Was the American Revolution Justified

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Yes, to some extent.  While I can understand why Parliament would've wanted to tax the colonists as part of paying off their war debts, I would also agree with the Patriots that it wasn't right to have "taxation without representation."  If Parliament had allowed the colonial legislatures to pass/collect the taxes, or if they had allowed colonists to be represented in Parliament, then I think I would've been fine with them. 

However, as a fiercely loyal person, I don't think it would have been right to sever ties to the king without a legitimate reason.  As for westward expansion, I think it was only right that the British Crown keep its promise to the Native Americans.  But in the case of the way the taxes were initiated, I think the colonists did have a legitimate reason to revolt.

If I had to guess where I would've landed at the time, I suspect I would have remained neutral, maybe even siding with the Patriots ultimately.  But if I had supported the Patriots, I certainly wouldn't have been zealous about it.