THE CAUSES OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (I)

We should make it our practice to refer to the war with Britain as the \!\Iar of (or for) Independence rather than the "Revolu tionary War." \!\Iords sometimes change their meaning over the years and so it is with the word "revolution." TIle term "revolution" as it was used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, merely meant a change of government. Today it implies an unlawful rebellion against legitimate authority. TI1C "Revo[utionary War" was not a "revoJ.ution" in

. the modern sense of the term (i.e., the forcible overthrow of h'adilional authority). Tile colonists sought to make it clear that they were no! rebelling against law or the Im,vful exercise of authority -- they were defending themselves against an unlawful intrusion upon their conslilutionallibcrlies. It WilS

therefore a war for freedom from tyranny and not a war aqainst law or lawfully ordained an'd exercised authority (as was the French Revolution, which was a true revolution in every sense).

Historians have tried for nearly two-hundred years now to identify the French Revolution with the American \!\Iar of Independence (seeking to show that they had the same goals, roots, and purposes) -- nothing could be further fl'om the truth (see Friedrich Cientz's outstanding The French and American Revolutions Compared, printed in this country in 1800, as well as the other well known works by de TocqueviUe and Burke). Yet, Ihis is what is laught to the children of this nation year afier year. II is critical that we undersland the Clluses of the \!\Iar. TIley can be grouped under three main heirdings: Economic, ConsiitutionaL and SpirituaL

THE ECONOMIC ISSUES OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

There were basiClilly two economic issues which played a large pari in bringing about the \!\Iilr, both of which were inlen'dated: Merc

from them. In order to accomplish this you must discourage imports (by tariffs) while increasing exports (and so producing a "favorable balance of trade"). This sounds good, but when evelY countly is seeking to do the same thing, problems arise. How can you entice other nations to buy from you when you are unwilling to buy from them] The answer is, you can'L

other countries. Tile colonies were to be the exclusive markets of Englimd. Thus, even if they could obtain higher quality goods from other countries ilt lower prices, they were forbidden. This provoked a wilve of smuggling, which in turn, provoked another wave of ParliamentillY legislation to retaliilte against the smugglers.

The "Staple Act" of 1663 is illustrative of the nature of the

American juries not to convict smugglers. Further, in 1705, the list of enumerated articles was lengthened to include rice, molilsses, limber, and naval stores, plus milny other items." (Conceived in Liberty, vol. II, p. 206)

2) Because of mercantilism, the colonies cou ld not develop economically. ManufactUling was discourilged to maintain a

The inevitable result of mercantilism therefore, is economic stagnation. The only way countlies could sUlvive economically, was to resort to colonization. This became one of the basic motives for the rush to plant colonies in the New \l\Iorld by European

"The colonies. thus existed (at least in th~ mlnds ,ol many Englishmen)Jorfhe

. sole purpose oJenric1#n:g ... . themothe.rcountry."

dependence upon the mother counhy. If they begim to make their own goods, they would have no need for English goods, and the whole purpose of the colony would be annulled (at least from the English viewpoint), The colonies thus

nations in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. ll1e colony provided a built-in market for domestic goods as well as a convenient source for raw materials and resources. Thus, under the mercantile system, a nation had two choices if it was to sUlvive, 1) Found colonies through exploration and settlement or, 2) Conquer the colonies of another nation.

From the perspective of the British crown, the American colonies' primalY purpose was to be markets for English goods. Thus, from the beginning, the colonies were placed under many economic restrictions. ll1e immediate results of these restrictions were two-fold:

1) They could not trade with

infamous "Navagation Acts" passed by Parliament to preserve the benefits of mercantilism for England. It prohibited any import of European goods which did not pass through English ports and pay English dUties, and which was not transpOited on English-buHt ships. ll1is had the effect of giving English merchants a monopoly on colonial trade.

The climactic Navigation Act came in 1696. MUITay Rothbard summarizes its effects, "It provided for tightened enforcement of previous acts, including giving customs officials the right of forcible enliy in search for violations, and the creation of vice admiralty courts without jUly trials for violators, thus hying to circumvent the tendency of

16 '\' THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 't' February, 1995

existed (at least in the minds of many Englishmen) for the sole purpose of enriching the mother country. Mercantilism is an extreme fonn of protectionism -- the mother counlly's economy is protected at the expense of the economy of the colony.

It was because of mercantilism that discontent was stirred in the colonies. Many of the founding fathers were engaged in smuggling activities for this reason. They believed the mercantile policies of England constituted theft. They also thought it constituted a breaking of the colonial chal1ers they had with the King. They were legitimate countries of the Kingdom of Cjrcat Elitain. How could the I(ing favor the economy of England over the economies of

the other countries under his authority {New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Cieorgia, or the other colonies)l

The Boslon Tea Party musl be understood in this light. It was not merely a protest against a tax on tea, but a public repudiation of the mercantile pol.icies of England. The colonies had steadfastly refused to submit to the Tea Tax which had been passed by Parliament in 1767 along with the other Towns,hend Acts. This modest tax (threepence per pound) was the only Townshend duly not repealed in 1770, As a result, many Americans refused to buy English Tea. The boycott was

slrictly maintained in two of the major tea-buying porls in this country '(New York and Philadelphia) whose citizens had resOlted 10 buying smuggled tea from Holland and the Dutch \Nest Indies (which was considerably cheaper than English, East India Company tea).

As a result of the consequent losses suffered by the East India Company, the Tea /\cl of 1773 was passed. In order to save the company from banknJptcy, the government allowed it to sell tea directly 10 the colonies rilthcr than having to sell ii-at auclion first in England, In this way, the lea could actually be sold at Blower

price in America (a price lower, in fact, than it was sold in England). The British hoped the Americans would drop their scruples over principle 10 seek their own economic advantage and buy the cheaper British lea (thus, wiping out the illegal competition). They were wrong.

This action infuriated the colonists and when the ships arrived, the opposition was so intense that the ships were forced to retull1 to England still f\llly loaded with East India lea -- aU that is, excepl Ihose iJllchored in Boston harbor. There, Ciovemor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the ships to retum without

For over 1 00 yerH'S ArnericFms have been Sl1 bjected to hj storim 1 misin-formation, We have been given lies for trulll and mythS for facts, Modem, unbelieving historians have hidden the truth of our nation's history from us. America:17wFirst350 Years not only corrects the lies, but also points out things "overlooked" by modem historians, It interprets American history from a Orristian perspective so that you hear not onlywhat happened, bywhyithappened-and whatitmeans to us today, 32 lectures on 16-90 minute cassettes, 200 page note-book, 16 page study guide, lecture outlines, index & bibliography.

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paying the duty on the lea they carried. It soon beC