British Struggles in North British Struggles in North America: Pre-RevolutionAmerica: Pre-Revolution

MercantilismNavigation Acts & other Trade Regulations

Colonial Governments & AssembliesAnglo-French Rivalry & French-Indian War

MercantilismMercantilism

This theory dominated European focus in commerce, industry and labor

Objectives of Mercantilism:◦ Accumulate as much stock in precious metals as possible

(gold, silver); wealth= metals◦ Protect home industries against foreign competition◦ Assure supply of necessary raw materials (from colonies)

and low production costs to promote industries abroadNecessary Components:

◦Export more than you import◦Colonies were essential- sources of raw materials &

markets for finished products◦Large population for adequate labor supply,

adequate market & man-power for military◦Manufactured goods favored over agricultural;

processing over raw-materials and mother country over colonies

Mercantilism ImplementedMercantilism Implemented

Acts of Trade & Navigation (1660-1767)◦Navigation Act (1660): no goods or commodities

could be imported into or exported out of English colonies except in English-built or owned ships Sugar & tobacco grown in colonies could be shipped

only to England and English colonies◦Navigation Act (1663): Shipment of European goods

to colonies be shipped from England on English-built ships

◦Navigation Act (1673): Assessed duties (taxes) on enumerated items (sugar, tobacco) if shipped from one plantation to another Customs officials appointed to collect duties

◦Navigation Act (1696): all colonial trade limited to English-built ships; voided all colonial laws which were contrary to Navigation Acts

Other Restrictions on IndustryOther Restrictions on Industry

Tobacco from Spain frozen out of English market (positive for Colonial growers)

Colonists could not trade w/ Asia (East India Co. had the monopoly)

Colonies couldn’t produce anything that would compete w/ England’s industry (wool for instance)

Hat Act (1732): prohibited exportation of hats from one colony to another; limited the # of apprentices in this trade; barred employment of black apprentices (stiff competition from French in hat production)

Iron Acts (1750, 1757): forbade tilt-hammer forges and steel furnaces in colonies (protect English industry)

By 1676: all goods shipped to Europe had to be shipped first to England

Manufactured GoodsManufactured Goods

•Furniture•Clothing•Colonials hadnot factories.

From England to Colonies

Enumerated Commodities•Lumber•Tobacco•Rice•Indigo•Furs

To England

Beliefs Prevalent in English Gov’tBeliefs Prevalent in English Gov’t

Divine Right of kings: authority centralized in Monarch; derived powers directly from God

Virtual Representation: Every Englishman was represented by Parliament

Limited Suffrage: limited voting to adult males w/ sufficient property (1 of every 6)

Unwritten Constitution: no formal document Englishmen could point, but series of documents and precedents comprised the English ‘Constitution’

Basic English Rights: English colonial charters had to guaranteed all citizens had basic English rights

Components of Colonial Gov’t Components of Colonial Gov’t

Royal Gov’nor◦Chief representative of the crown in royal colonies

Council◦Appointed to advise Royal Gov’nor◦Assisted in determining laws of colony

Assembly◦Limited representative gov’t◦Assemblies had local control; ran affairs of towns◦Distance between colonies & London provided

colonists valuable experience in running themselves◦Colonists were English and citizens of England- over

100 years of experiences in self-gov’t changed their relationship w/ British policies

Anglo-French Colonial RivalryAnglo-French Colonial Rivalry

Rivalry over Fisheries (1497-1604)◦French were fishing waters in Newfoundland coast

since 1504◦Portuguese & Spanish entered waters in 1560◦Until 1578- England remained dependent upon

Iceland fisheries◦English fisherman introduced ‘dry fishing’ in

Newfoundland area- English then looked for land bases along sea board

Fur Trade (1534-1599)◦Following Cartier’s discoveries- France developed

first contacts w/ Indians◦France set up land bases along St. Lawrence & fur

trade developed by 1580

•French goals were not to take over the land and colonize as were the British

•They set trading posts for the fur trade

•Developed working relationships with the Indian tribes unlike the British

•Challenged Iroquois control of St. Lawrence

•Other Indian groups promised French steady supply of pelts (in order to weaken Iroquois)

•English attacked French outposts- captured Quebec in 1629

•Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye returned St. Lawrence to France (1632)

Fur trade developed along St. Lawrence

French Foothold in CanadaFrench Foothold in Canada

Like England, France was late in coming to New World

1608: Colony established at Quebec by Samuel de Champlain

Establish the fur trade----beaver pelts Friendly relations with Hurons French joined Hurons in battle against

Iroquois Federation, who in future hampered French settlement/allies of British

Government of New France under direct control of king, no democracy

Clash of EmpiresClash of Empires

1688-1763: 4 world wars with England, France, Spain, all involving American colonists

1st two wars: King William’s War and Queen Anne’s War:

◦ French, Indians, later Spain vs. England (colonials, no reg. troops on either side)

1713: Treaty of Utrecht showed English victory

◦ England given Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay

Generation of peace followed, more salutary neglect

1739: War of Jenkins’s Ear, England vs. Spain

◦ Merged into larger King George’s War (Austrian Succession)

◦ France allied with Spain

New England colonials capture Louisbourg fort

1748: Peace treaty gives Louisbourg back to French

◦ Colonials mad at Old World diplomats

French-Indian War or 7 Years WarFrench-Indian War or 7 Years War

Causes:◦French-English rivalry- erupted into world war◦Land disputes in the Ohio Valley◦Brits wanted % of fur trade and trading posts

The Ohio ValleyThe Ohio Valley

English slowly migrated into Ohio Valley (French territory)

Ohio Valley traders from PA, led by George Crogan & Conrad Weiser had friendly relations w/ Indians & English land speculators

The relationship between English land speculators and Indians frustrated the French who already claimed the territory

The French sent Celoron de Bienville into Ohio Valley- strengthened forts at Detroit & Toronto

1752: French attacked English trading posts thruout Valley

Virginia gov’t sends George Washington to protest the attacks & determine French intentions

George WashingtonGeorge Washington

•British concerned about French forts in Virginia territory

•Send Washington, a major in the Virginia militia, to the Allegheny River Valley 

•Washington leads 300 men against the French at Fort Duquesne and kills over a 100 French•Along the way, Washington builds Fort Necessity. The fort falls to the French in a skirmish that will lead to the French and Indian War

•A British statesman later wrote about Washington’s first skirmish: “The volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set the world on fire.”

1755 : Britain Decides to Eliminate Fr. Presence in North America

Gen. Edward Braddock : evict the French from the OH Valley & Canada (Newfoundland & Nova Scotia)

Attacks OH Valley, Mohawk Valley, & Acadia.Killed 10 mi. from Ft. Duquesne- by 1500 French and Indian forces.

General Braddock’s gravesite; Great Meadows, PA

British & Colonial Fashion of WarBritish & Colonial Fashion of War

Colonials British

Methods of Fighting Indian-style guerilla tactics

March in formation; bayonet charges

Military Organization Militias served under own captains

British officers wanted control of Colonials

Discipline No military deference or protocols observed

Drills and tough discipline

Finances Resistance to rising taxes

Colonists should pay for their own defense

Demeanor Casual; non professionals

British officers had servants and tea settings

William Pitt as Foreign Minister (1757)William Pitt as Foreign Minister (1757)

He understood colonial concerns & spoke on behalf of colonial interests

Offered Brits a compromise:◦col. loyalty & mil. cooperation-->Br.

would reimburse col. assemblies for their costs.

◦Lord Loudoun would be removedResult: Increased Colonial morale and resolve

by 1758

Spain became ally of France by 1761

Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)

France: ◦lost her Canadian possessions◦most of her land in India lost◦claims to lands east of Mississippi River

Spain: ◦Got all French lands west of Mississippi◦New Orleans ◦lost Florida to England

England: ◦Got all French lands in Canada◦exclusive slave trade rights in Caribbean◦commercial dominance in India

North America in 1763North America in 1763

Effects of the Seven Years WarEffects of the Seven Years War

Britain:◦ It increased her colonial

empire in the Americas◦ It greatly enlarged

England’s debt◦Britain’s contempt for the

colonials created bitter feelings

American Colonies:◦ It united them against a

common enemy for the first time

◦ It created bitter feelings towards the British thatwould only intensify

Therefore, England felt that amajor reorganization of her

American Empire was necessary!

The bitterness will become evident in the Colonial

responses to British measures of rule shortly

after the Seven Years War

Explain the theory of MercantilismExplain the purpose of the Navigation ActsExplain the significance of the Ohio Valley

to both British, Colonists and FrenchWhat did the French make their money in

in North America?List two ramifications of the French-Indian

War