The early American society had their roots planted deeply in the soil of the Western Civilization and was indebted to its European heritage of government and way of life. Colonial life was a reflection of the past European life of being ruled by a Monarchy. Even though in the beginning it had its roots planted deep, in this there had to come a time that the colonies would change and become "A New Nation.".
From the beginning in the colonies there was a quest for freedom of religion, a desire for economic opportunities, and a release from England. These three things seemed far from reach for the colonist because of the superiority of the King and his esteemed army. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the British constantly taxed the colonists with whatever they could find. It was all about getting the mighty dollar. It started with Mercantilism in which it gave an equal opportunity for the colonies to trade with other countries and make a sufficient and prosperous amount for the merchants that traded. Even though this did help the colonist, their economy was still very harsh. The King saw that the colonies were prospering and wanted some of the profits. So they passed Navigation Laws that restricted the colonies to trade only with them. Many acts were passed following these laws such as: the Woolens Act (1699), the Hat Act (1732), and the Iron Act (1750). .
Through time colonists became tired and frustrated of being taxed and pushed around by the British. Soon following the French and Indian War the colonies came into revolts and protests against the British due to the taxation. They wanted war against the British. They sent out propaganda that said "no taxation without representation." Through all of this the British were unmovable and just imparted more taxation such as: The Sugar Act (1764), the Currency Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Duties (1767), the Tea Act (1773), and the Intolerable Acts (1774) which controlled the colonies economy and put restrictions on the government.
