During the time leading up to the American Revolution, the colonists grew more and more frustrated and angry with the British government for their actions. Parliament enacted legislation on the colonists to make money off them to help cover their debt from the French and Indian War. These acts angered the colonists and over time led to their desire to split from Britain. Five of these acts included the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, The Townshend Acts, and the Quartering Act.

The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited American colonists to settle in land west of the Appalachians to appease the Native Americans after the French and Indian War.

The Sugar Act of 1764 required a tax be paid on sugar and molasses that was brought into the colonies.

The Stamp Act of 1765 required legal documents be printed on special paper that was embossed with a stamp.

The Townshend Acts added more taxes on imported goods like tea.

The Quartering Act required American colonists to provide room and board for British soldiers.

With all these regulations, the colonists began to feel that the British government was controlling them too much. They were being taxed without being represented, and they wanted to have more control in government, so the desire to separate from Britain began to flow through the colonies.

There are several reasons why the colonists separated from Great Britain. One reason was the passage of the Proclamation of 1763 and the Quartering Act. After the French and Indian War, the British were afraid the Native Americas would attack any settler who moved west of the Appalachian Mountains. For this reason, the Proclamation of 1763 banned the colonists from moving to the new lands gained from France. The colonists were not happy about this, and some colonists disobeyed this law. They also didn’t like that they had to provide housing for the soldiers to enforce this law as a result of the Quartering Act.

Another reason for declaring independence is the colonists believed the new tax laws were unfair. Both the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts required the colonists to pay taxes on various items. The colonists felt these taxes were unfair because they had no representatives in Parliament that could speak about or vote on these tax laws. They said every British citizen has the right to be represented in Parliament and have their representative vote on tax laws. Since the colonists were British citizens, they felt their rights were being violated because they had no representatives in Parliament.

The Boston Massacre was another event leading to independence. When the British shot and killed five colonists in Boston, some people believed this was the beginning of more events that would alienate the colonists. Since the British had now killed colonists, some people called for independence.

The Intolerable Acts pushed the colonists closer to independence. These laws punished the colonists, especially the colonists in Massachusetts, for the Boston Tea Party. These were very harsh laws, and the colonists said they wouldn’t obey them. This raised tensions between the British and the colonists even more. Additionally, the colonists began to form their own militias. This was a sign the colonists expected fighting to occur.

Finally, after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the colonists believed that a war was inevitable. There were many casualties on both sides, and actual battles had been fought even though independence hadn’t been declared. For many colonists, it was only a matter of time before independence would be declared and fighting would begin.