The key occurrences during the Revolutionary era greatly shaped the perspectives of authors and thinkers. After the French and Indian War concluded, Britain aimed to impose taxes on its American colonies to recoup expenses for the war and maintain troops stationed there. Because the American colonies lacked representation in British Parliament, this taxation without representation issue, coupled with other British efforts to exert control and limit colonial self-governance, caused increasing conflict between the colonists and Britain.
Measures like the Tea Act, Intolerable Acts, incidents such as the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre stirred widespread opposition to British authority among colonists, who began to see British rule as oppressive. These events fostered unity among different colonial regions as they identified their shared adversary as the British government.
Furthermore, European Enlightenment ideas emphasizing reason and individual liberties influenced American intellectuals. Thomas Paine, an influential writer who moved to America from England, inspired colonists to pursue independence by articulating powerful arguments. His lack of wealth or status fueled his belief that ordinary citizens could seize power and make their voices heard during the Revolution.
