10.31.09
American Revolution
Were the American colonists justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain?
This is not just a simple yes or no – provide reasons and specific facts to back up your opinion. Please sign your first name and last initial at the end of your post. While this is on-line you are still expected to write in a scholarly fashion, so after you write, EDIT!
November 2, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Trial period 6
November 2, 2009 at 2:08 pm
YES!
November 2, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Yes, the American colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists originally came to America for religious, political, and economic freedom. Great Britain then set taxes and laws, however did not give any representation so the colonists fought back.
November 3, 2009 at 12:24 pm
The colonists were definately justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. They were forced to pay taxes without representation in parliment. They were also restricted from buying things that were not british. Even though they were owned by Britain, they were treated unequal to the british people. They were forced to fend for themselves when Britain subjected them to salutary neglect, but when Great Britain needed funding for something or were in debt they treated the colonists as if it was their civic duty to pay the expenses. The colonist were being controlled by a country that was unfair and did not care about their well being at all. What else were they to do if they wanted fairness, respect and a better way of life.
Taylor F.
November 3, 2009 at 5:14 pm
The colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The British claimed that the colonists were obligated to help pay the debts for a war that they created. This may be just if the British had originally treated the colonists fairly. Previously the colonists faced salutary neglect, in which they were forced to govern themselves which eventually lead them to think themselves separate of Britain. Because the British enforced this policy on the colonists themselves, they have no right to condemn them for carrying out their desire for independence. After all, the British did inspire them to do so. After realizing how much debt they had after the war, they immediately turned to the colonists for support, which is not right. They cannot expect them to pay extra taxes, which they did not support and were not represented in Parliament for, in order to clear the debt that they built up themselves. Perhaps they could turn to them for help if they treated them as equals, but they did not. They only turned to them during an economic struggle without putting into consideration how they unfairly controlled them. This further proves that the colonists had every right to break away from the tyrannical British and move toward independence.
November 4, 2009 at 7:09 pm
The American Colonists were justified of wanting freedom from England for various reasons. Their original intentions included those of religious freedom, economic growth opportunity, and governmental privileges. As the colonists fought harsh weather, death and poverty while trying to establish themselves, the last thing they needed was to be pounded upon by their mother country with regulations and taxes, which ultimately effected the outcome of their economy. After the French and Indian War, the colonists were forced to pay the debts that England faced, even after they helped them defeat their enemies and become the greatest Empire now in existence. But because of the tyrannic King and Parliament that held the power, England still felt that they had the right to impose taxes and create laws that would restrain the colonists from strengthening their own economy instead of helping England pay for the damages. This created tension between the “partners” and ultimately led people into feeling indignant against England, causing many to take action and eventually establish themselves as people against Parliament, or whigs. From the increasing amount of this type of people, many began to follow, causing an extreme mandate of freedom from England, otherwise know as
“The Declaration of Independence”. After years of struggle and growth, the Colonists were finally able to follow through with their original intentions, and become an independent United States of America.
November 8, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Without question the colonists were justified in trying to gain independence from Great Brittan. The Colonists suffered through many persecutions which included taxes, ridiculous laws and a tyrannical king who made life so much harder for the colonists. They were brave enough to set off to the unknown to try to make their lives and their families’ lives easier. If they were going to have to put up with all these things they could have just stayed in England. But they wanted their freedoms and they fought for them while establishing their own government and building up towns. They continued pushing forward for these things and never gave up. They followed their beliefs and never let up. Therefore, the colonists were justified in fighting for their independence.
November 8, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I think that the colonists were absolutely justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. When the colonists decided to go overseas onto a new unexplored land, they did it for freedom. If they did not want freedom from England they would have stayed in England. Once in America the colonists loved the new freedoms they had, including freedom of religion, press, and to start their own legislators with their own laws. The only time Britain interfered with the colonies was with trading affairs, otherwise known as salutary neglect.
After the war ended, Britain went into great debt. Double then what it was before the war ended. The British thought the colonists should pay more taxes to Parliament because it was their war, not England’s, as shown in Document 1. When the King issued the Stamp Act the colonists went into a rage. As shown in Document 2, the colonies thought it was unjust and unconstitutional. The King had no right to tax them without representation and that is one of the first reasons why the colonists were right to want freedom from Great Britain.
When the colonists proposed the Olive Branch Petition and declared their loyalty to the king and the desire for peace, they were waving the white flag. But the king ultimately denied the petition and declared the colonists in rebellion; yet another reason why the colonies were right to want freedom from Great Britain. They tried to make things better and the king shot them down.
The colonists were brave, independent people who came to America on a limb to help the mother country gain more wealth. In return the king gave them protection and land. He also helped them greatly against the French in the French and Indian War. After all the taxation and the forced quartering of the soldiers and many deaths later, the king officially declared the colonists in rebellion in the Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition of August 1775. He told them, in a nut shell, that he would not protect them. That is the final reason on why the Colonists were right to want freedom from Great Britain. When the leader of your country/colonies tells you you are not protected anymore, that gives you the right to a new leader.
November 8, 2009 at 6:00 pm
The colonists were in fact justified in their attempt to relinquish themselves from Great Britain. These colonists came to this new and bizarre world in search of freedom and salvation. The British however saw them as property and not as their own independent country. The British began taxing them outrageously for their own benefits. For example, the Stamp Act, which was a tax on stamps that were required on any legal document, was issued by Parliament due to the fact that they were in debt and needed money to pay the troops stationed in the colonies. Besides taxation, no governmental representation for the colonies was a big issue that was completely unjust. Parliament gave the colonies absolutely no representation in the government and therefore they had no say in whatever was imposed on them, which gave them the right to want to be separate from the crown. Yes, some of the actions of the colonists were a little extreme, like pouring all of the tea from the British East India Company into the Boston Harbor, but the British were taking advantage of the colonists and they had the right to break free and want to start their own life.
November 8, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Yes, The colonists quest for independence was deffinitly justified because obviously the colonists had little freedom under the control of Great Britain. The colonists were taxed endlessly without representain. Because of the French and Indian war, England was in so much debt that they through it all on the colonists to pay off. The colonists also had little to no say over there land and government. So yes the American Colonists quest for independence was undoubtidly justified.
November 8, 2009 at 6:31 pm
The colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists left England to search for religious, political, and social freedom. They came here to start a new place to make money for the mother country, or England, known as mercantilism. But when they were earning the necessary money for England, the king left them alone, which is called salutary neglect. During this time the colonists began governing themselves, and making their own new ideas, because the king did not bother with them. This led the colonists to later on feel as if they did not need a king as much, and could govern themselves.
When the French and Indian war was over England’s debt doubled. The king then went back to the colonists for support, and began taxing, and putting new laws on them to earn money for the newly created debts. The colonists did not think this was fair because they had no representation in Parliament, and therefore had no say in any of the laws or taxes placed on them. Therefore, I think the colonists were justified in their quest for independence because England was unfair to them in many ways. They were given more taxes, laws, and were treated unequally and looked down upon by English citizens.
November 8, 2009 at 8:26 pm
The American colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. They had reason to leave the country, what with the harsh rule, and once they arrived in America they received little to no help from their mother country. Instead, Britain expected help from them. When England’s national debt doubled as a result of the French and Indian war, they turned to the American colonies to finance them. This started a huge string of taxes for the colonies. This was an outrageous idea to the colonists, and they could barely afford to pay taxes on every little thing. When they wanted to voice their opinions on the taxes, they couldn’t since they had no representation in Parliament. This was also unfair treatment to them. Granted, the colonists over reacted at points, mainly the Tea Act, but they deserved to be angry. They were completely justified in wanting to break away from a tyranny and finally get the independence they thought they were getting at the initial move across the Atlantic.
November 9, 2009 at 6:18 am
The Colonists weren’t justified in breaking away from England. the colonist werent justified because they were paying taxes but so was England, olny England wasn’t harrasing the colloectors with tar and feathers, or buringing down their offices or homes, and England had higher taxes. England also had the right to enforce govermental laws and other practices because England owned the colonies. The colonies had no right to break free because they were owned by England and had every right to enforce power and the colonies had no right to rebel extremly like they did.
November 9, 2009 at 8:08 am
So far so good.
I have e-mail a few of you back with suggestions on what you should do to get the highest grade possible.
Glad to see someone taking the argument that they were not justified, it makes it more interesting for me to read; well done Trent.
Keep writing folks!
November 9, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Yes, the colonists were definitely justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain for several reasons. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” That quote secures and justifies rights. The colonists were seeking political, religious and economic liberty. Great Britain did not only demand the colonists to pay for their war debt, but they also treated the colonists as if they belonged to England, and as if they were their property. Also, the colonists were under a tyrannical government and living with harsh laws that involved taxation without representation. The colonist’s various rights and freedoms were encroached without reasoning for the king to do so. Britain also went against different doctrines and denied the Olive Branch Petition, showing their loyalty to the king. The colonists were in it to make their country gain more power and wealth, while Britain didn’t look at them like they were their own independent country. All the colonists wanted was to launch a better life that would progress. Based on the list of grievances the colonists had with the king, the restrictions, the limitations the colonists had to suffer from, the war debt, and denial of documents, yes, I believe that the colonists were justified in their quest from England.
November 9, 2009 at 5:37 pm
American colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. After the French and Indian War, the British taxed the colonists in order to pay off the debts from the war. Many of the colonists, however, found this unjust because the British had little control over the colonies in the past. In the past, the colonists had faced salutary neglect, which led to them being used to governing themselves. Then, as more taxes and rules were placed on the colonists, such as the Stamp Act, the Quartering Acts, the Sugar Acts, and more, the colonists felt that it was not fair or lawful for the British to have this control over the colonists when Britain gave them little support in the past and especially when the colonists were not being represented in the government. This was an example of taxation without representation. The colonists knew they wanted and could run their own government and be in better condition than under the British rule and that is why they strived for independence. However, they were also justified in doing so because the British were not treating them fairly and the British also were unjust and unreasonable with the laws they placed on the colonists. The American colonists sought after independence and were justified in doing so.
November 9, 2009 at 7:46 pm
I believe that the American colonists were definitely justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists had to endure many things from the British. First the colonists were sent to America to help England become a greater worldly power, and then the citizens of England treated the colonists like they weren’t good enoug to be “British Gentlemen” even though they tried so hard to be juts like them. Another thing is when the colonists had to go through all the taxing that the British put on them, and not even have representation when Parliament was deciding to pass the taxes. One more thing that the colonists had to tolerate was when the British government took away the colonists’ community governments and took the power to control them on every account. I feel that the British were very unfair in a lot of things they did to the colonists, so the American colonists were very justified to want to break off such a controlling country.
November 9, 2009 at 8:17 pm
The colonies were not justified in their quest for independence. The English colonies were founded by England to be “cash cow”, and in the beginning the colonies did not protest because of the loyalty they felt for their mother country. In the early 18th century England began the practice known as “salutary neglect”: England did not interfere with the colonies’ affairs; basically left the colonies to the wolves. The colonies grew comfortable with the new-found self-governance. When England began to govern the colonies again in the latter end of the 18th century, the colonies were unaccustumed to the English. The colonies ignored what the English decreed, and then started to defy them. The colonies did not recognize England’s right to rule the colonies. In the colonies’ eyes, England lost the right to rule them. The English, however, DID have that right, and saw the colonies’ actions as an insult to the sovereignty. When English are insulted, they crack down. (Look at Scotland for an example, in the 14th century.) Due to misunderstands and misinterpretations, a civil war was bound to happen.
November 9, 2009 at 8:46 pm
To agree that their search for freedom from Great Britain is to say that today The United States of America is perfect as part of the free world. As you may know, or refuse to agree to, the United States is less that perfect. In the beginning of her history, yes, she was a great country. Then like all good things, the young country started to corrupt and crumble.
If the American colonies had continued to stay connected to Great Britian, not only would things be completely different, but they would potientally better than they are today. Though we would still be in some sort of debt, as normal, it would not be as now.
To agree with Trent H., I, too, believe that the colonies should not have been so set to seperate from Great Britain. When a country has control over colonies, in any situation, there are several taxes that come with it. Of course, Americans being the way they are, they wanted to make some sort of noise about it. Thus, the fight for independence began. That, I believe, is when the history of the United States of America started to take shape.
November 9, 2009 at 8:50 pm
The colonists were completely justified in their quest for independence from England. The colonies were established as a monetary tool for England, and the British rarely kept a close watch on the colonists. Their take on mercantilism was that they would leave the colonies alone as long as money was being made. The colonists got used to the lifestyle and independence that was a product of salutary neglect; they had a pivitol part in their government and held town meetings. Life was comfortable for both the British and the colonists.
After the French and Indian war, however, England looked towards the colonies as the main provider of the money needed to balance out the doubled debt that resulted from the fighting. They restricted the colonists land, and taxed them on many different good. After the comfortable, fair lifestyle they were used to, this was outrageous in the minds of the colonists. They were supporters of absolute representation, where local government officials took charge of local affairs, and whose jobs were in the hands of the people. They wanted no part of the virtual representation of England. They believed Parliament was denying them rights that they should rightfully have as British gentlemen. They were also angry at the lack of representation in Parliament.
I think the colonists were completely right in their decision to break off from the country that was holding back their expansion and treating them with much less respect than they deserved. England should have realized that the colonists were citizens, too, and should have fair representation in decisions that affect them directly.
November 10, 2009 at 2:49 pm
The American colonists were without a doubt justified in their rebellion against the British Empire. They where justified for their rebellion just like every other rebellion the world has seen. In-fact, there hasn’t ever been an unjustified rebellion in the history of the world. Every single rebellion is justified because people have the right to control their government, and if the people are unhappy, then they have the absolute right to rebel against their government. Once the people rebel, they have the right to establish any form of government they wish, and if the population is against the new government, then they may have a counter-revolution.
The issues of taxation, oppression, and various other issues that sparked the revolution are irrelevant to the question at hand. They are irrelevant because no matter how good or bad the American’s were treated they still hold the right to rebel if they are unhappy with the government.
November 10, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I believe that the colonists were jusutified in their quest for independence, however, i don’t agree that they were justified in using such violent tactics right off the bat. Sure i know that there was the Declaration of Independence that was a request for peace, but before that the colonists were personally being violent. The Boston Massacre is a prime example of this, because a group of colonists provoked the British sodiers to shoot and then turned the story to make it look like the sodiers were bad people when most of them weren’t at all. The colonists had every right to want freedom and independence but in a more civil way.
November 10, 2009 at 3:38 pm
There is no room for debate when it comes to the topic of the Amercian rebellion against Great Britains rule. Like Tyler said, every civilizations citizens have the undeniable right to rebel against their government if they dislike the way the governemnt has a hand in their affairs. As said before, the effects of the French and Indian War weighed heavy in the debt that Great Britain now had to maintain the protection that was needed in the colonies, and what better way to relinquish that debt than to require the payment from the American colonies. Now, this act would not have lead to the revolution of the American colonies if Great Britian did not give the colonies as much free will as demonstrated with the act of “Solutary Neglect.” With this being said and known, it is clear to see that the English colonies acted out in the rebellions due to the independence that was given to the colonies prior to the French and Indian War. The taxation of the colonies were not un-constitutional: it was simply a different experience for the colonists and they could not grasp the situation, therefore, they took it upon themselves to correct the situation, thus causing deeper problems and a greater rift between the Mother Country and the Americas.
The American colonies, as stated before, had every right and every justification to gain their independence: however it is clear to see that is was an unnecessary step in the developement of the Western hemisphere of the world. The reason that they rebelled is seemingly frivolous seeing as the taxation put upon them was justified as well, yet it is clear to see that if the colonists did not rebel once this was enacted that they would have and could have rebelled about anything else.
November 10, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. This quote may be from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, but it is a statement based around the beliefs of the founders of America. They believed, just as we do today, that government should be run by the people of the country, and not a select few of the wealthy citizens. They believed that humans have the right to run their own civilizations, and that everyone should have a say in what we do. So, since the British had started taking away their freedoms and rights, the people of America decided that they needed to detach themselves from Britain and become a new, self-run country. They believed they were justified, and they were right. They may have used some unsavory tactics, but they did what was necessary to gain their freedom and retain their rights as human beings.
November 10, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I believe that the colonists were just in fighting for independance, but i agree with what Katie P. had said. They should have come up with more civil ways of fighting for their freedom. Durring the Stamp Act, there was no need to tar and feather the stamp collectors. They were just trying to do their job. If anyone should have been tarred and feathered it should have been the Parliment and the Thrown because they did not want to listen to what the colonists had to say. They represented the colonists unfairly. There was taxation with out representation. The Parliment did not really understand all of the hardships that the colonists were going through and they were just inconsiderate towards them. After all, the colonists were still law abiding citizens of England. They hould have had to just pay the normal fines that any other British Citizen had to pay no matter where they lived.
November 10, 2009 at 6:25 pm
My opinion, like most, is that the colonists were in fact justified in their quest for independence. Salutary neglect plays a big role in their reasoning for wanting to break away from Britain, as well as unfair taxation without representation and how they restricted their rights and powers.
The British would pay little to no attention to the colonists unless it in some way would be beneficial. They used them to become a World power and also would profit from their resources. After the French and Indian war there was a huge debt. The only way Parliament could get the money was from taxing the colonists on tea, stamps, paper, glass, etc. This, of course, resulted in rebellion. The colonies had no representation in parliament, therefore Britain had no right to tax them in the first place. Parliament also took away powers that the citizens in the new world previously had while being neglected.
With all of these changes the colonists had the right to rebel because they were not being heard. They were being treated poorly but they also were not completely innocent. I agree with Katie and Morgan that they could have approached matters differently but that does not change the fact that they were justified for their search for freedom and independence.
November 10, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Yes, the American colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists originally came to America for religious, political, and economic freedom. Great Britain then set taxes and laws, however did not give any representation so the colonists fought back.
For example, when England passed the tea act the colonists rebelled by seeking on a ship one night and throwing all of the tea into the harbor. After many of these unjust taxes and laws, our founding fathers wrote up a little thing called “The Declaration of Independence” which proved the American colonies were independent from England
November 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm
The Americans were justified in their quest for independence. Originally most people who willingly came to the colonies went because they wanted to be free. Some to be free from persecution such as religous persecution. Britain had obtained a large debt because of the war and needed a way to pay it off. So they decided to tax the colonies. Most colonists were not even involved in the war and were being taxed for something they had no part of. They were stilll taxed and colonists were not fond of it after a while. They were overwhelmed with taxes. Britain had the right to tax them, but not as much as they did. The colonists couldn’t do anything about it because nobody listened to them. Even when they got the stamp act repealed a new act was immediately passed. The Declatary Act. This stated that Parliament had the right to make laws for the colonies in all cases whatsoever. The colonists came to America to be free, not to be controlled by England.
November 10, 2009 at 7:23 pm
The Colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The American Colonists were fighting for something more than just money, they fought for freedom, liberty, and an ideal that they would soon be free from the powerful, demanding and unjust control of the mother country. The Colonists believed that government should be run by the people of the country, that we should have the right to run our own civilization and not be ordered how to live. The British had started taking away their freedoms and rights, so the people of America decided they had had enough. They wanted to leave Britain and become their own self-run country. They may not have used the best tactics, but they did what they thought to be nessecery and got the job done. But who could blame them for acting so. Great Britain restricted the colonists land, and taxed them on many different goods. This was rediculous in the minds of the colonists. They wanted absolute representation and the officials’ jobs in the hands of the people. They were completely against the virtual representation of England. They believed Parliament was taking away their rights. Being a Colonist then and thinking this way there was no other choice. They would not be heard if they did not rebel, they had already tried that, and their olive branch was ignored. Perhaps to have any chance they needed to be rash and a bit violent to get the message across to Great Britain.
November 10, 2009 at 8:56 pm
The colonists were not justified in their rebellion to British authority. Although the British had practiced Salutary Neglect for many years, they were well within their rights as rulers of the empire to begin imposing taxes (Sugar Act, Townshend Acts, etc.) after the French and Indian War. The Salutary Neglect was a gift given by the British early on and it was taken for granted. After the war, Britain’s debt was doubled. Since the most benefit was held in the colonies, it only made sense that they pay for it. It was not unconstitutional at all. It was just not necessary to make the other parts of the empire pay for something that did not benefit them. Also, with the Tea Act of 1773, the colonists were completely unjustified in performing the Boston Tea Party. This Act, like the rest, was just an attempt to raise revenue for the empire which was in great need of funds. Dumping the tea overboard could only harm the empire. It can be attributed to the state of America today. If everyone buys foreign products, how will it be possible to attain the necessary funds be acquired to lift us out of the recession. If just American products are sold in America and not foreign, no wealth will be lost, and thus, the economic state ceases to fall. That is why the Americans were unjustified in their quest for independence from Britain.
November 10, 2009 at 9:47 pm
The American colonists were just in their search for indepence. They moved to America for their freedom, to become individual and rule their own lives. The British came into America and tried to take control after they let the colonist roam, and do as they pleased.
I see the American Colonists as a teenager andBritian as the parents. After parents let their child have freedom there is a slim chance you will put your child back into place.Britian tried to put the colonists into their place by putting taxes on them, which probably would have been fine if the didn’t put so many taxes on, but Britain went over the top. So in response to Britain the colonists rebeled.
November 10, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Without a doubt the colonists were more than justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonist came to America for freedoms, not just the freedom of land, but the liberties of economics, religion. Britain didn’t see the colonists as individuals, the English saw the American’s as properties and a source of income. England thought it needed to tighten its grip on the colonies in order to make money to pay off their debt. However, this just caused the colonist to become angry. It wasn’t long after the intolerable act and the coercive acts were in effect that the colonist decided it was time to rebel. After all, why should the colonist have to pay taxes when they never had representation in Parliament? Why should they house British Soldiers in their homes when it was the British Soldiers who were helping enforce the outrageous laws passed by Parliament? It even came the point where it seemed as though the colonist had no control whatsoever on their own government; Britain even tried to control the judges and the court system. How else would the Americans expect to get the equality of the average English Citizen; after all the colonies were under the control of England therefor they should be English Citizens as well. It may not have been the only answer but rebellion and revolution was a logical theory. The colonists were more than just in the way they carried out their quest for freedom.
November 11, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I don’t necessarily believe that seperating from England was the wrong thing to do, but I dont’t think it was 100% justified. In my oppinion the colonists were kind of acting like spoiled children. England had every right to put whatever tax they want on the colonies. They had this right because the colonies were they’re clolonies and the colonists were they’re people. Just as our government puts a tax on us today, England could put a tax on it’s colonies, no matter how much attention they paid them. The part that makes me so skeptical towards the colonists actions was the fact that England was in such big debt, largly from defending the colonies. Huge reasoning for the French and Indian War was to defend them, and they needed help in paying back what they owed. Even though the colonies were under “Salutary Neglect” for some time, the taxes and other changes that England wanted were just something that they had to get used to. That is why the colonists were un justified in their rebelion.
November 11, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I believe that the colonists were justified in seeking independence from the rule of Great Britain. The reason for this belief is that by starting the colonies, and letting them do things almost completely their own way, as long as they traded with the parent country, started an independent feel in the colonies. This use of salutary neglect, and then the abrupt change after the French and Indian War, upset and stirred some people into feeling like puppets on strings. Also, the way the British treated the colonists, like they were lower than the common homeless person, must have slowly worn down on the morale and admiration of the colonial people as a whole. All of these added with the Intolerable Acts and the taxes in general, give me the belief that the Americans were justified in their quest for freedom. I know I would have tried to become free.
November 11, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Yes the Americans were justified in their quest for independence. I do however fell that the colonist should of paid the tax’s to England because the colonies were English colonies so the people living in those colonies should of been made to pay the tax’s their government put on the so that they could come out of debt from past wars. I also think that the colonist should have a little independence like being able to make the laws in the colonies to address the problems in the colonies. But they should still be loyal to England and what England says goes because they are still a English colonie that’s why i think colonists were unjustified in their rebellion against England.
November 11, 2009 at 5:31 pm
The colonists were no doubt justified in their quest for independence. The colonists took the risk of leaving their homeland and coming to a new and barely explored land that held no promises for them. They came here with their rights that they were born with, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, and they were able to pursue each of those things as long as they continued to trade with the mother country. When the French and Indian War occured, they began to be denied those rights by the British because times began to get tough and major debts were starting to accumulate in England, so instead of finding a way to regain control of their economy, the British decided to use the colonists like puppets hit them hard with taxes and controlled their trade which led to more money for England, and pretty much controlled their every move. After going along with it for some time, the colonists finally took a stand and rebelled with them pushing the issue of “no taxation without representation”. That was not the only time where England treated the colonists unfairly, but there was many more and all of them led up to the rebellion, and the split between England and what is now known as America, and that is why the colonists were justified in their quest of independence.
November 11, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Yes, the colonists were justified in their quest for freedom from Great Britain. They went to the colonies to start a whole new life and for religious freedom. Also, some went for adenture and wealth. After the French and Indian War the British had the colonists pay taxes because they were in debt from the war. The colonists didn’t have representation. So, they got in a fight with Great Britain. They also had to house soldiers due to the Quartering Act. I think that the taxation with out representation was unfair. But, the colonist still got what they wanted when they came to the colonies, it was just a little bit of a struggle but nothing in life is free and you always have to pay a price to get what you want. That is why I think the colonists were justified in their quest for freedom from Great Britain.
November 11, 2009 at 7:00 pm
In the opinion of myself and apparently everyone else in honors, yes, the colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. Great Britain saw our America as nothing more than a source of income and wealth, like any colony anywhere. Great Britain had been taxing them almost entirely to pay off debts it had gathered by fighting a war that contrary to popular English belief, had not greatly affected the colonists. After Great Britain had put these taxes into effect the colonists had quietly rebelled and asked politely for proper justice. After Britain had decided against giving the Americans what any individual deserves, the right to be listened to, they ignored them, so the colonists upped the antsy. After the Boston tea party, Britain became infuriated and gave out even more unfair taxes and acts. The colonists were then justified to want to leave their brute of a mother country and make a new, fairly taxed life.
November 11, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I personally think that the colonist were justified in their quest for independence, they were being seriously and harassed and taken advantage from Great Britain. Just because they were not connected with Great Britain doesn’t mean they should have been treated differently. The only reason that the colonist acted out with their actions was because they were being treated bad and they tried to give Great Britain time to change their attitude and with peace treaty’s and all but it just never worked out, so they ended up going to war for the Colonist own independence. This relationship kind of resembled the golden rule like we know it today, treat others the way you want to be treated. The British was treating them badly and the colonist didn’t like that so they finally stood up to the big bully and taught them a lesson by bringing them to war to justify their own independence!
November 11, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Yes I do believe that they were justified in their quest for independence.
after the French and Indian war the British were taxing the colonist to pay for Britain’s debt, also the list of how many things the colonist could sell to other countries besides Britain was very short. The colonist saw no other logical solution other than seeking independence from Great Britain because all the taxation was becoming unbearable to them. With the great minds of people such as the Sons Of Liberty with the Boston tea party and a plethora of wonderful strategies that helped win the war America was born. I am an extreme pacifist and although i don’t believe in war and killing and under usual circumstances i would definitely not condone this sort of thing but the colonist were all about freedom and they had to do what they had to do to make progress , sometimes people have to make sacrifices in order for mankind as a whole to make progress. Not at anytime no matter how inimical the British were towards the colonist we never gave up this is a trait that we as Americans associate with ourselves, the colonist used their skills to win their independence and we should all be grateful that they did or else our world would have been very different today. So yes i believe that the colonist were justified in their quest for independence.
November 11, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I do believe the colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists came from families or ancestries that were ran out of England. The colonists were also being taxed ridiculously, this limited their entire way of living, which in no way was right on the part of Parliament. The colonists knew what they needed to do as a country and needed nothing from Great Britain, there actions in boycott worked tremendously, and i feel helped to better their independent strength for the future. People of AMerica knew that they were being treated differently than those in Great Britain and knew that this treatment would continue until serious action was taken. Everything the colonist did, including tarring and feather officials collecting taxes, although crazy was needed to break the rule Great Britain had began creating over the colonies.
November 11, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I believe the colonists were justified in waging war and declaring their independence from Britain. They came to america for religious and political purposes and they were hit with many more problems including taxes by the British Authority. The Townshend Act, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and the Intolerable Acts are all taxes that were given unjustly. The colonists had no representatives in Parliament so therefore they had no way of disagreeing or putting in their own words. The colonists even tried diplomatic ways to stop taxation with out representation, but everything they had tried failed because British officials denied and ignored the colonists.Not only would they have no say in any new taxes, after the seven French and Indian War where they had thought to be a uplifting and most honorable time they were bombarded with trade regulations that really raised revenue that the British took advantage of ( Stamp Act) and levying taxes.
November 11, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I believe the colonists were justified in their strive for independence.After the French and Indian War Great Britain need a way to pay off their debt. Great Britain allowed them to create a life in the Americas. The colonists created a life at the colonies for a freedom from Great Britain. The colonists were taxed without representation and had to pay mercantilism. And in return the King did nothing and neglected them. The colonists soon started to make their own laws and govern themselves. Doing this the colonists then felt the the king was no longer nessasry and this is what started the rebellion. Great Britain was blind to not see the rebellion coming after letting the colonists watch over themselves. So I believe the colonists were absolutely justified in their strive for independence.
November 11, 2009 at 9:21 pm
The colonists were most definitely justified in their quest for freedom from the British. The main objective of the migration to the new world was a new life involving freedom, adventure and the search for wealth (gold). I agree with what Savannah stated about the quote involving the inalienable rights, saying everyone created equal and is granted the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I also see where Trent is coming from, but the colonies were indeed a part of Britain, and they do not have the right to unevenly tax them. Also, Britain placed this taxes due to their debt doubling after the French and Indian war, so they attempted to compensate by mooching off their own land. That is like my mother coming to me and asking for $20 a week. The hand that feeds has turned into the hand that steals. I see the intolerable acts as the sequence in time in which the colonists say they are fed up and retaliation is needed. Other acts involved were the Sugar Act, Stamp Act and Townshend Duties, and they are basic examples of taxation without representation. How are the colonists going to get their word out when they didn’t even have a representative in Parliament? The colonists realized they were heading down a dark road of schemes by the British, so they decided they had to end it, and the best way was to go to war.
November 11, 2009 at 9:32 pm
The colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. Life in America during the time when Great Britain ruled was hard. The Americans suffered many laws and taxes that we today would never be able to handle. They had to pay for the debt that Britain had obtained and these taxes were placed on practically all necessities such as paper products tea and even. British soldiers were placed in the homes of Americans and had to be accommodated for. These are just a few reasons why the colonists were justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain.
November 11, 2009 at 9:34 pm
When the colonists came to America, they found a “New World”, not a “New Britain”. They came after they were ran out of their home country and it was not long until Britain tried to take advantage of them here as well. For a little while, Britain practiced salutary neglect. However soon many acts were imposed to tax the citizens and make sure the colonies would never make any money before Britain did. At this point war became absolutely necessary. After peace treaties were denied and Britain continued it tyrannic behavior, war was started after the Boston Massacre occurred. They fought to free themselves from the stranglehold that Britain had put on its prior citizens.
The colonists had already experienced a period where Britain had left them to fend for themselves. Once the ropes were tightened and numerous acts were imposed, none of the colonists were happy. They knew how they were living before and they wanted it to stay that way. They could not live forever they way they were under Britain’s laws and they realized this. Rebellion was a must.
November 11, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Yes, the colonists were definitely justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists should not have had to pay un fair taxes, the colonists were a part of Britain and deserved to be treated equally. Great Britain needed a way to pay off war debts so taxing the colonists was their way of doing it. The colonists were striving for political and religious freedom and got taxed unfairly. The colonists had a right to be mad and rebel. The colonists didn’t want war or violence they just wanted to be treated fairly. The colonist had no representatives in parliament so there was no way that there opinions and thoughts could be heard. The colonists deserved to be treated fairly and not taxed with things like the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Acts, and the Intolerable Acts. Britain could not have honestly thought that the colonists would have put up with the unfair treatment forever and Britain should of saw the colonists strive for independence coming. The colonists main goal was to achieve freedom and fair treatment from Britain so the colonists were absolutely justified in their strive for independence.
November 11, 2009 at 9:50 pm
America was started by people who left England for political, religious and economic freedom. Once in the New World they would call America, England placed many taxes and different acts to keep tabs on the new colonies. Even though the colonies were still part of England they would never receive much help from their mother country. When they did receive help during the war with the French and Indians, colonists would have to pay back the debt. That was just the beginning of the taxes that the colonies would face and make them want to break free from England. The Townshend duties, Tea act, stamp act and all of the other Intolerable acts were mad when the colonies had no representation in Parliament. The colonists started to protest and boycott against English officials but nothing changed in their favor. In reaction Parliament passed more acts and taxes on the colonists hoping that it would stop the protest. So when it comes to the war I do not believe that the colonists were justified in trying to break free from England. The colonists came to the colonies as English settlers and claimed the land for their country. If the colonists didn’t try to go out and expand into other tribes and countries land the French and Indian war could have been avoided.The reason England placed most of the taxes on the colonies was to pay off the debt that the colonies caused for Britain. In another view Parliament shouldn’t have viewed the acts they passed as something that would calm the protest in the colonies. So in general I do not totally believe that the colonies were justified in their fight for independence due to the caused the debt and had to pay it back but refused.
-Adam H.
November 11, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Yes, the colonists were definitely justified in their quest for independence from Great Britain. The colonists came seeking freedom for deferent things, and Great Britain decided to tax them, and make laws governing them. After the war the colonists were forced to pay for the enormous debt Great Britain had eccumulated. They paid for them with the tax that Great Britain had put on almost everything, mostly on necessities. So i believe that the colonists had a definite right to seek independence.
November 11, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Yes, I do believe that the American Colonists were justified in their quest for freedom from Great Britain. The Colonists came to America on a quest for independence. They had no knowledge of the land, but they took a risk so they could live free lives. They were allowed to be free as long as they kept up trading with the mother country. It was fine until the French and Indian War, when the debt in England doubled, and they started taxing the Colonists to make up for it. The Sugar and Stamp Acts were results of this, and the Colonists rebelled. Events were occurring such as the Boston Tea Party, when the Colonists (dressed as Indians) dumped a ton of British tea into the Boston Harbor. These actions and others combined show that the Colonists went through a very hard time while trying to achieve freedom in America, which is why I think that they were justified in their quest for freedom.