 |
 |
|
|
After the Colonies were established in America, Britain started to abuse their power. The king ordered higher taxes and the Boston Massacre changed some of the colonists view of this tyannical government.
One of the the taxes was the Stamp Act, which forced the colonist to pay taxes for all legal documents. The colonies responded with vocal protests. Not only were they expensive but they were highly noticable, since they were needed for everyday life. To make matters worse, British officers tried offenders of the tax, or sometimes for no reason whatsoever, in a court in Britain.
The protests formed a famous slogan used in the colonies: "No taxations without Representation!"
The colonist agreed not to send the British anything until the Act was repealed.
Problems also made itself known when the British troops were stationed in America. They were constantly teased by the colonist and this led to many confrontations. The Boston Massacre began when sixty colonists surrounded a British troop and began to throw snowballs at them. In response the British shot eleven people and five colonists were killed.
The Boson Tea Party is another popular protest. Colonies disguised themselves as Native Americans and boarded three ships. There they dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the water.
The Revolutionary War was declared and the colonists, who had little experience in warfare, seemed doomed. However, the French, who hated Britain, gave the colonist a helping hand and the allies came out on top.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was written (not at the same time of course) and signed and a new independant nation was born.
Africa, Americas, and Europe|Spanish North America|Early British Colonies|The Colonies Come of Age|Colonial Courtship Life