The French and Indian War as the Cause for the American Revolutionary War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War altered the political, economic and ideological relations between Britain and the American colonies in such a profound way that it caused the Revolutionary War. The political course of the American colonies shifted dramatically at the conclusion of the French and Indian War. Before the war the colonies underwent a period of salutary neglect. During this period England relaxed its hold on colonial trade and levied no tax burdens on the colonists. This allowed colonies to form independent governments, such as the Virginia House of Burgesses, which had elected officials making political decisions for their colony. This, however, changed following the war as Britain looked to take control of their uncontested territory.
Britain did this by creating several new laws to assert their power on the colonies. This included the intolerable Acts, which closed down harbors after the Boston tea party preventing trade and outlawing town meetings. Britain also prevented the movement of colonists to the new territory acquired from the French. As document A shows Britain acquired a favorable amount of new land. This further dictated the colonists after years of no political influence. Unfortunately political acts were not the only laws passed after the war. Heavy tax burdens on the colonies followed close behind. Following the French and Indian War Britain had accumulated a mass amount of debt. Searching for a way to recoup their losses they turned to the colonies to pay for the war effort. They did this by imposing taxes such as the sugar act, tea act and stamp act. These taxes were specifically chosen because the colonists had no way around them, as they were all taxes on necessities. The colonists were outraged by this. Having never been taxed before the new burdens provided a fissure between the colonies and Britain. These acts, coupled with the political stranglehold Britain had begun to impose, lead to distraught ideological relations between the American colonists and Britain.
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Ideological relations pertain to the the social aspects between one or more groups. In the case of the French and indian War the groups were the colonists and Britain. Once a flourishing partnership now rested in shambles. Taxes levied against the colonists, along with the new political grasp Britain demanded over the colonies, created a distraught relationship between the groups. This lead to many examples of a rebellion by the colonists. First the Boston Massacre occurred, which left colonists dead after a group of them were harassing British soldiers. Next came the Boston Tea Party and then the Battle of Lexington. This battle was the peak of the rebellion which eventually lead to the start of the Revolutionary War.
Even those who were once favorable of Britain began to join the fight against them. This included George Washington, who as shown in document C had interest in helping Britain in the French and Indian War joined the fight against them. Ultimately the French and Indian War had single handedly destroyed the relations between them. The French and Indian War lead to disagreements between the colonists and Britain in relation to politics and taxes. These disagreements between the American colonists and Britain lead to distraught ideological relations, in turn leading to the Revolutionary War.
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