worked. 2012. 19 Oct 2012 <http://history.howstuffworks.com/revolutionary-war/boston-tea-party1.htm>.