Colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 Article

Colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 - Article Example Ironically, even though there was political isolation between the colonies and Britain, a majority of the colonies remained loyal to Britain and the British Parliament was recognized as the only source of governmental authority. The close relations between Britain and the colonies led to economic prosperity for both Britain and America especially because all the colonies’ economies relied on the British trade; the colonies also relied on Britain for protection from their enemies. However, these relations gradually deteriorated with time between the period namely1763 to 1776 and eventually, a revolution was certain; this paper will analyze the breakdown of relations between the colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 that led to the American Revolution. The analysis will pay particular attention to all of the acts that Great Britain imposed upon the colonies that led to discontent among both â€Å"common† and â€Å"elite† Americans. ... All the lands that had been held by the French were ceded to the British through the Paris treaty of 1763, and Britain gained total control of the territory stretching from the East coast to Mississippi river. Events that took place in the aftermath are largely responsible for the drift in relations between the colonies and Britain; great dissatisfaction in the colonies after the war arose following these events and this eventually instigated the American Revolution. Prior to the American Revolution, an underlying philosophy that was gaining popularity in the colonies was the American Enlightenment; this philosophy played a critical role in arousing political awareness in the colonies that were initially content being under Britain. Some of the major ideological principles of American Enlightenment include concepts such as liberalism, republicanism, and fear of corruption; a majority of people in the colonies begun to accept these concepts and this was the beginning of a robust intel lectual environment. In this respect, the philosophy of American Enlightenment was very significant in paving the way for revolution; by embracing the values of American Enlightenment, a majority of people in the colonies acquired a new sense of political and social identity. One of the greatest proponents of American Enlightenment whose ideas on liberty greatly influenced the political thinking behind the revolution is John Locke; this scholar has been regarded as the mastermind of the American Revolution because his concepts of social contract, natural rights, and born free and equal have been very influential.