Why Britain was against American Independence.

During the first British Empire, the British began colonizing other countries due to the need for trade and raw materials. It established thirteen colonies in North America, as well as colonies in the Caribbean and India.

During the early to mid-1700s, Great Britain adopted the policy of Salutary Neglect, in which it left the thirteen colonies alone to self-govern in the hopes that they would flourish and that Britain would reap the benefits in increased trade, tax revenue and profits.

In 1756, the Seven Years' War (aka the French and Indian War) broke out, which was a global conflict between Great Britain and France for control of North America.

Both countries had colonies in North America and were trying to expand those colonies into the Ohio River Valley, which they both claimed as their own.

Great Britain defeated the French in 1763 and the region known as New France became a part of the British North American colonies. This land included French Canada and all the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River.

In order to protect this new land, Great Britain sent a large number of British troops to the newly conquered land to prevent the French colonists from revolting against the British. This was expensive and required a lot of troops and resources.

In addition, the Seven Years' War had left Great Britain deeply in debt. In 1763, George Grenville, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated that Britain's budget deficit was in excess of £122 million.

Great Britain needed to find a way to generate revenue to pay for the British troops in North America and to pay off its debt from the Seven Years' War.