Many incidents and factors fueled the colonists' thirst for independence from Great Britain. This hunger for independence eventually led to the American Revolution. The French and Indian War was a war that created a lot of debt for Great Britain. It lasted from 1754 to 1763. It was a war in which they won, but the effects on the nation were great. The amount of debt exceeded his victory. Needing to cover its debt, Britain began raising taxes and demanding more money from the thirteen colonies to help them cover their large debt. This angered and frustrated the colonists. There were many laws implemented over time that caused uprisings by the colonists. The Sugar Act increased taxes on imported sugar. The Currency Act prohibited Americans from issuing banknotes and money, because Britain believed it was devaluing money, which was bad for British trade. The Quartering Act required all colonists to feed and house British soldiers when necessary. The Stamp Act, the law that caused quite a bit of controversy, was a direct and apparent tax on all paper goods such as papers, newspapers, etc. This tax was different from all other taxes, because until then all taxes had been hidden and indirect. Now that the colonists knew about the new taxation, they were extremely upset and formed the Stamp Act Congress and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, in opposition to the new British laws. The Boston Massacre occurred in 1770. It was a street battle that occurred between colonists and British soldiers. The fight resulted in the death of some settlers. This, of course, caused even greater tension between the colonists and Britain. The tension continued to build over the years. Halfway through the document... it explained how the colonies worked, and it gave hope that the United States would be a place of opportunity for everyone, everyone except women (but that would soon change as well). .“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; who are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are Life, Freedom and the pursuit of Happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation upon such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as will make them it will seem very probable that affects their safety and happiness.”[Declaration of Independence of the United States]