Chapter 18 The Enlightenment and the American Revolution

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Chapter 18 - The Enlightenment and the American
Revolution

• Section 3 Britain at Mid-Century

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• Setting the Scene
• Supporters of mercantilism found success in
  England. In the mid-1600s, a mercantilist wrote,
  "Foreign trade is ... the honor of the kingdom,
  the noble profession of the merchant, . . . the
  means of our treasure, the sinews of our wars,
  the terror of our enemies
• Over the next century, Britain embraced
  mercantilism and built a colonial and commercial
  empire that reached around the world. At the same
  time, Britain developed a constitutional
  monarchy, a political system somewhere between
  the absolute monarchies of Europe and later
  democracies.

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I. Rise to Global Power

• Question to consider
• Why did Britain, a small island kingdom on the
  edge of Europe, rise to global prominence in the
  1700s? Here are a few reasons for the nation's
  success.

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A. Geography

• Location placed England in a position to control
  trade

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A. Geography

• 1500s and 1600s - English merchants sent ships
  across the world and established colonies

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B. Success in War

• In the 1700s, Britain was generally on the
  winning side in European conflicts

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B. Success in War

• By 1763, Britain had a powerful navy that could
  protect its growing empire and trade

The Man-o-War, Ship of the Line
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C. A Favorable Business Climate

• England favored business and commerce and had
  fewer restrictions on trade

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D. Union With Scotland

• 1707 - The Act of Union joined England and
  Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great
  Britain, which also included Wales and Ireland,
  creating a larger market

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II. Growth of Constitutional Government

• Three new political institutions arose in
  Britain political parties, the cabinet, and the
  office of prime minister

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II. Growth of Constitutional Government

• These institutions were part of the evolution of
  Britain's constitutional monarchy

British Parliament Building
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A. Political Parties

• Two political parties the Tories - sought to
  preserve old traditions and royal power the
  Whigs - favored Parliament over the crown

The Tories
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B. The Cabinet System

• The cabinet set policy and was made up of leaders
  of the majority party in the House of Commons

The Speaker presides over debates in the House of
Commons
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C. The Prime Minister

• The prime minister headed the cabinet and was the
  chief official of the government

Robert Walpole was such a powerful figure in the
government he became known as Prime Minister, the
first in Britain's history. He was also given 10
Downing Street, which became the permanent home
of all future Prime Ministers
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III. Politics and Society

• British government was not democratic - it was an
  oligarchy, a government where power belongs to a
  few people

The Oligarchy Despotism of the Political
Aristocracy
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III. Politics and Society

• The highest nobles held seats in the House of
  Lords

The arrival of the Queen at the house of Lords to
open the first session of Parliament
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III. Politics and Society

• Wealthy landowners and business leaders
  controlled elections to the House of Commons

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IV. George III Reasserts Royal Power

• 1760 - George III began a 60-year reign and set
  out to regain royal power and make Parliament
  follow his will

King George III
4 June 1738 29 January 1820
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A. Personal Rule

• George put his supporters in Parliament and ran
  the government, but many of his policies were
  disasters

To help pay for the cost of the Seven Years War,
Britain levied a series of unpopular taxes on the
North American Colonies The Stamp Act, The
Navigation Acts, The Townshend Duties
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B. Cabinet Rule Restored

• Britain's loss of the American colonies
  discredited the king and cabinet rule was
  restored in 1788

The British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia
October 19, 1781