Qould We Have Avoided The War?

Could we have avoided the war?
I believe that we couldn't of avoided the war because as Americans we like choice and the British were defending their honor. British Ministry did not accept William Pitts suggestion on 1) making the Continental Congress a lawful body and 2) Renouncing British taxing power. Things were then made worse with the Coercive Acts which included 1)Port Bill 2)Government Act 3)Quartering Act and 4)Justice Act. Congress reacted with the Declaration of Rights and Grievances and the Intolerable Acts to be repealed by Sept. 1775. If both the British and Americans would of compromised the war could of been postponed but not avoided. Communication between the British and Americans was seldom and arrogance also played a big role. The Americans believed they were citizens while the British did not believe this which also caused tension.
Do you believe we could of avoided the war or was it too late at this point in history?

Unification in the Colonies

What marked the end of the French and Indian War was just the beginning stages leading to the American Revolution. Due to the expenses of this war, the British were over their heads in debt. They decided what better way to alleviate this deficit than to tax the American colonies left and right.
The extensive taxation started with proposal of the Sugar Act of 1764 by George Grenville, the prime minister at the time. Originally, Grenville wanted 6 pence per gallon, but eventually agreed to make it 3. This act was thoroughly ignored through bribing customs officials. The Stamp Act of 1765 was put into action to help fund the British military stationed in the colonies. It placed a tax on all legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, and other printed items. Later that year, representatives from nine colonial assemblies got together for the Stamp Act Congress in New York City. This is the first time we see a strong, unified force in the colonies. Mobs, calling themselves the Sons of Liberty, caused this act to crumble through force and intimidation. Since William Pitt frequently missed Parliament sessions due to sickness, Charles Townshend, the head of the Treasury, was left in charge. He came up with the Townshend Act of 1767 to feed his financial (and political) desires. This was to impose taxes on pretty much everything the colonies got from Britain (that they didn't have themselves)- tea, paper, red and white lead, glass, etc. The tax the British people paid on these items was lifted and put on to the colonists. Ultimately, these Navigation Acts were what escalated the levels of hostility, leading to the American Revolution. If any of these imperial decisions were made differently, could the revolution have been avoided? Or would it just have postponed the inevitable?

The First Continental Congress

In September 1774, twelve men met in Philadelphia for the first meeting of the Continental Congress. The meeting was set up to discuss issues of parliament control over the colonies. Mainly, the Congress set up plans that would retaliate against Britian's economy. They told Parliament to repeal the Intolerable Acts by September 1775 or they would cut off all colonial exports to Britian, Ireland, and the West Indies. Many British leaders wanted compromise, including William Pitt who suggested that Parliament should give up their power to tax the colonies.

The Congress infuriated British Parliament with these demands and identifed them as an illegal assembly. Lord North set some demands of his own. His terms stated that Americans had to recognize Parliaments power to tax them. He also set up a naval blockade that ceased all colonial exports to other countries besides Britian. This was the beginning of the road to independence and the colonies governing themselves.