The basic cause of the growth of conflict was tension
between the British need for revenues and the American desire for independence.
Before the French and Indian War, the American colonies had been left more or
less to themselves. During this period, they got used to having relative
autonomy and came to see it as a right. At the same time, the colonies were increasing
in population and economic strength and becoming less dependent on the mother
country.
After the war, the British needed funds to pay for the war
and other costs of empire. They felt the Americans should help to pay so they
imposed taxes and tried to increase British control of the colonies to ensure
smooth flow of revenues. This need came into conflict with the expectations the
colonists had built over the years.
Big and heavy army to protect them
The national government got stronger thanks to the Articles of Confederation being replaced with the US Constitution. The Articles of Confederation was America's first constitution. This constitution lasted roughly a decade, as it was extremely ineffective and gave the federal government very little power. For example, the federal government could not collect taxes or force states to follow national laws.
When the US Constitution was passed, the federal government gained significant power. This included the creation of an executive branch, the idea that federal laws trump state laws, and the ability to raise funds in order to create a national military.
