Patriotism and Revolt

Why would the colonies revolt against the British Empire? There were multiple reasons for why the colonists decided to revolt. Taxes were a big part of the reason, but not the only reason. At this point in time the colonists had gotten their way in boycotts. Therefore, the colonists were becoming bolder and starting to rebel against all forms of British rule. The colonists gained a sense of pride and independence from their successful boycotts. This would lead to a desire of independence from British rule. Many colonists did not want to separate from the British. There were political divisions among the colonies. Supporters of the American Colonies and freedom were known as Patriots. Those who were loyal to Great Britain were known as Loyalists. In the early stages, the ruling bodies of the colonies tried to reform the British rule, not separate from it. The government was not running smooth, multiple rebellions such as Shays' Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion threatened the colonies weak government. The early officials decided there needed to be change. They came up with the Virginia Plan. The Virginia Plan was created to strengthen America's central government. The Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches would come out of the Virginia Plan. Roger Sherman, said that Congress should be appointed. It was decided that there would be two parts of Congress, this decision would become known as the Great Compromise. The main reason for the colonists to revolt against their mother country of Great Britain is that there is a sense of pride, love, defiance, and freedom that pushes the colonists into an area that no one has ever been before, and that is to fight back against the mother country.  The colonists' decisions and feelings at this point in time are what define the word patriotism.