why did we choose to fight the British for out freedom?

Question

what led up to the amrican revolution ? why did we choose to fight the british for our freedom?

 

Answer 1

Yours is quite an open-ended question, which could require much time & space to answer completely. However, in brief, we could address a few overarching issues & avoid getting caught up in voluminous detail. I recommend that you follow up with some reading, whether in books or on the internet (there are some very helpful sites), and perhaps watch some of the excellent TV documentaries that are available these days.

 

In fine, the American Revolution was the result of a sovereign power (the British King & parliament) being located at an impractical distance & wanting strict economic control over its colonies. Some (not all!) details that played into the situation were:

 

1. The British Crown wanted the financial benefits that came from ownership & control of resources from the Americas.

2. The British parliament granted exclusive charters & tax breaks to certain British import shipping companies.

3. The parliament had to implement other tax measures to make up for the consideration it gave to British shippers.

4. American colonists were expected to pay taxes on certain goods - whether or not they bought & used them.

5. The Crown was willing to use military force to facilitate its economic position, though travel & communication were slow & long.

6. American colonists had no direct representation in the British parliament, while some British officials were sympathetic to the colonists' position.

7. The king was at least slightly insane, he might not have fully understood the circumstances, and he did not want to negotiate or compromise.

8. Many American colonists remained loyal to the Crown & criticized those who rebelled against Britain. Only a small proportion of colonists fought the British.

9. France was happy to support the Americans to fight its rival, Britain.

 

These are only brief & superficial details. A large web of interlocking interests played into the situation - historical events never occur "in a vacuum", but are created by the convergence of everyone's individual interests.

 

Best of luck to you in taking on this topic!