Justified? Under any reasonable just-war theory, probably not.
Preventable? Any British policy that allowed the US to reach anything like its true potential was going to end up with the 2-ton tail wagging the 2-pound dog—American dominance of the political system based on weight of wealth and weight of numbers. This was something that the British political elite was willing to use violence to prevent. Was it really a tyranny in 1776? Doubtful, especially by the standards of the day. Could the status quo be maintained without violence? Unclear—the independence of Canada, Australia, and India happened in the shadow of US independence.
Justified? Under any reasonable just-war theory, probably not.
Preventable? Any British policy that allowed the US to reach anything like its true potential was going to end up with the 2-ton tail wagging the 2-pound dog—American dominance of the political system based on weight of wealth and weight of numbers. This was something that the British political elite was willing to use violence to prevent. Was it really a tyranny in 1776? Doubtful, especially by the standards of the day. Could the status quo be maintained without violence? Unclear—the independence of Canada, Australia, and India happened in the shadow of US independence.