What underlying factors in the events of the 1770s led the colonies to declare their independence from Britain?

The
colonists' grievances were pretty clearly defined in some of their statements. Stemming largely
from taxation, the colonists' believed they were being taken advantage ofand truthfully, they
were. Great Britain was fighting more and more wars, including the French and Indian War that
took place on the American continent. This drained their resources, and so, instead of going
into the purse of Parliament or taking from the citizens living in the British Isles, they
levied taxes and fines against the colonists.

Unfortunately, the colonists
had little say in these fines and had absolutely no representation in the government to fight
against these taxes. The most frustrating thing was that the colonists were being taxed to pay
for wars and events that they perceived as having nothing to do with them, which they had no
opportunity to fightleading to the cry "No taxation without representation."

Additionally, during and after the war, the British were forcing colonists to
quarter...