Considering both sides of the conflict, could the War for Independence Essay

Considering both sides of the conflict, could the War for Independence have been avoided Consider military engagements prior to - Essay Example The textbook says that â€Å"Britain had previously never exercised much direct control over the colonies (Millett & Maslowski, 1994, p. 53).† In contrast, the reality was that pre-war measures taken by Britain like the establishment of Proclamation Line, placement of the British garrisons and arbitrarily taxing the colonies amounted to blatant attempts to exercise control while sidelining the popular aspirations of the colonies (Millett & Maslowski, 1994, p. 53). One direct outcome of this political debacle on the part of Britain was its highhanded approach towards things based on the false perceptions created by the Loyalists. It was true that,†England underestimated the militia’s potential and patriot numerical strength (Millett & Maslowski, 1994, p. 56).† The conflict could have been avoided if Britain had given heed to the popular expressions of dissent rising way back in 1765, when only select colonies vouched for complete independence. A majority of t he patriots even during the early phase of the war were fighting for their rights as English subjects and not for complete independence (Millett & Maslowski, 1994, p. 53).