Tension between the American colonies and England increased during the colonial period. Write a paragraph describing some of the reasons for this...

Tensions between the mother country and the American colonies worsened in the period after 1763, which marked the end of the French-Indian War and marked a British shift away from the British policy of salutary neglect.  The colonists did not feel that Parliament represented their best interests and they felt that they should not have to pay what they considered to be an excessive amount of British taxes.  The colonists also resented the British limiting...

Tensions between the mother country and the American colonies worsened in the period after 1763, which marked the end of the French-Indian War and marked a British shift away from the British policy of salutary neglect.  The colonists did not feel that Parliament represented their best interests and they felt that they should not have to pay what they considered to be an excessive amount of British taxes.  The colonists also resented the British limiting them to the area east of the Appalachian mountains with the Proclamation Line of 1763; the colonists did not feel as though the Native Americans should be rewarded for their contribution to the British war effort.  The colonists also resented the tax collectors and military presence in the colonies.

British officials did not trust the colonists either.  To them, the colonists were scofflaws who did not want to pay their fair share of taxes--after all, the colonists were direct beneficiaries of the redcoat presence in the Americas.  The colonists had long received money from smuggling and dodging navigation acts which benefited the British crown.  British citizens in London paid more in taxes than the British subjects in the Americas.  Also, Parliament claimed that it did not represent anyone directly but rather it spoke for the good of the entire realm.  

Another event that brought the issue to a head was an economic recession in America that took place after the French-Indian War.  The colonists were trying to keep as much money as possible at home, and the British needed to replenish the royal coffers after constant warfare with France.