America in the British Empire

1
(No Transcript)
2

• America in the British Empire

3

• 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

4

• 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

5

• Assignment
• Draw 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

6

• 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

7

• 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

8

• To sell goods internal production must be
  stimulated
• British protected home markets and manufacturing
  through tariffs and subsidies paid to British
  manufacturers

9

• Put into effect over period of half century or
  more
• Acts were designed to
• Bring in more gold and silver
• Develop the imperial merchant fleet
• Channel the flow of raw materials into Britain
• Keep foreign goods and vessels out of colonial
  ports

10

• System originated in 1650s 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

11

• Navigation Act of 1660
• Reserved the entire colonial trade to English
  ships
• Captain and ¾ of crew had to be English
• Enumerated articles (sugar, tobacco, cotton,
  ginger, and dyes like indigo) could not be
  shipped, conveyed, or transported outside the
  empire

12

• 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

13

• Restrictions were placed on colonial
  manufacturing
• Wool Act 1699- prohibited the export of colonial
  woolen cloth
• 1732- 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

14

• 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

15

• 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

16

• 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

17

• 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

18

• 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

19

• 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
20

• 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
21

• The Great Awakening ran its course and was over
  by the 1750s
• 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 Franklins Albany Plan proposed a colonial
  union to deal with common problems

Benjamin Franklin
22

• 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
23

• 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
24

• 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

25

• Taxes rose to raise funds to fight the Indians
  causing inflation
• War of the Austrian Succession (King Georges
  War) American capture of Louisbourg
• Wars caused long-standing hatreds between French
  and American colonies

26

• 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
27
(No Transcript)
28

• 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

29

• 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
30

• 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

31
(No Transcript)
32

• 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)

33

• 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

34

• 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

35
(No Transcript)
36

• 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

37

• The now much larger British Empire would cost
  more to maintain (five times as much as before
  1763) Britains 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

38

• Only Britain could settle disputes any
  cooperation (Franklins Albany Plan) rejected
• British government (now under George III) inept
• Americans versus British resentments on both
  sides
• American colonies prospering and growing

39

• 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?

40

• Pontiacs Rebellion
• British 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

41

• Assignment
• Page 97 to end of chapter
• Create a chart showing the events leading up to
  the American Revolution. The three topics to
  research are
• The Crowns View what did the Kings 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?

42
Event The Crowns 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
43

• People and Things
• Lord Grenville
• Patrick Henry, Sam and John Adams
• Sons of Liberty
• Circular Letter
• East India Company
• Boston Tea Party
• Lord North
• First Continental Congress