The American Revolution: Causes

At the end of the 15th century there’s a competition between two countries in Europe. Portugal and Spain are competing to find new trade routes to Asia, and a whole new continent - America - is discovered by the Spaniards. Hm, well that’s not totally true. The viking Leif Eriksson has been there 500 years earlier. And there have already been people living everywhere on the American continent for thousands of years.

Now the Europeans arrive. They call all the inhabitants Indians, even though they have their own names. That America is already home for these people doesn’t matter to the Europeans. Their eyes are mostly on the riches they assume they have the right to. The Europeans’ hunt for treasure and natural resources turns into a catastrophe for the natives in America, who are mostly wiped out or enslaved.

Spain considers it has the biggest right to America, since they found it. They seize areas from here - later called California and Florida - in North America, all the way to here - Chile in South America. When a country's rulers seize control of an area outside their own land, it's called 'colonisation’. Other countries also want to have ‘their’ share of the newly discovered America’s treasures. Among others, France and England establish colonies here.

France colonises an area in eastern Canada: Quebec. After that they take control of the area around the Great Lakes and the Mississippi river. They establish the city New Orleans in Louisiana. In the year 1607 the English establish a colony on the American east coast - Jamestown - in an area that later will be called Virginia. More and more English people move to America.

In the year 1620 a boat named The Mayflower arrives in an area the English call New England. It is only one of the many English ships that land in America. But The Mayflower becomes symbolic of the hardiness of the settlers in America. Its arrival is marked as an important event in what will become the history of the USA. After some harsh years of starvation, disease, and conflicts with the natives, England’s influence in America grows.

At the beginning of the 18th century, England has 13 colonies on the American east coast. It has now become a great power in America. In Europe, the kingdom of England, which includes Wales, now joins with the kingdom of Scotland, to form a bigger country called 'Great Britain'. And Britain is at war with France. They are fighting wherever in the world they meet.

They fight for seven years, both in Europe and in the colonies. In America, the British colonists help their old homeland. Together with the British soldiers, they fight the French. The French receive help from America’s natives, the Indians. France loses the war and has to give up all their colonies to Britain.

At the same time Spain loses their colony of Florida. That also becomes British. At the end of the 18th century Britain is the big winner in America. It defeated France - with help from the colonists. But now the colonists want to end their cooperation with Britain.

They no longer need protection against the French. They want to make it on their own. They want to become self governing! Neither the King nor the British parliament want this. The war against the French was expensive and now Britain needs to bring some money in.

The King thinks that, since Britain gave the colonies protection they should now pay their share for that. In London it is decided that the colonies must pay taxes and customs fees on everything they import from Britain. The colonists are also not allowed to sell their cotton, tobacco, or sugar to any other country than Britain. These taxes, customs fees, and trade restrictions make the colonists very angry with the British King. They want to break away from Britain and create a country where they decide things themselves: an independent country.