Why did America want to gain independence from Great Britain?

Answer 1

Americans were being opressed by the british. When the british enacted the stamp act, it was the beginning of the realization of this opression. The sons of liberty got people angry about the exploitation that was happening and without getting independence, America could not stop these taxes. when the british imposed the tea act, the people reacted with the "Boston tea party," dumping 1 million dollars worth of tea into the Boston harbor. this sparked the American Revolution which gave American freedom from the british.

Also, they had the money and the land; therefore, they no longer relied on Britain. The colonists thought that without Parliament's taxes and restrictions on trade, they could make more money. Colonists also believed that Parliament didn't have the right to create new taxes and laws, when there weren't any Americans in Parliament.

Answer 2

The American Revolution began as a fight for the colonists' rights as Englishmen. They only declared independence when they did to be eligible for foreign aid.
The colonists requested/declared their independence from Britain due to the extreme taxes that were being imposed upon them. They were being charged extreme amounts of money because they were an ocean away and did not have anyone representing them in Parlaiment. Being under British rule those in power felt that they could charge as they chose no matter how far away or unfair it was.

Answer 3

Anyway, the reason why the US declared independence from the British Empire largely stems from the events that occurred after the French and Indian War (alternatively known as the Seven Years' War). A very valued element of the colonists in America was the idea that they would largely be in control of the management of their affairs without much intervention of the King nor Parliament. However, the French and Indian War saw the deployment of many British soldiers ("Redcoats") into the Colonies. This was welcomed by the exhausted militias of the Americans, who were glad to have the support of the large and greatly feared British, their forces standing as one of the most formidable (at least it's navy). However, the French and Indian War proved to be expensive and lengthy, largely due to the French strategy of allying with the Native Americans and forming a dangerous guerrilla strategy that easily targeted the British formal lines and bright red coats (The standing European strategy of war was one of honour, where battles were often arranged between two sides as a sort of "test" of traditional military strength). At the end of the war, the British had gained a very large portion of North America, mainly in Canada and the present-day Midwest and western part of the Southeast. This largely was taken by the Americans to believe that they could expand "across the Appalachian/Allegheny mountains", a long-destined goal of the Colonists. However, the British, not wanting to rile up resistance from the Native Americans, restricted this with the Proclamation of 1763. This angered many Americans, who thought this was firstly against their interests and that it was gross intervention on their destiny (Manifest Destiny would later be used in other contexts, largely influenced by the same ideas that acted here, of Independence). Later, to pay for war debts, Parliament would pass a series of taxes on the colonies, further angering the colonists, who saw it as unjust intervention, breeding the idea of "No Taxation Without Representation". Whereas the colonists had been left alone without representation before, they now felt the intervention on their affairs justified their desire, as British citizens, for representation in Parliament. (There is a long-standing debate among historians that the American revolution never would have occurred if they had been given representation, however this occurred, mainly, it is argued, because of the aggressiveness of King George). This "rebellion" inevitably caused more soldiers to be sent into the American colonies, and much more intervention. This anger eventually lead to the "Boston Massacre", wherein colonists whom were largely antagonizing the stationed British were accidentally fired upon by colonists. This act was considered "the final straw" by many, a good portion more radical patriots. Samuel Adams, his Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere were the main players in spreading the news about this "massacre", which developed the next advantage of the patriots- communication (which admittedly was easier considering the distance from the UK, which would from then until the early/mid twentieth century prove the ideal foreign policy of America, but that is another matter). After the passage of several acts, one of them known as the Intolerable Acts, which sought greater control over Boston (considered the hotbed of patriotism (the then-day equivalent to the British as terrorism) and one of the largest communities in the Americas, and also due to it's location, a large port. It was in Boston, after all, that the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Native Americans, dumped tea overboard in a "Tea Party".

These various events divided and polarized the issue of independence, which largely aided by the justification published by Thomas Paine in his several writings (the most notable of them being "Common Sense", where he enumerated reasons everyday colonists should support full-out war for independence). However, the initial reaction of a formation of colonists in a Continental Convention (the First Continental Convention) was to send the Olive Branch Petition to Britain in hopes for peace. However, King George, still believed to be aggressive (and possibly, depending on which historian or historical theory followed, of declining mental state), denied this and essentially began the last few events before the war. It would take the battles of Lexington and Concord to show how serious it had become, and the events in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence before the US solidified it's position on the matter, and separated from the British Empire.

This is a rather "rushed" version of it, and there may be slight holes or things I have negligibly forgotten, but I hope this answer will suffice.

Answer 4

The people who declared their independence and wanted to, were called Patriots. The Americans realized that they didn't need to obey the laws that the Mother country, Great Britain, made. It was said that "children grow". They mean that they have already settled in America as colonists. They don't want to be British-Americans...They want to be AMERICANS! They want to start a new society right there in America. It was also because Britain has been passing down taxes on them(Stamp Act)...And letting them suffer in the Boston Massacre...British harmed their rights as Englishmen (See rights of Englishmen)...Britain used their powerful army against them...and MANY more. So why would the "Americans" want to stay as British people? They don't. They want to start a whole new Independent place...as America.

Answer 5

There are many reasons why the Colonies rebelled. One reason is that the Colonists did not like having a King. But the main reason is that Parliament inflicted many taxes on the Colonies without letting them have a voice in Parliament.

Answer 6

Because the British were putting on unfair tax laws. At least, that's the main reason. There may be other political reasons, but that's all you need now.

Answer 7

They had grievances which are set out in the Declaration of Independence.

Answer 8

intolorable acts

closing of bosten harbor

imposing taxes with out colonists concent

this is all right because im awsome