Why did the 13 colonies revolt?

There were several reasons why the colonists revolted against Great Britain. The three most important factors were taxes, control, and bloodshed.

TaxesThe British Parliament passed two tax laws that upset the colonists. Both the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts violated the rights of the colonists, in their opinion. They believed that they needed to have representatives in Parliament who could speak about and vote on proposed tax laws. The colonists didn’t have representatives...

There were several reasons why the colonists revolted against Great Britain. The three most important factors were taxes, control, and bloodshed.

Taxes
The British Parliament passed two tax laws that upset the colonists. Both the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts violated the rights of the colonists, in their opinion. They believed that they needed to have representatives in Parliament who could speak about and vote on proposed tax laws. The colonists didn’t have representatives in Parliament. As a result, the colonists believed their rights were being violated.

Control
When Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763, the colonists weren’t allowed to go to the lands that Great Britain gained from France in the French and Indian War. The colonists weren’t happy about this. To make matters worse, the colonists had to provide housing and supplies for the British soldiers that were enforcing this unpopular law.

Bloodshed
At the Boston Massacre, five colonists were killed. For some people, this was an important turning point in the relationship with Great Britain. After the Boston Tea Party, the British passed the Intolerable Acts, which the colonists refused to obey. When the British moved their troops to Lexington and Concord in April 1775, soldiers on both sides were killed. For many people, it was only a matter of time before the colonists would declare their independence from Great Britain. With the publication of Common Sense, a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine explaining why the colonists should declare their independence from Great Britain, more people were convinced that independence was justified.

There were many reasons why the colonists rebelled against Great Britain.