Final answer:
British efforts to recover debts from the French and Indian War by imposing new taxes and regulating trade without colonial representation, as well as the Royal Proclamation of 1763 restricting western settlement, led to escalating tensions. The presence of British troops, anti-smuggling measures, and jurisdictional alterations culminating in the Quebec decision of 1774, resulted in the outbreak of violence and the push for American independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The escalation of colonial resistance into warfare between Great Britain and her American colonies was predominantly a result of British and North American actions in the years following the French and Indian War. The passage of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which established a western boundary for the colonies along the Appalachian Mountains, significantly impacted the expectations of colonists, who anticipated access to western lands after their efforts in the war. However, this combined with policies intended to recover war debts through taxation and regulation, including the enforcement of new taxes and trade restrictions without colonial representation, incited growing discontent. American colonial leaders fiercely opposed what they saw as violations of their rights under the British constitution, particularly 'virtual representation,' which argued they could only be taxed by their explicitly elected legislature. Additionally, internal taxes and those designed to raise revenues rather than regulate trade were deemed unacceptable by the colonists.
The British responded by sending troops to maintain order and collect taxes, which along with laws against smuggling and trials without juries, fueled more resentment. The decision in 1774 to grant control of the Ohio Valley to Quebec and extend religious toleration in the region was seen as offensive to the Protestant-majority colonists, exacerbating the already present tensions leading to the outbreak of violence in 1775 and ultimately the declaration of independence in 1776.