Final answer:
The American Revolution was spurred by economic grievances, political representation issues, and resistance to British policy on westward expansion, all underpinned by Enlightenment ideals that emphasized natural rights and democratic governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reasons for the American Revolution
The American Revolution was a complex event with multiple causes, including economic, political, and ideological disputes. Colonial elites sought to have the same rights as their counterparts in Britain, particularly the right to levy taxes themselves. Merchants desired economic freedom from British trade restrictions and taxes, while frontier settlers opposed British efforts to restrict westward expansion. The Enlightenment ideals, such as natural rights and popular sovereignty, articulated by thinkers like John Locke, strongly influenced the colonists. Concepts like no taxation without representation and the duty of the government to the people fueled the revolutionary movement, which was further popularized by pamphlets like Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense.'
Enlightenment Ideals and the Revolution
Enlightenment principles provided the moral justification for revolution against the British Empire. Figures like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson applied Enlightenment thought that emphasized human rights and the consent of the governed. They believed that government should be responsible to the people, and when the British government failed to do so, it became a cause for revolution. The move towards independence was seen as a natural progression for the colonies, akin to a child growing up and needing its own space to thrive independent of its parent nation.