American Revolution

The events that lead to the Revolutionary War clearly exhibit the evolution of the colonist’s ideals regarding their rights and liberties. The English colonists had long held the utmost loyalty to the British crown, never distinguishing themselves from their British counterparts back in England; however, the colonists had gradually begun to embrace a new ideology in regard to their rights in liberties. By 1765, when Daniel Dulany wrote his attack on virtual representation, the English colonists were identified as “British-Americans” This simple reference indicates that the colonists were no longer content being just Englishmen, nor with English law and especially taxation being imposed upon them without some form of colonial consent or representation. The evolving ideals of the colonists were perhaps best summarized with Dulany’s statement, “The relationship between ...