Question

Which of the following events most contributed to the start of the American Revolution?

A.The British taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War
B.The blockade of the American colonies by the British navy
C.The drafting of the Constitution by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia
D.The commissioning of George Washington as commander of the Continental army

Answer 1

The event that most contributed to the start of the American Revolution was the British taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War, which led to heightened tensions over representation and the rights of the colonists.

Step-by-step explanation:

The event that most contributed to the start of the American Revolution was A. The British taxing the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War. After the French and Indian War, the British government sought to raise revenue to pay off war debts and to cover the costs of maintaining troops in the colonies. They introduced several taxes, such as the Sugar and Stamp Acts, which imposed internal taxes and outraged the colonists who had no direct representation in the British Parliament. This violation of what the colonists perceived as their rights, along with events like the Intolerable Acts, which punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, greatly exacerbated tensions that led to conflict.

Furthermore, colonists formed Continental Congresses to address these grievances and eventually moved towards independence, with the Second Continental Congress issuing the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This declaration came after hostilities had already broken out with skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, indicating that war had started before the formal declaration. The actions by the British to consolidate control and enforce taxation without representation were principal causes of the American Revolution and led to the colonies fighting for their independence.