Table of ContentsThe Decision of the British ParliamentThe Success of These PoliciesThe Failures of These PoliciesThe American RevolutionContributing FactorsConclusionReferencesThe British Empire was not to be classified as a cohesive empire. Across the kingdoms, the modes of government and excision of powers varied from place to place. Concerning the American colony, the British Empire established various forms of government and various modes of leadership. A great example to cite is that Virginia began as a merchant colony while Massachusetts was a Puritan theocracy. Some sections of the American province had exclusively diverse policies due to economic activities. South Carolina, for example, had controlled activities related to plantation agriculture and the slave trade. The similarity between the colonies was that they were ruled by governors appointed from London. However, it can be summarized that British policies were varied either towards the American colony or towards the other provinces. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Decision of the British Parliament The French and Indian War took place between the American colonies and New France. Both sides allied themselves with various Native American tribes. British troops aided the colonies during the war and were stationed in the colonies for protection after the war. So they needed money for their forces. The British Parliament therefore decided to tax the colonies, which gave rise to a series of policies. By the 1770s, Britain had established several colonies in North America. The British Empire developed many strategies to govern these colonies. Most of these policies have failed. The plans were: Navigation Act 1651, Molasses Act 1733, Currency Act 1751, Sugar Act 1764, Stamp Act 1765, Cantonment Act 1765, Declaratory Act of 1766, Townshend Act of 1767, Tea Act of 1773 and Coercive Acts of 1774. The success of these policies. The Navigation Act was the only successful British policy toward the American colonies. The provision of the Navigation Act provided that restrictions were imposed in relation to colonial trade. This policy was developed as a series of laws by the British government. The Navigation Act also provided frameworks for the development of British naval systems which would be used for deployment and emergency response in the event of war in the Territories. The first maritime law was passed as early as 1381. However, they were not affected at the time due to the lack of adequate warships. The policy was successful because it did not interfere with the primary needs and affairs of the colonies. Although it was repealed in 1849, it had existed for two centuries. Laws under this Act were intended to protect the British economy against the growth of the Dutch shipping trade, which posed a threat; hence the name Navigation Law. The failures of these policies Of the ten policies, nine of them failed. The Molasses Act failed because corruption began among traders. The Monetary Act failed because it increased tensions between the British and Americans. The Stamp Act also failed because it was opposed by the colonies and even aroused many opposition groups. For example, Sons of Liberty was canceled in1766. All policies that failed were due to their violation of the rights of the colonies and their submission to illegal taxes. Although all nine policies failed, the Navigation Law was successful. For it to survive for two centuries, it must have had stronger laws than other strategies. Nine of ten systems failed. Some were more damaging than others. The damage had serious consequences on the colonies. The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, and Tea Act were the most harmful policies. The Stamp Act had serious consequences on the colonies because there were 55 documents subject to duty, and violation of the laws set forth in the act had to be prosecuted. The rise of opposition groups. For example, Sons of Liberty shows how this policy damaged the colonies. The procedure only lasted a year due to the tensions it created. The other policy that decidedly failed was the Townshend Act. It imposed a duty on imports of, for example, glass, paint, oil, paper and tea. This also opposed boycotts which would have the effect of affecting British mercantile business. This created tensions between the colonies and Britain. Britain then sent four of its regiments to Boston to act as a police force. This led to riots by the patriot group Sons of Liberty, which led to the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, resulting in the deaths of five colonists by British forces. After opposition to the Townshend Act, it was removed, leaving only the tax on tea. Maintaining the tax on tea was to show the superiority of the British. However, this measure was not taken lightly by the colonies, as it damaged the position of independent shippers, smugglers and local traders. In December 1773, Bostonians dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor in an event known as the Boston Tea Party. The American Revolution Due to the many policy failures of the British Empire, the American Revolution broke out. The British Parliament proposed laws to tax the American colonies to help pay for the troops. The colonies did not take it lightly. To begin with, the British Empire gave the American colonies the opportunity to gain momentum and revolt against them by removing a policy after it failed, then replacing it with a weak policy that would also die upon arrival. The British made no effort to strengthen their policy, but rather allowed it to die; therefore, the American colonies identified their weakness. The failures of these policies united the colonies. Ideally, the British thought that punishing Boston by closing its port to trade would cripple them, but the opposite happened. The colonies united and even sent supplies to help Boston during the blockade. Many also joined the Sons of Liberty, which was growing rapidly among the provinces. Having gained courage, unity, and momentum, the colonies sent twelve of the thirteen colonies to the First Continental Congress. This was a direct response to intolerable acts. The provinces also submitted a petition on this subject but never received a response. They then decided to boycott British products. All this happened while the British were observing the revolution. The American Revolution was by no means legendary, but the British failed. Their policies did not serve their intended purposes because they were created for the wrong reasons. The reason for these plans was to strengthen the economic interests of, 101(2), 253-271.