American Revolutionary Ideology

The American Revolution is known as an ideological revolution rather than a social revolution. The driving factors of the Revolution were inspired by the fundamentally important ideas such as Natural Rights, Liberty, and Popular Sovreignty. It was ideas such as this that roused colonists with a desire to fight for liberty and end British tyranny over the American colonies.

Actual and Virtual Representation

American had been used to 150 years of Salutary Neglect in their colonial assemblies, however after the French and Indian War the British were able to turn their attention to the American colonies to assume control. Britain controled America to help it prosper with the mercantilism policy as well as enforce taxation to relieve the war debts of the French and Indian War. Such British control sparked resentment in the colonies who united in significant protest after the implementation of the Stamp Act by British Parliament in 1765. James Otis (political lawyer in Boston) published 'A rights of the colonists asserted and proved' which brought out the argument of natural and suggested the idea of 'no taxation without representation.' American's desired Actual Representation where American interests were represented in the electorate rather than Virtual Representation where Britain represented American interests. Colonial desire for actual representation led to the formation of the Committees of Correspondence which evolved into the Continental Congress. The political debate (Actual Vs Virtual representation) was pivotal in leading the to the Declaration of Independence to be drafted and the Common Sense to be published that separation was of vital necessity. The only way to resolve such tension on political representation between America and Britain would eventually lead to an outbreak of war.

references
http://www.vcehistory.info/

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