Why Did The American Colonies Engage In The Revolutionary War

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The British Empire began during the age of discovery between the late 15th century and early 18th century where the unknown lands were discovered, colonized and conquered. The North America in the east coast and large part of Africa were once the colonies of the British Empire. Yet, these colonies each has their own road to independence where the Americans fought with bloodshed in the revolutionary war while the Africans had generally gained their independence in a more peaceful means. It is often argued that diverse ethnicity are prone to war due to clashes of values and beliefs. Yet, there are reasons showing the opposite. This essay argues that states that are ethnically and culturally similar are more likely to engage in conflicts over …show more content…

Long before Britain began penetrating the African continent, the American colonies were the lucrative source of income that helps to boost the economy back in England. There were expansion of cash crop plantations to fulfil the high demand of trade . Such plantation include cotton, sugar and tobacco. Britain utilized the natural resources to generate its own revenue in the expense of the colonies. Yet, the colonies had also flourished with the trade of import and export. While fighting for independence, it also meant that the American colonies were fighting over the territory as they need economic resources in order to achieve self-governance. The British and American colonies are closely related populations which resulted in “similar preferences over rival goods”. Furthermore, Britain’s economy was largely dependent on the production of the American colonies than those from the African colonies. By referring to the Triangular Trade, Britain’s economy is heavily dependent on the raw materials and agricultural goods to support the manufacturing sector. These manufacturing goods are then exported to America and Africa . Evidently, the production in America was the main source of income for England as the Triangular Trade has helped to rectify the trade imbalance among the

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