Essay 1 What started the Revolutionary War? The American Revolution was started over three main causes by the British Parliament: (1) increased control over the colonists, (2) taxation without representation and (3) colonists losing their individual rights. The British Parliament increased control over the colonists. This increased control, started after the British victory of the French and Indian war. The British Parliament issued the Proclamation of 1763. This prohibited colonists moving past the Appalachian Mountains. British had control over colonist movement and kept them from important markets and investments. The British planned to send ten thousand troops to America to protect their interests. Colonists started to be taxed more by Parliament; taxation without representation. One of the first taxes after the Proclamation of 1763 was the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act taxed anything made out of paper and needed a stamp to show that the tax was paid. To protest this Act, Colonists decided to boycott any British goods. Parliament gave into the boycotting and cancelled the Stamp Acts. On that same day, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament could tax and make decisions for the British colonies in all cases. In 1767 Parliament passed the Townshend Acts which taxed all imported goods. Taxation after taxation from the Parliament, led the colonists to outrage. Eventually, due to British tyranny, the colonists lost their natural rights. The citizens became so livid that they began militias to fight against Britain. George Washington led the Americans to freedom. Washington won The Battle of Saratoga which was the first American victory against the British. Not only was it a huge victory but it was a pivotal turning point for the Americans for France and Spain joined forces with the colonists because they saw a chance that the colonists could win the war. As a result of the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence was created. One day the Second Continental Congress had a meeting on July 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote the rough draft of the Declaration in two days in his apartment in Philadelphia. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin helped finish the final draft. Then it was singed on July 4, 1776. This helped America. If it wasn’t for the great heroes who fought in the war we would have a totally different society. Also to those who signed and created the Declaration of Independence we probably wouldn’t have our freedom that we have now. So the Revolutionary War might have been the most important historical event that has created and saved America.

The U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 by 56 members of the Continental Congress: CONNECTICUT | DELAWARE | GEORGIA | MARYLAND | MASSACHUSETTS | Samuel Huntington | Thomas McKean | Button Gwinnett | Charles Carroll | John Adams | Roger Sherman | George Read | Lyman Hall | Samuel Chase | Samuel Adams | William Williams | Caesar Rodney | George Walton | William Paca | John Hancock | Oliver Wolcott | | | Thomas Stone | Elbridge Gerry | | | | | Robert Treat Paine | | | | | | NEW HAMPSHIRE | NEW JERSEY | NEW YORK | NORTH CAROLINA | PENNSYLVANIA | Josiah Bartlett | Abraham Clark | William Floyd | Joseph Hewes | George Clymer | Matthew Thornton | John Hart | Francis Lewis | William Hooper | Benjamin Franklin | William Whipple | Francis Hopkinson | Philip Livingston | John Penn | Robert Morris | | Richard Stockton | Lewis Morris |