French & English Mercantilist Wars
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The introduction of new English mercantilist policies changed its economic & military attitude towards the colonies: England increased protective tariffs
& trade regulations so the colonies worked for motherland
If that failed, go to war with economic rivals & get the colonists to fight too
These regulations began with the Navigation Acts in 1660
The French & Indian War changed EVERYTHING between
England & the coloniesNew mercantilist policies after the
French & Indian War led to colonial resentment & the American Revolution
A series of European conflicts involving England & France spilled over into colonial North America: King William’s War (1689-1697) Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) King George's War (1743-1748)
These wars were based on mercantilist competition & had little political significance, but…
…these wars led to a land frenzy in the 1750s, among French & British colonists
Territorial disputes along the Ohio River sparked the French & Indian War
1754 proved to be a turning point in American colonial history
In 1754, English officials & colonists met to discuss Iroquois problems at the Albany Congress Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Albany
Plan of UnionPlan of Union for a coordinated colonial army
The plan was vetoed by colonial assemblies & Parliament
This would give the colonists too much power
The plan was too expensive & would limit each colony’s power to control its own actions
In 1754, VA governor sent 22 year old George Washington to protect an Ohio Company claim
Washington’s troops were forced to retreat from Fort Duquesne; This clash proved to be
the beginning of the French & Indian War
The war went bad for England from 1756 to 1758
In 1757, Prime Minister William Pitt took command of the military: Used well-qualified generals Had a “blank check” to fund the war in
America, India, & Europe In 1758, the tide of the war turned;
England won by 1760
By 1761, By 1761, Spain Spain
became an became an ally of ally of FranceFrance
1758-1761 The Tide Turns for England
1758-1761 The Tide Turns for England
France—lost Canada, most of its empire in India, & claims to lands east of the Mississippi River
Spain—got all French lands west of the Miss. River, New Orleans, but lost Florida to England
England—gained all French lands in Canada, exclusive rights to the Caribbean slave trade, & total control of India
America in 17501750 America in 17631763
Colonial viewsColonial views: Colonies could be very strong when they
worked together Newly gained frontier presented
opportunities for wealth & land Colonists learned how to fight
English viewsEnglish views: Americans were slow to organize &
balked at helping raise money even to protect their own lands
British-American TensionsBritish-American TensionsColonialsColonials BritishBritish
Fighting Fighting MethodsMethods
Indian-style Indian-style guerilla guerilla attacksattacks
Marching in Marching in formationformation
Military Military OrganizationOrganization
Militias led Militias led by captainsby captains
British officers British officers in charge of in charge of
colonialscolonials
FinancesFinances Resistant to Resistant to rising taxes rising taxes
Colonists should Colonists should help pay for their help pay for their
own defenseown defense
The war increased England’s colonial empire in North America
But, the Pitt’s “blank check” greatly enlarged England’s debt
Britain’s contempt for the colonials created bitter feelings
As a result, English leaders felt that a major reorganization of its American empire was necessary!
The 1760s were an affluent & optimistic “post-war” period: The French & Indian War united the
colonists against a common enemy for the 1st time
Most colonists considered themselves proud members of England’s empire with little (if any) thought of independence
After the Seven Years War, everyone expected George to remove British army from America (French were no longer a threat)
But…this large, expensive army was not removed British citizens were not happy because
they had to pay for it Colonists doubted the army’s ability to
defend against Indians
Backcountry natives banded together to repel white frontier settlers during Pontiac’s WarPontiac’s War: Indian successes exposed the British
army’s weakness Attacks revealed desperation of Native
Americans after the withdrawal of their French allies
Colonials took matters into their own hands (Paxton Boys in PA)
English colonists flooded across the Appalachian Mountains:
“There’s all this land & no French!!”
Fort Detroit
Chief Pontiac led the Ottawa & other tribes against colonists due to: The flood of colonists into Ohio Country British “gifts” of smallpox-infected blankets from Fort Pitt
Retaliatory attacks by frontier colonists (like the Paxton Boys in Pennsylvania) were common
In response to Pontiac’s War, the British government established the Proclamation Line of 1763Proclamation Line of 1763: This law forbade colonists from settling
across the Appalachian Mountains (for their own protection)
Americans viewed the line as an obstruction to their “legitimate economic development”
The introduction of Parliamentary sovereignty contradicted England’s original policy of salutary neglect The influx of new political ideas of
the European Enlightenment began to impact colonial thought (especially those of John Locke)
While no colonists were thinking of independence by 1763, many became committed to “natural rights” & opposed to “tyranny”
All gov’ts are susceptible to corruption, tyranny, & intrusion upon citizens’ liberty
“Virtuous” citizens must fight tyranny
Despite the mounting tensions between the English government & American colonists by 1763, most Americans were loyal “brothers” to England due to: a shared British culture dependence upon British consumer
goods shared nationalism after British military
victories against France