Name- Nourpa singh

Course- B.A. (hons) history (1st yr)

Q. Examine the causes of the American revolution with respect to

Europeans started colonizing the different parts of the world for mainly
precious metals and other raw materials which were beneficial for their
nation state. Christopher Columbus started his voyage in the search of India
the land of gold and silver in 1492 but he reached the West Indies which is
the island part of American Continent. From there the idea of colonizing
America begun. Modern times USA was just the 13 colonies of British Empire
which was later expanded to West after independence of America. After the
colonization and before the independence different events took place in the
region which causes the revolution and later which led to independence of
USA.
British Empire followed the policy of mercantilism which is the general
economic theory during the 16th 17th and 18th century. Mercantilism also
known Colbertism named after Jean Baptiste Colbert. It was a policy aimed at
building strong, wealthy and independent national state which would be
achieved by promoting Economic independence and a favorable balance of
trade. Britishers achieved mercantilism by encouraging self-reliance in native
shipping which also makes Navy strong and help during the times of war.
Secondly, it also protect and stimulate home industry which is essential for
self-sufficient and provide employment to citizen. Thirdly, it protects and aid
home agriculture which provide foodstuff and raw material for industries.
Lastly, they also need to keep favorable balance of trade for keeping large
metallic currency. Britishers consider gold and silver as more valuable than
other commodities. The main focus of mercantilism was welfare of mother
country by any ethical or unethical means.
Mercantilism started in 16th century which is also the rise of new rules and
regulation which became very unpopular in their times. Firstly, The
Navigation Act of 1651 which states that all goods have to imported in
England through ships by only the English proprietor, master and the
mariner of the major port, or in the ships of the goods manufacturing country
and the products must be brought directly to the England from the
manufacturing country. This act was again strengthen in 1660 known as the
“act for the encouraging and increasing of shipping and navigation”. Before
1766 non- enumeration articles such as- fish, iron, lumber, raw silk, and
other can be exported anywhere but later it was limited to south of Cape
finisterre. Beside controlling the trade and the regulation of import and
export the British mercantilist policy also control few manufacturing
enterprises in the Colony. There were two major industries which had a great
Impact on British manufacturing industries which were woolen and iron thus,
it was guarded by the Britishers. They were the leading manufacturer of
woolen, half of its export in the colonies were woolen goods. To guard their
monopoly in woolen industry British parliament introduced Woolen Act of
1699 which bans the export of woolen from one colony to other. This law also
removes the imposed duty on woolen imported to the colonies from England.
The second major industry was the iron industry which started to flourish in
1643 onwards. England was in need of iron due to industrial revolution but it
also afraid of industrial boom in colonies thus it passed a law in 1750 to
encourage the production of raw material but cut down the manufacture of
iron products. There were other economic conflict such as paper Currency.
these acts curtailed the right of the colonies, to issue paper money, this was
passed by the British parliament mainly to safeguard the English creditors.
Parliament programme for the American colonies in this regards during the
century between 1650s and 1750s known as old colonial system. After
having such harsh legislation there was negligible protest because almost all
rules were either evaded or not enforced. first half of the 18th century
England followed the policy of Robert Walpole whose motto was “ non
movers” (let sleeping dog lie), this was considered as the period of ‘salutary
neglect’. These violations reached to their height and practiced until the
1760s.
After a more than century since the first government navigation act of
Cromwell. It was the increasing of pressure after 1763 which deepened the
clash of interest and brought to a climax which lead to the revolution.
Essentially there was no fundamental change in British policy after 1763
beyond strengthening and enforcing a policy already a century old, A policy
based on protecting British interest and keeping the colonies in a subservient
economic position. In 1763 France lost the battle against the British. In which
Britishers lost lot of resources. During Gorge III regime they were determined
to end the policy of ‘salutary neglect’ as they thought American colonies
should be brought into supervision of crown and the colonists should help
the war debts occurred in their defence. So, they decided to Enforce more
strictly law of trade, to raise revenues in the colonies by all means. They
introduced sugar act of 1764, stamp act of 1765 this provided that stamps
varying in cost from ½ penny to £10 to be affiliated on licenses, contract,
deeds, wills, newspapers, pamphlets and other papers.
By summing up over the acts it causes discontent among people, after going
through unsuccessful legal ways people started boycotting English goods,
merchant refuses to import British goods which resulted in stamp act
repealing and the sugar act revised downward. There were other acts which
also act as fuel in revolution like the quartering act of 1765 which states that
colonists should provide for the light lodging and fuel of Garrison to be paid
placed in specified the stick, the Act of 1773 which was in introduced in the
favor of East India company who was on the edge of bankruptcy company
had surplus tea stored. It gave them right to sell it directly to the America.
Which was a both way profit this would help the company find a market and
at the same time provide the colony cheaper tea than ever. But it was
opposed by powerful class in the seaport town who afraid that this kind of
monopoly can be asserted on other commodities as well. At Boston, group of
citizen disguised as Indian, dumped the cargo of 342 chest of tea into water
which popularized as Boston Tea Party.
Britishers passed several acts for the promotion and establishment of Roman
Catholic Church in various regions like Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts
etc. Which also agitated the Anglo Americans.
The revolution started from 1763 to 1783, from Declaration of Independence,
raised the war of liberation, transforming colonies Interstate and creating a
nation which finally ended with the treaty of Paris. The changes occurred
with such remarkable rapidity, speed was truly revolutionary but scholars
disagree with the term ‘Revolutionary'. Some argue that revolution was
solely a colonial rebellion aimed at achieving only limited goal of
independence from Britain. Other believed that revolution was
accompanied by a violent social upheaval a class conflict as the radical lower
classes sought to gain a greater degree of democracy in what had been a
basically “undemocratic society” in the colonial era. American historians
initially did not consider it as a revolution , the main idea of American history
was the “quest of Liberty”.
George Bancroft in his book ‘History of the United states’ argues that the
revolution of America was one phase of a master plan by God which lead all
mankind towards a golden age of greater human freedom. Between 1890s
and 1940s to historiography school of thought were most popular. One group
was the imperial school which believed that political and constitutional issues
brought the revolution. The other one the progressive historians who
consider social and economic problem as the primary cause of Revolution.
Some of the popular imperial school of historians were George L. Beer,
Charles M. Andrews and Lawrence H. Gipson who argued that American
Revolution must not be viewed only on the context of American history, it is
also an integral part of British history as there is a political and
constitutional relationship between the colonies and the mother country.
They also presented their argument in support of their statement Beer wrote
four monographs about the Britain Commercial policies which was According
to him was liberal and and lightened. After him Andrews also saw benefits in
British navigation act it provided protection to American goods and ships,
which is also burdened for Britain. Gipson, who was the pupil of Andrews
defended the tightening of imperial policy after 1764 as it had been largely
Britain blood and money that was expended on defending North America in
the “Great War of empire” between 1754 to 1763.
On the other side the progressive historians like Carl L. Becker, Charles A.
Beard, Arthur M. Schlesinger and J. Franklin Jameson So there are religion in
term of an internal class conflict. They argue that this. Marked a sharp shift
towards an economic history. They mainly believed that it was the response
of materialistic force not ideological factor.
After 1945, a new school known as new conservative school emerged. While
progressive historians saw the American colonial society has “undemocratic”
wherein lower classes remained marginalized, non conservative Viewed it as
democratic society and also regarded American Revolution as a
‘conservative movement', they argued that because of the Britain policies
after 1763 Which was threatening the democratic system, the colonist
rebelled to preserve it. Neo conservative scholar Robert E. Brown in his book
mentioned that the most of the adult males in per war Massachusetts were
farmers who possessed sufficient land and thus qualified the necessary
condition of voting right. Bernard Bailyn analyze the pamphlet return during
re revolution. He claimed that the pamphlet was self-explanatory in nature
he regarded that the actual revolution took place inside people’s brain which
resulted in a huge transformation rather than social or political sphere.
The American Revolution was a significant event in American History. It
neither destroyed the basis of the old system nor it transferred the power
from Elite to new group but it had a significant Results. After revolution there
was an evident participation of common people in politics with their voting
rights. Many civil ideas like liberty equality rule of law and many more came
into focus First off although, in the process of nation building the rights and
resources with the oppression of tribal and native people cannot overlooked.
Hence, the American Revolution was revolutionary or not in nature is a
subject to debate. Although all the sacrifices and wars resulted into a
developed nation of the time United States of America.

Bibliography
 Faulkner , harold u (1943) American economic
history
 Grob, g.n. and g.a. billias. Interpretation of
American history: patterns and perspectives.