Why did the colonists fight the British?

The primary reason the colonists fought the British was for self-government. The American Revolution was rooted in the desire of the colonists to establish their own governance and to have a voice in their political affairs rather than being ruled from afar by the British Parliament. The colonists believed that they should have the right to create their own laws and make decisions that directly affected their lives, particularly when British authorities imposed taxes and regulations without their consent.

While the desire for representation in Parliament and the issue of taxes were significant concerns, they were part of the larger quest for self-determination. The colonists felt that they should not be subject to decisions made by a government in which they had no representation or over which they had no control. This desire for autonomy ultimately manifested in their struggle for independence from British rule, as they sought to form their own nation where they could govern themselves. Thus, the emphasis on self-government encapsulates the broader motivations and aspirations driving the Revolutionary War.