Final answer:
Taxation without representation was a key factor contributing to the American Revolutionary War, reflecting the colonies' frustration over paying taxes without parliamentary representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the key factors contributing to the start of the American Revolutionary War was taxation without representation. This concept, which was a principal cause of the American Revolution, was the colonists' way of expressing their frustration over not having representation in the British Parliament while still being expected to pay taxes. The tension between the colonies and the British authority was exacerbated by various acts imposed by the British, such as the Sugar and Stamp Acts, which aimed to raise revenues from the colonies. Furthermore, the Declaratory Act and the Intolerable Acts only intensified the colonial resistance. These measures, alongside the growing spirit of inter-colony cooperation and the influential ideas of Thomas Paine in his work Common Sense, culminated in the First and Second Continental Congresses, which would eventually lead to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.