Why the Colonists Fought the British: Taxes and Tyranny

Why did the colonists fight the British? The colonists fought the British for multiple reasons: because of high taxes (taxation without representation), because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering), and because they didn’t have self-government. The colonists believed Britain was violating their rights as British subjects and treating them unfairly. When peaceful protests failed to change British policy, the colonists declared independence and fought the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) to break free from British rule.

For the citizenship test, acceptable answers include: because of high taxes (taxation without representation), because the British army stayed in their houses, or because they didn’t have self-government. Any of these answers is correct.

The Essential Facts

For the citizenship test, remember that colonists fought the British because:

High taxes (taxation without representation): Britain imposed taxes on colonists without allowing colonists representation in Parliament

British army stayed in their houses (quartering): Britain required colonists to house and feed British soldiers in their homes

No self-government: Britain increasingly overrode colonial legislatures and denied colonists control over their own affairs

These grievances appear in the Declaration of Independence, which lists the colonists’ complaints against British King George III.

The Background: French and Indian War

The conflict between Britain and the colonies began after the French and Indian War (1754-1763):

The War:
Britain and France fought for control of North America. The war was called the French and Indian War in the colonies (part of the global Seven Years’ War). Britain won, gaining French territory in North America.

War Debt:
The war was expensive. Britain accumulated massive debts. British leaders decided colonists should help pay these debts since the war had been fought partly to defend the colonies.

British Troops:
After the war, Britain kept 10,000 soldiers in the colonies. Britain claimed these troops protected colonists from Native Americans and French settlers still in North America. Colonists saw them as occupation forces.

Changed Relationship:
Before 1763, Britain largely left colonies alone (“salutary neglect”). After 1763, Britain tried to exert more control over colonial affairs and raise revenue through taxes. This sudden change angered colonists accustomed to self-government.

Taxation Without Representation

The first major conflict was over taxation:

Sugar Act (1764):
Taxed sugar and molasses imported to colonies. Designed to raise revenue and combat smuggling. Colonists objected to being taxed by Parliament where they had no representatives.

Stamp Act (1765):
Required colonists to buy stamps for all paper documents: newspapers, legal documents, licenses, playing cards, etc. This directly affected many colonists daily.

Colonists exploded in protest. “No taxation without representation!” became their cry. They argued that only their own colonial legislatures, where they had elected representatives, could tax them. Parliament, where they had no representatives, could not.

Colonial Response:

• Boycotts of British goods
• Protests and riots (Stamp Act Congress met to coordinate opposition)
• Attacks on tax collectors
• Sons of Liberty organized resistance

Britain repealed the Stamp Act (1766) due to colonial pressure and British merchant complaints about lost trade. But Parliament passed the Declaratory Act (1766) asserting its right to tax colonies, setting up future conflicts.

Townshend Acts (1767):
New taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. Again colonists protested. British sent more troops to Boston to enforce the taxes and maintain order.

Boston Massacre (1770):
Tensions between British soldiers and Boston colonists led to violence. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists. This became propaganda for colonial resistance, though Britain ended most Townshend taxes soon after.

Tea Act (1773):
Gave British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in America. While it lowered tea prices, colonists saw it as another attempt to establish Parliament’s right to tax them.

Boston Tea Party (1773):
On December 16, 1773, colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. This was a dramatic protest against taxation and British control.

Quartering of Troops

Another grievance was forced housing of British soldiers:

Quartering Act (1765, renewed 1774):
Required colonial governments to provide housing, food, and supplies for British troops. When local officials refused, Britain demanded colonists house soldiers in their own homes.

Colonists saw this as:

• Violation of their property rights
• Military occupation of peacetime colonies
• Attempt to intimidate colonial opposition
• Reminder of their subordinate status

The Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (part of the Bill of Rights) would later prohibit quartering soldiers in private homes without consent, directly responding to this grievance.

Loss of Self-Government

Britain increasingly overrode colonial self-government:

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts (1774):
After the Boston Tea Party, Britain punished Massachusetts with harsh laws:

Boston Port Act: Closed Boston Harbor until colonists paid for destroyed tea. This devastated Boston’s economy.

Massachusetts Government Act: Drastically reduced Massachusetts self-government. The British-appointed governor could appoint council members (previously elected). Town meetings were restricted.

Administration of Justice Act: Allowed royal officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain rather than colonial courts, where colonists thought they would face biased juries.

Quartering Act Expansion: Expanded quartering requirements.

These acts convinced colonists that Britain intended to destroy their self-government entirely. What happened to Massachusetts could happen to any colony.

Quebec Act (1774):
Extended Quebec’s territory into the Ohio Valley, blocking colonial westward expansion. Though not technically one of the Coercive Acts, colonists included it in the “Intolerable Acts.”

Dissolving Legislatures:
Royal governors dissolved colonial legislatures that protested British policies. This prevented colonists from using their own governments to address grievances.

Other Grievances

The Declaration of Independence lists additional complaints:

Lack of Trial by Jury:
Vice-admiralty courts (without juries) tried smuggling cases. Colonists valued jury trials as a right of Englishmen.

Cutting Off Trade:
Britain restricted colonial trade to benefit British merchants. Colonists resented these economic controls.

Imposing Officers:
Britain appointed colonial officials without colonial input. Colonists wanted to elect or approve their own officials.

Standing Army:
Britain kept troops in colonies during peacetime without colonial consent. Colonists feared standing armies as threats to liberty.

Denying Colonial Expansion:
Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists wanted access to western lands.

Ignoring Petitions:
Colonists repeatedly petitioned King George III for redress of grievances. He ignored their petitions, convincing colonists peaceful reconciliation was impossible.

The Path to War

Tensions escalated from protest to violence:

First Continental Congress (1774):
Twelve colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia to coordinate response to Intolerable Acts. They organized boycotts, sent petitions to Britain, and agreed to reconvene if Britain didn’t address grievances.

Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775):
British troops marched from Boston to seize colonial weapons stored in Concord. Colonial militia confronted them at Lexington. Shots were fired (“shot heard round the world”). Fighting spread to Concord. British retreated to Boston under colonial fire.

The Revolutionary War had begun, though colonists still hoped for reconciliation.

Second Continental Congress (1775):
Met as war began. Created Continental Army with George Washington as commander. Managed war effort while still petitioning Britain for peace.

Bunker Hill (June 1775):
Major battle near Boston. British won but suffered heavy casualties. Showed colonists would fight fiercely.

Common Sense (1776):
Thomas Paine published this pamphlet arguing for independence. It convinced many colonists that breaking with Britain was necessary.

Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776):
After more than a year of fighting, Congress voted for independence. The Declaration explained why: Britain had violated colonists’ rights so severely that breaking away was necessary. It listed grievances justifying independence.

What Colonists Wanted

Colonists did not initially seek independence. They wanted Britain to:

Recognize Their Rights:
Colonists believed they had rights as British subjects, including:

• No taxation without representation
• Self-government through elected legislatures
• Trial by jury
• Property rights (including not housing soldiers)
• To petition government for redress of grievances

Respect Self-Government:
Colonists had governed themselves for generations through colonial legislatures. They wanted Britain to recognize this autonomy.

Treat Colonies as Partners:
Colonists wanted to be valued members of the British Empire, not subordinate subjects to be taxed and controlled at will.

Address Grievances:
Colonists repeatedly asked Britain to address their complaints. Britain refused, leading colonists to conclude independence was necessary.

Most colonists would have accepted remaining in the British Empire if Britain had treated them fairly. Independence became the goal only after Britain refused reasonable accommodation.

Why This Matters for American Government

The colonists’ grievances shaped American government:

No Taxation Without Representation:
The Constitution gives Congress (elected representatives) power to tax. No taxation without elected representation.

Self-Government:
American government is based on elected representatives and self-rule, not distant monarchy.

Limited Government:
The Constitution limits government power through separation of powers and checks and balances, preventing the concentrated power colonists experienced under British rule.

Bill of Rights:
The first ten amendments protect specific rights colonists felt Britain violated:

• First Amendment: freedom of speech, petition, assembly
• Third Amendment: no quartering soldiers
• Fourth Amendment: no unreasonable searches and seizures
• Fifth-Eighth Amendments: trial rights and protections
• Ninth-Tenth Amendments: rights retained by people and states

Suspicion of Standing Armies:
Second Amendment’s militia clause reflects colonial concerns about standing armies threatening liberty.

Understanding why colonists fought Britain explains fundamental American values: self-government, representative democracy, individual rights, and limited government power.

Connections That Matter

Understanding colonial grievances connects to the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was a formal statement of why colonists fought: Britain violated their rights so severely that independence became necessary.

Colonial grievances relate to the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These documents were designed to prevent the abuses colonists experienced: taxation without representation, quartering of troops, rights violations, and concentrated power.

The Revolutionary War also connects to American identity. The war established America as an independent nation built on principles of freedom, self-government, and individual rights—principles the colonists fought to secure.

For more on the Revolutionary War, see our articles on the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War in the uscis-questions category. To understand how colonial grievances influenced American government, read about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. To learn about specific founders, explore articles on Washington, Jefferson, and other Revolutionary leaders.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions

What answer should I give for the citizenship test?
Any of these: because of high taxes (taxation without representation), because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding/quartering), or because they didn’t have self-government. All are correct.

Did colonists pay higher taxes than people in Britain?
No, actually lower. But colonists objected to being taxed by Parliament where they had no representatives, regardless of amount. “No taxation without representation” was the principle, not the tax rate.

When did fighting start?
April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord. The Declaration of Independence came more than a year later (July 4, 1776).

Did all colonists support independence?
No. About one-third supported independence (“Patriots”), one-third remained loyal to Britain (“Loyalists”), and one-third were neutral or undecided. The Revolution created civil conflict within the colonies.

What happened to Loyalists?
Many fled to Canada or Britain during or after the war. Some stayed but faced persecution. Their property was often confiscated. The Revolution was as much a civil war as a war for independence.

Could Britain and the colonies have reconciled?
Possibly, if Britain had addressed colonial grievances before fighting began. By 1775-1776, positions had hardened and reconciliation became impossible. Britain’s refusal to compromise made independence inevitable.

Why didn’t Britain just let the colonies go?
Colonies were economically valuable. Britain invested in defending them. Letting them go would encourage other colonies (in the Caribbean, Canada, etc.) to seek independence. Britain fought to maintain its empire.

Was the Revolution about slavery?
Not primarily. Some colonists feared Britain might abolish slavery (which would threaten Southern plantation economy), but the main issues were taxation, self-government, and rights. Slavery was not a major Revolutionary cause, though some enslaved people fought for Britain in exchange for promises of freedom.

How did colonists win?
Through determination, knowing the terrain, French alliance (providing crucial military and financial support), British mistakes, and George Washington’s leadership. Britain was fighting far from home with long supply lines. Colonial forces could outlast them.

What should I memorize for the citizenship test?
Colonists fought the British because of high taxes without representation, because British soldiers stayed in their houses, or because they didn’t have self-government. Any one answer is sufficient. Understand that colonists felt Britain violated their rights, leading to war and independence.