The period preceding the American Revolution offered us real causes for the American Revolutionary War and its independence. There was not only colonists' effort that contributed to the establishment of United States as a separate nation from Great Britain, there was also British influence existed and contributed equally much to it. So, it could even be said that Great Britain was responsible for the American Revolution and its outcome. Mob action in North American colonies, one of the most important factors especially in the earlier Revolution phrase, was a long-time tradition adopted from its mother country, Great Britain, where it was very common especially during the 17th and the 18th Century. In England, there were several traditional and customary roles of mob. First, it served as a complement to the existing system rather than a replacement to it; its role was to fight for interests for people when no alternative was available. Maier stated that "Uprisings over local issues proved extra-institutional in character more often than they were anti-institutional" (Maier 5). The mob-action was justified only when the authorities failed to act. Mob was taken as the final resort to a problem instead of an initial resolution. It didn't mean to overthrow all current-existing order, it meant to reform it and complement it instead. .
Secondly, with restraint and order, it served as a lawful institution for public good and welfare, including freedom and liberty especially. Sidney wrote that a mob-action was detestable if "aiming only at the satisfaction of private lust, without regard to the public good" (Maier 34). Mob's role was to bring welfare back for all people, not focusing on private affairs. Since the Glorious Revolution of 1688, English began to emphasize more and more on public welfare or liberty, making all movements fighting for liberty for all justified. It was in fact a way for people to voice their discontent towards authority and urge it to make changes.
