American Independence

American Independence

The French- Indian War was the conflict in North America that was between France and the Great Britain which was known as the Seven Years’ War which began in 1754 and ended in 1763 after the Treaty of Paris. The call for independence was influenced by many factors which were economic, social and political. This paper explores the political, economic and social factors that led to the revolution.

For the political reasons, Great Britain wanted to end the war because it had proved to be quite expensive for them and the country was having with the creditors who began to doubt if Britain would be able to repay the loans floated in the markets. For the three states namely; Spain, France, and Britain, there had to be a cease-fire for the three countries, and French negotiator Choiseul crafted a treaty that mostly favored all the three states, called the Treaty of Paris. Britain did not want further military expenses and sought ways to balance both the interests of the Indians and the colonists (page 135).

Of all the three factors, the most influential factor was the economic reasons brought about by the stamp act. Due to the massive costs brought about by the war, a British reformer George Grenville sought to bring in taxes that would increase the revenue to cover the costs. The taxes such as the Stamp and Sugar Act imposed heavy taxation to the discontentment of the people (page 135). Most Americans felt that the British had fought the war to increase its wealth and strengthen its colonies and not with the interests of American subjects. Finally, the provinces thought that the English masters were too harsh on them and wanted to have control of their lives and thus the rebellion (page 135).

 

 

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