Events leading to the American Revolution
 
 
        During the late seventeen hundreds, many tumultuous 
events resulted in Colonial opposition to Great Britain. The 
conditions of rights of the colonists will slowly be changed 
as the constriction of the parliament becomes more and more 
intolerable.  During the Seven Years' War England was not 
only alarmed by the colonists' insistence on trading with 
the enemy, but also with Boston merchants hiring James Otis 
inorder to protest the legality of the writs of assistance 
(general search warrants) used to hunt out smuggled goods. 
"let the parliament lay what burthens they please on us, we 
must, it is our duty to submit and patiently bear them, till 
they will be pleased to relieve us....". This is a very 
strong dictum, that in 1764, the colonists were of a 
submissive nature, and were weakly pleading for self-
autonomy. This small fire of anger will become a huge 
conflagration as the rights are slowly rescinded. 
        On October 19, 1765 the Stamp Act Congress and 
Parliamentary Taxation committee's passed some laws that 
attempted to strengthen the grip of the English crown.  
"I.That his Majesty's subjects in these colonies, owe the 
same allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain that is owing 
from his subjects born within the realm, and all due 
subordination to that august body, the Parliament of Great 
Britain."  This statement can be used as a summation of the 
entire document that the Stamp Act Congress had initiated. 
The statement depicts the colonists has having to be 
submissive and servile in the view of Great Britain, this 
policy angered the colonists very much, and was another 
component of the transition of the colonists'  rights and 
liberties.  
        When the Declatory Act was passed in March of 1766, 
many colonies were attempting to claim that they were 
"seceding" from England.  "Whereas several of the houses of 
representatives in his Majesty's colonies and plantations in 
America, have of late, against law, or to the general 
assemblies of the same, the sole and exclusive right of 
imposing duties and taxes upon his Majesty's subjects in the 
said colonies....be it declared ...., that the said colonies 
and plantations in America, have been, are, and of right 
ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the 
imperial Crown and Parliament of Great Britain;".  
        The Parliament of course denounced the attempt at 
independance and still dogmatilcally passed the following 
law to show that the colonists were still british subjects. 
Again, the colonists were infuriated and later will resist 
the british imperialism on the colonies.  "All before, are 
calculated to regulate trade, and preserve prpromote a 
mutually beneficial intercourse between the several 
constituent parts of the empite"", yet those duties were 
always imposed with design to restrain the commerce of one 
part".  This statement by the colonist (John Dickinson), 
shows that the sole rason for new taxes is just for the 
British gov't to make money, at the expense of the economy 
of the colonies. Dickinson makes a important distinction 
between the rights of the colonies and the authority of the 
parliament. Dickinson's comments were ubiquitous among the 
colonists, and thus infuriated them to rebellion, and the 
seizure of basic democratic rights.  "From necessity of the 
case, and a regard to the mutual interest of both countries, 
we cheerfully consent to the operation of such acts of the 
British parliament as are bona fide restrained to the 
regulation of our external commerce, for the purpose of 
securing the commercial advantages of the whole empire 
to the mother country , and the commercial benefits of it's 
respective members excluding every idea of taxation, 
internal or external, for raising a revenue on the subjects 
in America without their consent ...." 
        The continental congress had presented it's colonial 
rights.  These rights enable the colonies to be more 
autonomous with exception to those several states who are 
under the british control. One important element of the 
document, is the idea of taxation without representation; 
the said that raising taxes without consent was illegal and 
that the commercial benefits of the colony should be shared 
within the colonies, instead of England becoming more and 
more economically prosperous.  The whole idea of 
mercantilism was about to be crushed, due to this idea, of 
self-autonomy with respect to colonial  economics.  "Ye that 
oppose independence now, ye know not what ye do, ye are 
opening a door to eternal tyranny....". This statement made 
by Thomas Paine shows the foreshadowing, of what colonists 
would do. The British are trying to prevent independence, 
and from doing so, they are being tyrannical. Again, the 
rights of the colonists are being questioned and rebellion 
shortly will be forthcoming.  "That whenever any form of 
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the 
right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to 
institute new government, laying it's foundations on such 
principles and organizing it's powers in such form, as to 
them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and 
happiness.". What the declaration is really saying, is that 
a society who has no or little rights (such as the colonies) 
should be destroyed, thus separation from England. A new 
society would follow, where the people of the society would 
have these rights necessary for self-autonomy. The 
Declaration of Independence was a strong justification for 
revolution. The Revolution follows the Declaration of 
Independence, where a transition occurs. The transition has 
to do with the rights of the colonists. The colonists 
acquire their rights through resistance to British imperial 
conformity, by resisting certain policies detrimental to 
the inalienable rights of a democracy. The transitional 
period was from 1760's to 1770's. This is a crucial period 
of time, because this is where the center of power is 
transferred from the british government (Parliament) to the 
colonial citizens. A major component to this center of power 
was the rights of the colonists, the colonists gained their 
rights through resistence to an imperial power. This 
transition is depicted through the progression of time in 
the documents.