What does the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act and Quartering Act of 1765; the Townsend Duties of 1767, the Boston Massacre, the Gaspee incident, and the Intolerable Acts have in common? They were all reasons for Americans to declare their independence from Great Britain. Because of Great Brtain's inflexibility and ignorance in colonial affairs, Americans did not want to be ruled under Parliament. During the 1770's, American's national pride had increased rapidly, especially after the French …showed first 75 words of 465 total…

…showed last 75 words of 465 total…had captured four British forts, he sadly wrote, "a brother's sword has been sheathed in a brother's breast and the once happy and peaceful plains of America are either to be drenched in blood or inhabited by a race of slaves" (Garraty 104). Soon after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia was seeking a way to completely break from England (Brinkley 117). The country was opened to ships from all different nations