High Taxes and a Series

¶ … high taxes and a series of other pressures have played a major role in influencing individuals in the American colonies to protest in regard to the Crown's authoritarian character. These people acknowledged that violence and resistance were among the only tools they could use with the purpose of preventing the English from robbing them of their resources. The colonies experienced much economic and social growth during the first half of the eighteenth century and this provided colonists with the power and the conscience necessary for them to confront the English.

The British were well-aware of the critical conditions in the American colonies and focused on reestablishing their dominance in the area. As a consequence, they came to select "ignorant and low men" to replace respectable individuals in leadership positions. This further aggravated matters and made it possible for the masses to gain a better understanding of the situation that they were in and of the fact that it would be essential for them to get actively involved in controlling the situation.

In spite of the fact that the British establish political authority in the colonies, power did not shift in some areas and individuals who previously held it continued to have authority over the states that they resided in. There were a series of groups whose leaders, "long pessimistic about the future of a sovereign American nation, did their best to counter the patriots' forceful schemes" (Egnal 150).

While these groups were relatively strong, they could not be compared with the more numerous and more passionate groups of Patriots who were certain that the only solution for them to have access to better living conditions would be to break away from the British Empire. Despite this, they struggled to maintain their authority in the areas where they were actually supported by the public and did not quit until they either joined the Patriots or until they were defeated during the Revolutionary War.

The Parliament wrongfully believed that it had the right to tax the colonies both internally and externally, as these communities were presumably meant to do everything in their power in order to assist the British, even with the fact that this would seriously damage their structure. Moreover, the parliament was unable to understand that colonists no longer identified with the British Empire and that they wanted it to have as less influence over them as possible.

The Parliament wanted to have ultimate authority over the colonies and it was not willing to bargain with the purpose of reaching common ground. In response, "the Americans had denied that Parliament had the right to levy "internal" taxes but they had admitted that Parliament could levy duties to regulate trade" (Jensen 241). Although the Patriots focused on gathering as many supporters as possible, it was very difficult for them to do so as long as there were many colonists who felt that they had no reason to question British authority.

In order to properly explain their thinking,.