In this blog post, we will examine whether the American Revolutionary War was an inevitable consequence of the colonial expansion and failed foreign policies of 18th-century European powers, along with the historical context.
In the 18th century, European powers were gradually expanding their colonies and reaching the peak of imperialism. At this time, the 13 colonies located on the eastern coast of Britain gained independence from Britain through the American Revolutionary War and established the United States. American independence brought about significant changes not only at the time but also in today’s international landscape.
The causes of the American Revolutionary War can be broadly divided into two categories. First, Britain’s excessive taxation policies were a major issue. At the time, the American colonies did not generate significant economic benefits for Britain, and facing financial constraints following the Seven Years’ War, Britain decided to increase the financial burden on the colonies. Consequently, the Sugar Act was enacted in 1764 to impose tariffs; however, since this was an indirect tax already in effect in Britain itself, it did not provoke significant backlash. However, the Stamp Act, enacted in 1765, became a major issue. This law imposed an internal tax on all printed materials, which sparked significant backlash among the colonists. Since the American colonies did not send representatives to the British Parliament at the time, they protested under the slogan, “No taxation without representation!” Ultimately, the Stamp Act was repealed because it did not align with British tax principles. However, under the Townshend Acts of 1767, tariffs were imposed on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea imported from the American colonies.
Another cause of the American Revolutionary War was the establishment of Indian reservations. Colonial residents had hoped to expand into the fertile Midwest, but Britain established Indian reservations that prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains and restricted trade with Native Americans. This was because Britain feared that if colonial residents moved into those areas, friction with Native Americans would arise, making the dispatch of troops inevitable and leading to military expenditure issues. However, when the Indian Reservation was not properly enforced, Britain implemented the Quartering Act in 1769, dispatching troops and requiring colonists to bear the costs of their stationing. This sparked significant backlash, and on March 1, 1770, as British troops marched through the city, citizens jeered and threw snowballs at them, escalating the situation into a gunfight that resulted in civilian deaths. This incident became known in the United States as the Boston Massacre.
Subsequently, Britain repealed the Townshend Acts but maintained the tea tax, which led to the Boston Tea Party and served as the spark that ignited the American Revolutionary War. During the Seven Years’ War, the East India Company was granted the right to sell tea in America in exchange for purchasing government bonds. Consequently, tea warehouses were established, causing harm to existing tea merchants. To provoke conflict between Britain and the Native Americans, these merchants dressed in Native American attire and staged an incident in which they threw tea into the sea. In response, Britain closed the Port of Boston in 1774 and demanded compensation.
In response to this incident, the 12 colonies (excluding Georgia) gathered in Philadelphia in September to hold the First Continental Congress. In 1775, the War of Independence began when colonial militias raided a British arms depot in Lexington, and the Declaration of Independence was issued on July 4, 1776. Benjamin Franklin played a prominent role during the war; fluent in French, he secured French support. Although France, facing financial difficulties at the time, initially sent only militia troops, the victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1778 led to the formation of an alliance between France and the United States, and France entered the war by providing naval support. In 1781, taking advantage of the French navy’s blockade of the British main force in Virginia, American forces won the Battle of Yorktown. Ultimately, through the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, Britain recognized American independence, marking Britain’s first defeat since the Hundred Years’ War.
Twenty years earlier, in 1763, during the Seven Years’ War between Austria and Prussia over Silesia, Britain supported Prussia and defeated France—which had backed Austria—thereby securing dominance in North America. However, twenty years later, Britain’s defeat in the American Revolutionary War in 1783 can be viewed as a failure of foreign policy. In 1763, Britain was able to secure victory thanks to superior military leadership and financial resources, but by 1783, there was no nation capable of counterbalancing France. At the time, Russia and Prussia were focused on the Partitions of Poland and could not intervene in the war between the United States and Britain. As a result, in the struggle for hegemony between Britain and France, France was able to avenge its 1763 defeat and establish a balance of power for future challenges.
