A number of factors caused the colonists to revolt and declare their independence from Great Britain; leading to the American Revolution and the United States of America as we know it today. It is interesting to wonder whether the colonists actually chose to move away from Britain or whether this decision was primarily made for them as a reaction against the social changes they began to observe in the years leading up to 1776; when the Revolution “officially” began. A significant drop in the price Britain was willing to pay for its tobacco trade, a governor who threatened the security of slave labor, and the establishment of a depreciated paper currency system were three main factors that contributed to the motivation to prevent social change by engaging in the American Revolution. The impetus for the war was not a matter of personal gratification for the colonists but rather a necessary step in continuing their original way of life. The largest industry in the colonies at the time was undoubtedly the tobacco trade, and it provided a large portion of Virginia's revenue. . The price of tobacco fell to an all-time low in 1773 due to lack of demand due to the recession the colonists were facing. The colonists were forced to look for methods to raise prices and decided to suspend their harvests and not export to Britain in order to create more demand for less product. By not exporting their crops, they exposed themselves to the risk of losing their crop stocks and to legal action for non-compliance with contracts obligating them to supply tobacco to individuals or businesses. Although their plan was successful, the farmers had to realize the uncertainty of depending on a foreign country to buy this...... middle of paper...... rising British government the colonists against each other. The colonists were faced with a decision whether to move forward with or without their founding country and ultimately decided they would be better off on their own. At first glance, it appears that they chose to enter the revolution because they wanted their independence and needed to promote social change, but upon further investigation, perhaps the colonists simply wanted return to their original way of life. The British government imposed changes that the colonists did not want by implementing lower prices for the tobacco they purchased from the colonies. He gave power to Lord Dunmore who threatened slavery in the South, which ultimately led to the deflation of paper money. The combination of these factors caused the colonists to resist the change imposed on them and to revolt; what led to the American Revolution.