Nonviolence is a very effective form of protest because people can get the rights and authority that they fight for from the hostile class, government or country without sanguinary wars. Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. In history, there are several successful times during the American Revolution that show this form of revolt is absolutely efficacious. The non-violent protests are effective because it either allows the protesters greater control of their message, and even if met with violent suppress from government, it still lowers the authority of the state. Prior to the 1775 colonists, who were angry with British authorities, implemented four actions to rebel without using violence; smuggling, protests, boycotting, and the Non Importation Agreements. Colonists did what they could with what they had in an attempt to make the British regret their decisions. The colonists often had issues with it's mother country, however this first really came into play after the French and Indian War. The British soldiers treated the American militia with much contempt and thought of them as worthless knaves. Colonists were fed up with this attitude; when a British general lost a major battle to Indians they saw that the British were not invincible. Then after the war the British passed the Proclamation of 1763 forbidding the colonists to go farther west than the Appalachian Mountains. This was mainly for the colonists own safety in regards to good relationships with the Indians, but the colonists were enraged at losing land they had just fought for. They promptly ignored the Proclamation and moved were they pleased. This was a nonviolent tactic for their rebellion against Britain. Americans had found that although England may pass a law they did not always enforce it. Therefore many of the Navigation and Trading laws were largely just ignored.