Can Someone Help Me? American Revolution?

The cause is the same as it ever was...the money.

The colonies were subject to taxation, fees, and other costs of doing business without being able to have any vote on the taxes! It was called "No taxation without representation!" These taxes bit into profit, and to this day, profit reign supreme in America...look at the Iraq war...all for profit.

The colonials thought they could get help from the French, who lost the French Indian war 10 years before the revolution started. Knowing that French would be on their side, the colonials protested England's taxes feeling confident the French would intervene. The colonials were right. The French sent well trained combat troops, making up 40% of the colonial army, navy ships to blockade the rearming of English soldiers, and about 100 trained military officers from the French nobility to help the colonials. One main character was Lafayette, who won the decivise battle at Yorktown, Virginia capturing the English Commander in Chief Corneilius Cromwell.

This info is all over the place, but I will give you Prof. Howard Zinn's interpretation of it in his "People's History of the United States," and the other source is "The History of Britain" in 3 vol. by Simon Schama.

Things were smooth up until the 7 Years War (1756-1763). This was truly the first global war - it involved nearly all the European powers and was fought on 3 continents, Europe, North America and Asia (in particular India). Over here we knew it as the French and Indian War.

The French were considerably better at relating to Native Americans. They didn't despise them like the English and Americans did, and the quality of their trade goods was better. Consequently they were able to penetrate deep into the interior through the Great Lakes down to New Orleans with strings of trading posts and forts. This was a serious obstacle for Americans who wanted to expand past the Appalachians. For a time the Native Americans were able to play off the two powers, but once war broke out they felt forced to take sides. The war here was savage but the fighting was on a limited scale. The war debt to Britain acquired during the entire global war was astronomical. The Brits felt that the colonials should help pay this debt off, as they had driven out the Native Americans and brought peace to the colonies. The colonials already paid very few taxes (much less than the average Briton), which is why Colonial resistance to taxation was so hard for the British to understand.

In fact, it was more or less a smokescreen. The Americans desperately wanted to expand past the mountains into Kentucky and Ohio and everywhere else where they knew there was very rich farmland, but the peace treaty forbade them from expanding. In addition the Colonial merchant marine greatly resented British rules about contraband and the paying of proper duties and tolls, so the colonies (with Massachusetts close to the lead) engaged in smuggling on a vast scale, and they were happy to have pirates as business partners. In other words, they were criminals by the laws of any nation, but these were our Founding Fathers. They outraged the public so successfully over taxation that soon Ben Franklin came up with a scheme for national unity, apart from Great Britain.

The American History fed to students in HS is extremely biased.

So, the main characters were King George III, William Pitt (P.M. of GB), the British governors of the colonies, and the Americans Ben Franklin (truly a man of genius), Sam Adams (smuggler and plotter), John Adams, eloquent spokesman for freedom, Alexander Hamilton, who helped the freed colonies understand some basic economic facts, Thomas Jefferson, burgess (a Virginian representative in state government), George Washington, and all the women and AA freed slaves who joined the Revolutionary Army. There was a significant contribution from the small Jewish community as well, something Jew haters here never want you to find out.

Major Events That Led to the American Revolution

The road to revolution built slowly over time. Many events fed the growing desire of the thirteen colonies for independence. Following are the major events that led to the Revolution.

1754-1763 - French and Indian War

This war between Britain and France ended with the victorious British deeply in debt and demanding more revenue from the colonies. With the defeat of the French, the colonies became less dependent on Britain for protection.

1763 - Proclamation of 1763

This prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. While Britain did not intend to harm the colonists, many colonists took offense at this order.

1764 - Sugar Act

This act raised revenue by increasing duties on sugar imported from the West Indies.

1764 - Currency Act

Parliament argued that colonial currency had caused a devaluation harmful to British trade. They banned American assemblies from issuing paper bills or bills of credit.

1764 - Committees of Correspondence

Organized by Samuel Adams, these helped spread propaganda and information through letters.

1765 - Quartering Act

Britain ordered that colonists were to house and feed British soldiers if necessary.

1765 - Stamp Act

This required tax stamps on many items and documents including playing cards, newspapers, and marriage licenses. Prime Minister George Grenville stated that this direct tax was intended for the colonies to pay for defense. Previous taxes imposed by Britain had been indirect, or hidden.

1765 - Stamp Act Congress

In 1765, 27 delegates from nine colonies met in New York City and drew up a statement of rights and grievances thereby bringing colonies together in opposition to Britain.

1765 - Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Colonists tried to fight back by imposing non-importation agreements. The Sons of Liberty often took the law into their own hands enforcing these 'agreements' by methods such as tar and feathering.

1767 - Townshend Acts

These taxes were imposed to help make the colonial officials independent of the colonists and included duties on glass, paper, and tea. Smugglers increased their activities to avoid the tax leading to more troops in Boston.

1770 - Boston Massacre

The colonists and British soldiers openly clashed in Boston. This event was used as an example of British cruelty despite questions about how it actually occurred.

1773 - Tea Act

To assist the failing British East India Company, the Company was given a monopoly to trade tea in America.

1773 - Boston Tea Party

A group of colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea overboard from three ships in Boston Harbor.

1774 - Intolerable Acts

These were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party and placed restrictions on the colonists including outlawing town meetings and the closing of Boston Harbor.

1774 - First Continental Congress

In response to the Intolerable Acts, 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia from September-October, 1774. One of the main results of this was the creation of The Association calling for a boycott of British goods.

1775 - Lexington and Concord

In April, British troops were ordered to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of colonial gunpowder and to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, open conflict occurred and eight Americans were killed. At Concord, the British troops were forced to retreat with the loss of 70 men. This was the first instance of open warfare.

1775 - Second Continental Congress

All 13 colonies were represented at this meeting in Philadelphia beginning May. The colonists still hoped that their grievances would be met by King George III. George Washington was named head of the Continental Army.

1775 - Bunker Hill

This major victory for the Colonists resulted in George III proclaiming the colonies in rebellion.

In the end, the American Revolution grew out of increasing restrictions placed upon the colonies by the British. One interesting side note: It is estimated that only one-third of the colonists were in favor of rebellion. One-third continued to side with the British. The last third were neutral concerning the rebellion and break from Great Britain.

Here is a great timeline that can help you from Shmoop.