英语国家文化the road to independence.docx

American History:The Road to Independence 　Although some believe that the history of the American Revolution began long before the first shots were fired in 1775， England and America did not begin an overt parting of the ways until 1763， more than a century and a half after the founding of the first permanent settlement at Jamestown， Virginia. The colonies had grown vastly in economic strength and cultural attainment， and virtually all had long years of self-government behind them. In the 1760s their combined population exceeded 1，500，000 —— a sixfold increase since 1700.A NEW COLONIAL SYSTEMAfter the French and Indian War， Britain needed more money to support its growing empire. Unless the taxpayer in England was to supply all money for the colonies defense， revenues would have to be extracted from the colonists through a stronger central administration， which would come at the expense of colonial self-government. To put a new system into effect， and to tighten control， Parliament had to contend with colonists trained in self-government and impatient with interference.　The first step in inaugurating the new system was the replacement of the Molasses Act of 1733， which placed a prohibitive duty， or tax， on the import of rum and molasses from non-English areas， with the Sugar Act of 1764. To enforce the Sugar Act， customs officials were ordered to show more energy and effectiveness. British warships in American waters were instructed to seize smugglers， and writs of assistance， or warrants， authorized the kings officers to search suspected premises.　Later in 1764， Parliament enacted a Currency Act to prevent paper bills of credit hereafter issued in any of His Majestys colonies from being made legal tender. Since the colonies were a deficit trade area and were constantly short of hard currency， this measure added a serious burden to the colonial economy. Equally objectionable from the colonial viewpoint was the Quartering Act， passed in 1765， which required colonie