The Causes of War

Britain - The American War of Independence, 1775-83

In this course, Professor Jeremy Black (University of Exeter) explores Britain’s involvement in the American War of Independence. In the first module, we look at the causes of the American War of Independence, looking in particular at tensions between the Native Americans and the British, and the introduction of the Stamp Act. In the second module, we consider whether the British could have won the American War of Independence. In the third module, we look more closely at the early stages of the war, from 1775-78, before, in the fourth module, switching focus to the last years of the war, from 1781-83. Finally, in the fifth module, we consider the consequences of the American War of Independence for Britain.

The Causes of War

In this module, we look at the causes of the American War of Independence, focusing in particular on: (i) why the collapse of the British Empire was not exceptional; (ii) was the American War of Independence inevitable?; (iii) who caused the conflict that escalated to become the American War of Independence?; (iv) divisions within America, and the American War of Independence as a Civil War; and (v) the British response to early tensions in the Thirteen Colonies.