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They had been dependant of the British government for so long that declaring independance was hugely controversial at the time. So naturally, some members of the Continental Congress favored independance while others were in favor of ultimately making peace with the British. But they realized that this was not possible and even if it were, they would all be hing for treason.

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13y ago
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15y ago

Most people were loyal to the King and thought that the enemy of America was Parliament. To declare independence, they would have to separate from the king for he was the true enemy. There was no way that they could win the war without the support of all of the colonist. Once Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" came out (Thomas Paine was an average citizen at the time) and changed the mind set.

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15y ago

Well there is a lot of revolutions that colonists took part in. I can answer anything about the American Revolution. The reasons were 1. They were loyal to King George. 2. Economic reasons 3. They did not truly believe in the government that the was formed by the Americans was either legitimate, and would work/last in the long run. 4. Protection that the British government offered. 5. Believed that the 13 Colonies could work out any problems with Great Britain without using violence, and separating from the British Empire. 6. They wanted to stay British or remain members of the British Empire.

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10y ago

Initially, it was mainly because they saw themselves as British subjects. They believed in the British system and British laws, and did not want that relationship to end. They felt that their problem was simply a political disagreement with Parliament, and not with the entirety of the British government. Others, especially those influenced by certain pacifist religious persuasions such as the Quakers, were fundamentally opposed to war and would not support independence, knowing it would certainly lead to a war.

Once the Revolutionary War started, some of the opposition finally got on board. Those who continued to oppose declaring independence generally wanted to make sure things were ready- for example, they wanted to make sure that the colonies had the support of foreign allies, and wanted to make sure a new government and laws were already set up before making the declaration. They wound up not getting those demands either, at least not until much later (the war started in 1775, but France didn't ally with the Colonists until 1778, and the Articles of Confederation were written in 1777 but not fully ratified until 1781).

John Dickinson of Pennsylvania was one of the Founding Fathers who led the small anti-war faction of the Continental Congress. He wrote two petitions to King George to attempt reconciliation; when those failed, he still refused to sign the Declaration of Independence. He did help write the Articles of Confederation, and also briefly served in Pennsylvania's militia during the war. He continued to serve in Congress (for some time representing Delaware), and helped write the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

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15y ago

they would lose the support of powerful friends in England

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6y ago

The British were still open to compromise and negotiations

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Q: What were the reasons the colonists gave for not wanting to declare their independence?
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Continue Learning about American Government

American RevolutionAmerican colonists who desired independence from Great Britain were called Whigs while those wanting to stay united with Britain were called?

{| |- | They were referred to as Torys. Many of them moved to Canada in order to stay with the British Crown. Some stayed in the colonies believing that the British would win the war. |}


What is the difference between Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence?

Common Sense was connected to the Declaration of Independence as we can tell by looking at our quotes "Common Sense followed the natural rights philosophy of John Locke, justifying independence as the will of the people and revolution as a device for bring happiness." there were three natural rights in Common Sense and also there were three same natural rights in Declaration of Independence " ...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"


What are the five main parts of declaration?

The Preamble Declaration of rights a bill of Indictment decree of Independence Signatures P D I I S People Don't Invite Idiots to Supper


Why were some colonists loyalists while others were patriots?

the patriots vs the loyalists started because the revolutionary war was about to start, and was inevitable. This resulted in a split in the people, patriots wanting to secede from England, and the loyalists wanting America to stay with England


Are democrats wanting to make whites slaves?

....no.

Related questions

Wich American colonists document reasons for wanting independence from England?

The Declaration of Independence written in July 1775 by Thomas Jefferson.


What document listed the American colonist reasons for wanting independence for England?

Declaration of Independence


What was one of the main reasons the delegates of the Second Continental Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence?

They believed they should inform other countries of their reasons for wanting independence.


What were the reasons the colonists gave for not wanting to declare their independence.?

Well there is a lot of revolutions that colonists took part in. I can answer anything about the American Revolution. The reasons were 1. They were loyal to King George. 2. Economic reasons 3. They did not truly believe in the government that the was formed by the Americans was either legitimate, and would work/last in the long run. 4. Protection that the British government offered. 5. Believed that the 13 Colonies could work out any problems with Great Britain without using violence, and separating from the British Empire. 6. They wanted to stay British or remain members of the British Empire.


What document listed the American colonist reasons for wanting independence from England?

The Declaration of Independence was written during the Revolutionary War and listed the reasons the thirteen colonies should no longer be part of the British Empire. Its author was Thomas Jefferson.


What religious reasons did the colonists have for wanting to be free from great Britain?

They did not belong to the Church of England, or they wished to convert away from that Church.


What are some reasons for wanting to be a manager?

Wanting to feel important and like you can control things..


What were the two sides of the revolutionary fighting for?

The struggle for independence, the Patriots wanting independence and the Loyalist did not (following England).


Why did the second continental congress send an olive branch petition to King George III?

The Olive Branch Petition was sent by the Continental Congress to try to assure the King that the Colonists were not wanting independence. One of the aspects of this was that they expressed their desire for free trade and tax rates similar to those in Great Britain. George III ignored the request, which increased colonists' understanding that independence was truly the only remaining option they had left.


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