What Were The Main Reasons The Colonists Wanted To Break Free From Britain?

Throughout this answer, we will discuss 3 main reasons why did the colonists of the 13 North American colonies want to break free from Great Britain; even after, it was their mother country.

So, here is the short answer to those three reasons below:

1. Great Britain always considered the 13 colonies as only a source of wealth and money, but not a unanimous part of their country. As much as possible, they always focused on enriching the mainland (Great Britain) by exploiting the 13 colonies.

2. British Government and King George III never considered colonists as their own citizens and hence, they never provided them all those rights and privileges of English citizens. For example, the British authority violated the Bill of Rights rules on the eve of the American Revolution.

3. At different times, the English Parliament had been imposing such laws on colonists’ heads, which were completely against their interests. Especially, they started doing this after the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). For example the Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767), Tea Act (1773), etc.

1. The British Authority Considered The Thirteen Colonies As Only A Source of Wealth And Money, Not As An Unalienable Part of Great Britain

We all know that Great Britain was an expansionist colonial power from the early of modern history.

They found importance in those 13 North American colonies because it was rich with various natural resources including the landmass that was compatible for producing different cash crops.

Along with being filled with gold, silver, diamond, pearls and compatible with cash crops’ production, the British authority also seemed the landmass beneficial from the socio-religious and militaristic perspective.

The British government and the king always believed that as much as possible, they need to take away wealth from these 13 colonies to Britain and enrich it.

They knew that their struggle with other enemy countries of Europe (Especially the French and Spain) would always continue to establish dominance throughout the continent.

That’s why they always believed that as much property as possible could be taken away from the 13 colonies.

Focusing on these pieces of stuff, the British authority almost forgot to focus on the 13 colonies’ development, which later became a cause of rising unhappiness among colonists.

[Fact: Did You Know? The Empire of Great Britain Implemented Mercantilism Policies To Exploit Their Colonies Around The Globe]

2. British Government And King Never Considered The American Colonists As Their Own Citizens

This was the second among the three main reasons, which provoked the 13 colonies’ colonists to break free from Great Britain.

The British government and the king never considered the American colonists as their own English citizens.

For the government, those people were nothing but working laborers who just worked in the 13 colonies for gathering wealth and money for Britain.

For example, far before the revolution began, colonists had been requesting the authority to create a law to provide colonists’ own representatives in the British Parliament.

But Britain had always been denying it.

The main reason for this was that they never wanted any outsider to come and participate in their governance system.

Now, you tell me, if they really considered them as their own citizens, did they do it?

Of course not!

Right?

This was just an example; there are so many other examples like this, which clearly proved that the British government and king never considered colonists as their own citizens.

The violation of the ‘Bill of Rights’ by the British parliament is another significant example of it.

[Interesting Fact: Did You Know? During Colonial Rule, From Countries Like India, Great Britain Took Away Around $ 45 Trillion Wealth To The Mainland]

3. The Imposition of Such Cruel Laws On Colonists’ Heads

This was the third main and immediate reason why did the colonists want independence from Great Britain.

From the middle of the 17th century, the British Parliament began to apply certain laws to the 13 colonies, which were completely against the colonists’ interests.

However, at that time, the British government was not so strict as to implement these; nor did they feel its necessity so much.

Therefore, colonists still have yet not fired up. One of those acts was the Navigation Act of 1651.

But in the middle of the 18th century, a phenomenon happened, which was none other but the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), fought between the Empire of Great Britain and the Empire of France.

Here Britain got a massive victory over the French.

But the losses led the Empire to a heavy economic crisis.

So, to get rid of this crisis, now they tightened their old laws and brought new laws to generate more revenue.

Some of the acts were:

• Sugar Act (1764)
• Stamp Act (1765)
• Townshend Act (1767)
• Tea Act (1773)

These taxing laws were like heavy blows to colonists’ economic life.

As a result, these made them very angry, and step by step, they were obliged to think somehow to break free from Britain.

[Fact: Did You Know? In The Year 1774, The British Parliament Passed Five Punitive Laws To Punish American Colonists For The Boston Tea Party, Infamous As ‘Intolerable Acts’. These Five Punitive Laws Pushed The Colonists To Met In A Meeting From September 5th, 1774; Of Course, As You Can Guess, The Meeting Was The First Continental Congress]