The Revolutionary War

First, they have taxed us on many different things we enjoy. Secondly, they continue to violate our rights as Americans. Lastly, the British have been depriving us of our liberty. "Our properties within our own territories [should not] be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own." Thomas Jefferson, 1774.

"No taxation without representation!" I often shouted when marching the streets of Boston. The reason for this was that I felt we were being taxed for no reason other than for Britain to steal our money.

This started with the Sugar Act in 1764; the British taxed all imported molasses which we used to make rum. Selling rum was one of our leading industries and Britain just wanted to get a hold of our money. Next, in 1765 Britain released the Stamp Act which taxed any legal documents like letters. This angered many Colonists.

Lastly, the Townshend Acts in 1767 taxed all imports such as lead, paint, glass, paper and tea. This influenced me as well as many of my fellow Colonists. Lead, paint, glass, paper and tea were the main things Americans needed and now they were being taxed? These were just a few of the taxes Britain released between 1763 and 1775. Taxes were only an intrusion to ones pocket, but some of Britain's actions violated our rights as Americans.

When your rights are violated and promises broken, you feel unwanted and unimportant and you seek change. This is exactly how the Americans felt after the Writs of Assistance. The Writs of Assistance was an intrusion to the colonist's rights because it allowed any British officers to search anyone at anytime. This greatly irritated us because we felt that there was no need for us to be searched other then to annoy us.

James Otis said to the court in 1661, “I say I admit that special Writs of Assistance, to search special places, may be granted to certain persons on oath; but I deny that the writ now prayed for can be granted, for I beg leave to make some observations on the writ itself, before I proceed to other Acts of Parliament.”

You'd think the British would be satisfied with this but apparently they weren't. They released the Proclamation of 1763. This forbade all of us from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. Our response was immediate and extremely negative.

Many had just recently fought to win this land and now the British are kicking us out just because of Indians? This made no sense to us, but as usual, we obeyed. After many years of obeying with these ridiculous Acts we thought the British were done tormenting us.

Instead, in 1774, the British issued another Act which forced citizens to house and care for British troops. This was known as the Quartering Acts. We despise the presence of the British in Boston and now we have to house them? James Otis agreed with all of the other colonists and said, “One of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one's house. A mans house is his castle.”

As a result to all of these laws we began protesting and Britain's response was unorthodox; they felt justified in greatly depriving us of our liberty and independence.

As a result to these three events, we want revenge. The British have definitely crossed the line now. We want to tell the British that if it's a fight they want, we will give them one. First, they murdered five men in Boston on March 5, 1770 two of whom I knew very well, all because we threw a few snowballs at them and called them names. This is now well known as the Boston Massacre. This was worse then any type of tax or law, this was murder.

Next, in 1774 Britain issued the Intolerable Acts, all because we dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. This Act consisted of many laws each piercing our independence like a British musket ball into an innocent mans chest. The laws basically eliminated Boston's trade, town meetings, and Independence.

On top of all this, one year later on April, 19, 1775, tons of British troops marched to Lexington just west of Boston in search of Samuel Adams and John Hancock. The minutemen of this city were aware and armed for this situation. Not prepared to fight the seventy minutemen waited for the hundreds of British troops to arrive. They politely talked and then all the sudden someone shot.

As a result, all of the British front line returned fire killing eight minutemen and injuring ten. This was called “shot heard "round the world.” John Paul Jones quoted after this, “I have not yet begun to fight!” meaning that this was a cheap shot and if the British wanted a fight then that is what they"ll get. These three events have exhausted our patience for the British. Now it is time for a solution. “Let justice be done though the heavens should fall.” John Adams wrote in a letter in 1777.

Think about all of these events and you will realize that we as Americans need a revolution. The British think they can tax us, rule us, and kill us whenever they want. Not only is this unfair, it is an injustice and is the primary reason we seek revolution Nathan Hale's last words before being hanged by the British were, “I can only regret that I have but one life to loose for my country.” It is time for us to rise up and fight for a revolution!