Causes of the American Revolution in Virginia
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2024
Department/School
History and Philosophy
Publication Title
Encyclopedia of Virginia
Abstract
The causes of the American Revolution in Virginia were both external and internal. British taxes on the colonies such as the Stamp Act of 1765 roused opposition in the Old Dominion and elicited claims that only the House of Burgesses, not the Crown, had the right to tax Virginians. The ensuing colonial boycotts drew strength from the growing indebtedness of Virginia’s tobacco planters. Virginia on the eve of independence was a society divided by race, region, and religion. Enslaved people were inspired to liberation by talk of rebellion, while the recent migration of white settlers to the backcountry led to tensions with the Tidewater elite and violence against Indigenous peoples. The Coercive Acts of 1774 united the colony against Britain and caused Virginians to lead the continental movement toward revolution. After John Murray, fourth earl of Dunmore, armed the enslaved and led an assault on the coast, the Commonwealth of Virginia declared its independence and approved its first constitution in 1776.
Recommended Citation
McCurdy, J. G. (2024). Causes of the American Revolution in Virginia. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/causes-of-the-american-revolution-in-virginia/
Comments
J. G. McCurdy is a faculty member in EMU's Department of History and Philosophy.