Was the American Revolution Primarily a Struggle for Power?

James Otis stated his belief that "the world would always be divided between those who were discontent because they didn't have enough power, and those who felt they did." The British knew that if they lost the war they would rapidly decline from the most powerful nation, to one that was weak. They fought to retain their power. The British' motives for fighting ties into James Otis's belief because although the British were content with …

…station among the powers of the earth." In essence, this can only mean one thing: the colonists desired power to become equal. With equality comes independence. <Tab/>What started out as a small dispute over the amount of power the colonists should have been allotted, escalated into a large revolution where each side fought for power. One thing is certain though: both the British and the colonists were fighting for power.