America in the British Empire

• Common traditions developed slowly among the colonies due to diverse motives for colonization and backgrounds

• But all colonies sought prosperity, political and economic expansion, and a reproduction of Old World civilization

• Initially, colonies dependent on mother country – few questioned authority of the crown

• But colonies became increasingly independent due to distance from England and inefficiency of English government

• Generally, the crown yielded local matters to the colonies

• AssignmentDraw a diagram that shows the different

levels. duties, and powers of colonial government starting with the crown

Be sure to address any differences among the colonies

Pages 80-81

• Britain saw colonies as sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods

• To maximize these goals officials developed economic policies later called mercantilism

• Mercantilist goals Gold and silver – how much a

nation possessed determined its wealth and power. If it could not be mined it could be obtained through guile and warfare

Favorable balance of trade- selling more goods than buying. A trade deficit meant the “export” of gold and silver

Of the English colonies those in the South and Caribbean were valued for their resources and those in the North as markets

The sugar imported from Barbados was worth more than all the goods sent to England by the mainland colonies

To sell goods internal production must be stimulated

British protected home markets and manufacturing through tariffs and subsidies paid to British manufacturers

• Put into effect over period of half century or more

• Acts were designed to Bring in more gold and silverDevelop the imperial merchant fleetChannel the flow of raw materials into BritainKeep foreign goods and vessels out of

colonial ports

• System originated in 1650’s in response to stiff economic competition with Dutch

• Much of colonial business between Europe and the English colonies was conducted by Dutch ships

• First slaves to Jamestown came on Dutch ships

• Navigation Act of 1660Reserved the entire colonial trade to English

shipsCaptain and ¾ of crew had to be EnglishEnumerated articles (sugar, tobacco, cotton,

ginger, and dyes like indigo) could not be shipped, conveyed, or transported outside the empire

• Three years later Parliament required all goods going to the colonies first had to pass through England

• Enumerated articles grew to include rice, molasses, naval stores, furs, and copper

• Colonies were NOT seen as entities to exploit but as part of a larger economic unit

• Restrictions were placed on colonial manufacturingWool Act 1699- prohibited the export of colonial

woolen cloth1732- hat making prohibited Iron Act of 1750

• Outlawed construction of new rolling and slitting mills • By 1775 colonies turning out 1/7 of world supply• Iron Act not intended to destroy iron industry but to steer it

into a direction better suited for Britain. Britain lifted all tariffs on colonial pig and bar iron

• Colonists increasingly complained of mercantilist policies – chronic shortage of specie (Pine Tree Shilling 1652)

• Colonial economy growing rapidly – consumed more manufactured products than it could pay for

• American “debt” actually British investment in colonies

• Colonial products that had no market in Britain (fish, wheat, corn) could move freely to foreign ports

• Shipbuilding became big colonial business

• Though mercantilism was supposed to treat mother country and colonies as single economic unit when conflicts arose the mother country always won

• As the American economy became more complex – the colonies would experience greater problems

• The restrictions of mercantilism were lessened due to inefficiency of British government

• Smuggling became a respected profession and bribery of government officials standard practice

• The Molasses Act of 1733 placed heavy duty on molasses imported from Caribbean but duties were rarely collected due to smuggling and bribery

• Tobacco farmers suffered under mercantilism as farmers could not trade excess crops to other Europeans

• Generally, both Britain and the colonies prospered under mercantilism

• Policy of Salutary Neglect

• By 1750 the word American – identifying the colonies – entered the English language

• Colonies were developing common characteristics

• The Great Awakening the first major common American experience

• Americans had drifted away from religious fervor

• 1740s- began in the Middle Colonies as a result of religious events in Europe including Methodism

• George Whitefield – exceptional orator - began preaching tour throughout the colonies

• Churches split into factions either against or supporting preachers like Whitefield – “old lights / old sides” versus “new lights / new sides”

• Conflict resulted in founding of “new side” colleges – Princeton, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth

George Whitefield

• Most famous native-born revivalist of the Great Awakening

• “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

• Fire and brimstone oratory scared congregation – one member committed suicide

• His harsh message caused his dismissal from his church

Jonathan Edwards

• The Great Awakening ran its course and was over by the 1750’s

• Although causing divisions within churches it also helped foster religious toleration

• It was the first truly national event in American history

• New links were being formed between colonies – Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan proposed a colonial union to deal with common problems

Benjamin Franklin

• Americans enthusiastic about the Enlightenment and its ideas on rationalism (the Age of Reason)

• Deism• Philosophes such as John Locke,

Voltaire, and Montesquieu popular in American colonies

• Religion became less important and fewer college students became ministers

John Locke

• 1727 Ben Franklin founded the Junto – a club for discussion of moral, political, or natural philosophy

• 1743 Franklin established the American Philosophical Society

• Franklin and Jefferson Bifocals and the Franklin stove

• Despite their isolation from Europe, American colonies impacted by European conflicts

• Colonies also had local conflicts over fisheries and fur

• Algonquin and Huron (France) battled Iroquois (Dutch then Britain) over fur trade

• Indians used by both sides to attack settlements – civilian casualties high

• Taxes rose to raise funds to fight the Indians causing inflation

• War of the Austrian Succession (King George’s War) – American capture of Louisbourg

• Wars caused long-standing hatreds between French and American colonies

• Expansion of English colonial fur trade into traditional French sphere of influence and expanding land claims of Virginia sparked conflict

• French attacked colonial forts in their “territory” and set up string of barrier forts

• Virginia Governor Dinwiddie sent representative, 21-year old George Washington, to warn off French

George Washington

• Negative French response caused Washington (promoted to LTC) to be sent back with 150 militia to seize what is now Pittsburgh

• French already occupied area and constructing Fort Duquesne

• Small skirmish won by Washington but superior French forces caused his retreat

• Washington constructed crude defensive position – Fort Necessity – and eventually forced to surrender

• Washington “tricked” into signing confession of assassination - he and his men allowed to return to Virginia

• First shots of French and Indian War (Seven Years War)

Fort Necessity

• French outnumbered but better organized also most Indians on French side (why?)

• British suffered many defeats

• Ambush of British under Braddock – British hoped to take Fort Duquesne – actions of Washington

• Indian attacks on frontier fearsome

• British fortunes changed when King George II forced to allow William Pitt as Prime Minister

• Pitt used the navy to dry up French supplies and reinforcements

• Pitt promoted officers based on ability not birth

• Fort Duquesne captured and named after Pitt (Pittsburgh)

• Quebec captured by General Wolfe

• After fall of Montreal in 1760, French abandoned Canada to British

• British also won battles against French in Caribbean and India and against Spain in Cuba and Philippines

• 1763 treaty brought territorial changes

• Britain received all of Canada and territory east of Mississippi

• Spain ceded Florida to Britain

• In a separate treaty, Spain gained New Orleans and North America west of the Mississippi

• War won with British troops and British gold

• American militia helped in some cases but were generally poor fighters and refused to fight far from home

• American colonies were stingy in supplying the British war effort

• American colonies praised king and country

• The now much larger British Empire would cost more to maintain (five times as much as before 1763) – Britain’s debt also doubled to pay for war

• Americans were eager to expand into new western territories – insatiable hunger for land

• Rival claims for land made by colonies – tensions bordered on near civil war

• Only Britain could settle disputes – any cooperation (Franklin’s Albany Plan) rejected

• British government (now under George III) inept

• Americans versus British – resentments on both sides

• American colonies prospering and growing

• End of British policy of Salutary Neglect

• Conflict with Indians due to economic and territorial expansion

• How did end of war impact Indians? How did Indians use conflict between

French and British? How did French loss of Canada

impact lives of Indians?

• Pontiac’s RebellionBritish soldiers

manned western forts – protect both Indians and settlers

No settlers to cross the Appalachians

Purchase of Indian land was forbidden

Three new colonies established: Quebec, East and West Florida

• AssignmentPage 97 to end of chapterCreate a chart showing the events leading up to the

American Revolution. The three topics to research are• The Crown’s View – what did the King’s government want to

accomplish?• The Colonial View – what was the colonial reaction to the

event?• Results – what happened as a result of the event? How did it

bring the government and colonies closer to war?

Event The Crown’s View The Colonial View Results

Proclamation of 1763

The Sugar Act 1764

The Stamp Act 1765

The Quartering Act

The Declaratory Act 1766

The Townshend Acts 1767

The Boston Massacre

The Gaspee Incident

The Tea Act 1773

The Coercive Acts 1774

• People and Things Lord GrenvillePatrick Henry, Sam and John AdamsSons of LibertyCircular LetterEast India CompanyBoston Tea PartyLord NorthFirst Continental Congress