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The narrative suggests that the war for American independence was not inevitable, that the British Empire could have been saved. Do you agree? At what point during the imperial crisis was peaceful compromise possible?I believe that the British Empire could have easily been preserved. War was not inevitable. Had King George III not treated the colonists like misbehaving children from whom he could profit, peace could have been maintained, and the American Revolution could have been prevented. Initially, the colonists did not want to be separated from England. They simply wanted the same English rights that the Englanders were afforded by the crown. However, differences over the responsibility of who would pay for the cost of the Seven Years War and Britain’s mercantilist policies prompted over taxation with no representation. When the founding fathers gathered at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, they had two primary goals. First of all, they wanted to assert their right to English rights, including representation. Secondly, they wanted to pledge their allegiance to England. To do this, they sent the Olive Branch Petition in a last attempt to ask the king for some relief from taxes and oppression. The language in the petition is humble as the founders defer to the king and pledge their loyalty. Furthermore, if they were to remain with Great Britain, they would receive the protection of the British navy and the most powerful empire in the world. Unfortunately, when the king received the petition, he refused to read it. Instead, he accused the colonists of all out treason, stating that they had “proceeded toward open and avowed rebellion.” The colonists at that point realized that they would not be given the same rights and in essence they would always be considered merely a source of funding for the king. It was as if the 13 colonies were the king’s indentured servants—only he was not interested in ever giving them their freedom. So yes, the Empire could have been saved if the King had listened to the colonists and believed that they were acting in good faith by sending the Olive Branch Petition. Of course, the next document that the king would receive would be the Declaration of Independence, which was, in actuality, death sentences for those who signed it. Whereas war could have been prevented with the Olive Branch Petition, with the Declaration, it was certainly inevitable. References John Ferling, “The Rocky Road to Revolution: While Most Members of Congress Sought a Negotiated Settlement with England, Independence Advocates Bided Their Time,” Smithsonian, July 2004, 35. ................
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