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The American revolution was started because citizens did not want the government in their homes.

nickelcitymario 8y ago
I don't think that's historically accurate. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the battle cry of the revolution "no taxation without representation"? It wasn't about privacy, it was about wanting to be more than just a backwater colony.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > wasn't the battle cry of the revolution "no taxation without representation"? That was a slogan of the revolution, but there were more than one; it wasn't the unique complaint. There was also a fairly specific list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
- max76 8y ago
  "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law." -- The 3rd Amendment The early revolutionary war history overly simplified is something like this. Britain increases taxes on America. America stops paying taxes. Britain increases military presence to force America to pay taxes. America fought against the British military. During the increased British military presence in America the British goverment did terrible things, including living in civilians homes and eating their food. This is what the parent comment meant when he said "The American revolution was started because citizens did not want the government in their homes." Ultimately, the British goverment was in American homes to help the tax collection effort, so your idea of early Americans caring a lot about taxation is also true.
  - nickelcitymario 8y ago
    Ah, gotcha. I took it as suggesting the revolution was about privacy, but I see where I was mistaken. Thanks!
  - HeWhoLurksLate 8y ago
    Also, bootleggers who made money by smuggling stuff for cheap and selling it right below the full tariff price and weren't happy about the British ending their tariffs and making them lose money. Also, the whole trial by jury of peers was really great for those like John Hancock (the guy who signed his name really big on the Constitution) who got in trouble with the British for smuggling and then would be invariably found not guilty by his employees. When military trials came into place, Hancock and his distributor buddies started getting jail time. Also, by the way, Hancock shipping basically had a mob, who were responsible for a bunch of the rioting in Boston and likely the related Tea Party. Just wanted to point out that America wasn't exactly formed out of ideology. By the way- that big signature? Essentially the largest political middle finger ever.
    - max76 8y ago
      I did say my history lesson was oversimplified. The question of _how_ Americans avoided paying taxes is always interesting, not just during this time period.
  - SEJeff 8y ago
    There is an unbelievably good show about this called Turn, Washington's Spies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn:_Washington%27s_Spies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn:_Washington%27s_Spies
- Bud 8y ago
  There was this document called the "Declaration of Independence" that I believe you might find useful in clarifying the answer(s) to your question.
- gcb0 8y ago
  if it was exclusively no taxation without representation, we would be witnessing the H1-B armed revolt by now
ionised 8y ago
That's the fairy tale version.

I don't think that's historically accurate. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the battle cry of the revolution "no taxation without representation"? It wasn't about privacy, it was about wanting to be more than just a backwater colony.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> wasn't the battle cry of the revolution "no taxation without representation"? That was a slogan of the revolution, but there were more than one; it wasn't the unique complaint. There was also a fairly specific list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
max76 8y ago
"No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law." -- The 3rd Amendment The early revolutionary war history overly simplified is something like this. Britain increases taxes on America. America stops paying taxes. Britain increases military presence to force America to pay taxes. America fought against the British military. During the increased British military presence in America the British goverment did terrible things, including living in civilians homes and eating their food. This is what the parent comment meant when he said "The American revolution was started because citizens did not want the government in their homes." Ultimately, the British goverment was in American homes to help the tax collection effort, so your idea of early Americans caring a lot about taxation is also true.
- nickelcitymario 8y ago
  Ah, gotcha. I took it as suggesting the revolution was about privacy, but I see where I was mistaken. Thanks!
- HeWhoLurksLate 8y ago
  Also, bootleggers who made money by smuggling stuff for cheap and selling it right below the full tariff price and weren't happy about the British ending their tariffs and making them lose money. Also, the whole trial by jury of peers was really great for those like John Hancock (the guy who signed his name really big on the Constitution) who got in trouble with the British for smuggling and then would be invariably found not guilty by his employees. When military trials came into place, Hancock and his distributor buddies started getting jail time. Also, by the way, Hancock shipping basically had a mob, who were responsible for a bunch of the rioting in Boston and likely the related Tea Party. Just wanted to point out that America wasn't exactly formed out of ideology. By the way- that big signature? Essentially the largest political middle finger ever.
  - max76 8y ago
    I did say my history lesson was oversimplified. The question of _how_ Americans avoided paying taxes is always interesting, not just during this time period.
- SEJeff 8y ago
  There is an unbelievably good show about this called Turn, Washington's Spies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn:_Washington%27s_Spies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn:_Washington%27s_Spies
Bud 8y ago
There was this document called the "Declaration of Independence" that I believe you might find useful in clarifying the answer(s) to your question.
gcb0 8y ago
if it was exclusively no taxation without representation, we would be witnessing the H1-B armed revolt by now

ionised 8y ago

That's the fairy tale version.