What caused the American Revolution? explained in 5 minutes (4th of July)

What caused the American Revolutionary War? explained in 5 minutes (4th of July)
Epimetheus on patreon

Tags:
American Revolutionary War, American revolution, American war for independence, independence day, 4th of july, American history, documentary, American revolution explained, American revolution simplified, American revolutionary war explained, independence day explained, American revolution crashcourse, history, American revolution history, American Revolutionary War explained in 5 minutes (4th of July), american revolution crash course, american independence day, american independence documentary, American independence history, American independence from Great Britain, what caused the american revolution?, why did the colonies rebel?

[EpimetheusHistory]

Edit: MAP 25 secs in has opposite colors for Sweden and Prussia :(
Happy July 4th everyone! In this video I wanted to focus a little deeper on the causes of the revolution rather than just “taxation without representation” or “Freedom!” or “they where greedy or they where tyrants” those make great taglines and have some truth to them, but I believe that the financial strain (from bankers etc…) on both the colonial and British governments made war not quite inevitable but highly probable. Let me know what you think!

[jeffeppenbach]

I like that you pointed out the issue of payment of taxes and currency. This is a factor that is generally overlooked by most people. Colonists didn't really have an issue paying taxes, but rather the Crown had a problem with what they did (or didn't) have to pay with.

[SonofIiberty]

An important detail left out is that the spark that ignited the revolution was in April 19th 1775 when the British attempted to confiscate arms from the colonists at Concord.

[emmaavelar]

Happy Independence Day!🇺🇸🎉
I like your drawing of the redcoat...

[miketacos]

Epimetheus is the only one I've ever seen to mention the Currency Act of 1764 in detail. Mah boi never stop.

[powerist]

And the inspiration of all Space Opera revolutions, the idea of colonies vs. mother state warfare.

[dragn_rage]

I'm pretty sure there was also a law which forbid whites from settling past the appalachias, Americans weren't too happy about that either.

[alanl.]

Looking back at history, I do feel the war was rather petty to begin with. Both sides were at fault to a degree, on one side Britain needed a way to minimize its debt and what better way than through taxes. After all they did fight a war to protect the colonies, a war that the colonists triggered themselves by trespassing French territory.
On the other hand, the colonists who were subjects of the Crown should've had representation in the parliament, just seems like common sense.
Also it's not like all of the colonists wanted freedom, a good chunk were still loyal to Britain, had Britain played her cards differently they might have been able to turn public opinion against the rebels, but instead of punishing only Boston they punished all of the colonies.
Great video as always!

[scott]

A good video but it does miss some key points. For example: the limiting of westward expansion or the concessions made to French Catholics.

The question of whether it was a “just” war is tied up with the question of whether it was a “necessary” war.

I appreciate it has become pretty central to the national mythos but I do not think it was necessary. I think the issues could have been resolved without that escalation and consequent waste of blood and treasure. So no, I don’t think it was a ‘just war’, no matter how valid some of the complaints were.

[brandonbruzzese]

Those dirty aliens had it coming, god bless will smith and jeff goldblum for their heroic actions. "We will not go quietly into the night, we will not vanish without a fight. We're going to live on, we're going to survive. Today we celebrate our independence day!"

[gonebamboo]

Great video. I hope you will cover the cause of more wars.

[ranwest]

Didn’t the British treaties to stop westward expansion play a much larger role?

[mabloomg]

From the viewpoint of 3rd parties (i.e. not the English or Americans) was this a "just war"?
Did the American first peoples consider this a just war? How about the Spanish?
A "just war" is moreoft a relative concept, tied up with self identity more than some universal good.

[crumblingwall]

Great work. Outstanding. It may interest you to look into what the working class was using as currency just one generation before...

[Joisey]

To be complete, it should be pointed out that all the various Acts you reviewed in this video were executing a policy of Mercantilism, where the Mother Country gets wealthy at the expense of the colonies.

[tomost]

Great Video, but the 7 Years war map seem to be wrong. Austria, Russia and Sweden where Frensh allies, Prussia however was and british Ally.

[QUINSYlarynx]

I am amazed at how forward thinking and avant garde the founding fathers were for their time.

[thejusticechannel]

The American Revolution was radical for its time in several aspects, especially in actions stemming from the lower classes of American society like Shays' Rebellion, but it was largely guided by the capitalist class in America who wanted to expand into Indian territory. Many atrocities were committed against Native Americans like the Gnadenhutten massacre and not to mention the vicious expansionism that happened right after the war and drafting of the US Constitution.

[colorado]

Don't forget about the New England Confederation of 1643, and England hiring Hessians in the 1770's.

[theinspiredentrepreneur]

They way things are going, we're headed there again!