Evolution of British Policy in the Colonies: 1750 to 1776
The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American colonies and lead to the American Revolution.
In 1745, the French, Spanish and British Empires began competing over international trade networks and natural resources. Subsequently, each empire began maneuvers to maintain and expand possession of their territory in North America. In 1750, England and France each concluded that “Ohio country” the land west of the Appalachians was vital to their interests. (Davidson p.102) This battle of over Ohio country led the British and the French into the Seven Years’ War.
In the early years of the Seven Year’s war, the British struggled, suffering a significant defeat at Fort Duquesne and surrendering at Fort Necessity. (Davidson p.102-3) Their defeats were largely due to incompetent leadership and the British’s policy decisions. For example, General Braddock alienated the Native Indians, which then aligned with and fought with the French. The North American colonial troops despised commanding officer General Campbell, the Earl of Loudon. Many men we...
... middle of paper ...
...ed Independence thus entering the America revolution.
The British polices and leaders continually undermined the citizens of the colonies. It was the British elitist views that continually caused poor policy and leadership decisions. Instead of using a diplomatic approach Britain continued to try to assert dominance over the colonies. These same issues and arrogant attitudes would eventually cost them the war.
In the end the battle was not over British policy, it was a battle between a monarchy and a democracy. It was not possible for the two sides to reconciled differing political ideologies. The British were naïve in thinking they could rule America like a monarch. After all most British Americans left “mother England” in search of a better life, many in search of liberties not granted at home. Maybe it was always America’s destiny to be independent.
The beginning of 1763 marked one of the major events that would contribute to the end of British colonial relations. On February 3, 1763 the French and Indian War finally ended in British victory, but while the British celebrated the French’s defeat, colonists feared the oncoming reverberations the war would have on them. The main motive behind the war was for possession over the French fur trade territory in North America. To the colonists, the war was being fought by and for Britain not the colonies. The benefits of the victory only pertained to Britain. The after effect of the war for the colonies was the trampling on their need for expansion. During the war, Native Americans had fought with the French because of how well they treated them. Britain was notorious for abusing the Native Americans, therefore once the French were defeated; they began attacking western settlements of colonists. To avoid confrontation, the Proclamation of 1763 was passed by Parliament. The Proclamation established a limit to the greatly needed colonial expansion. Specifically, the Proclamation forbid settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The passing of the Proclamation of 1763 infuriated colonists ...
The relationship between Britain and her Americans colonies slowly deteriorated between the 1750s and the beginning of the American Revolution. When the first British immigrants settled in America, the relationship of the colonies and their mother country was somewhat peaceful. In the following generations, however, their relationship became tenser as Britain imposed policies and taxes on unrepresented American colonists. The British believed they were right in doing so because they had large debts to pay from ongoing wars with France. These taxes caused uprisings among colonists which contributed to British occupation in America, leading to more rebellions. Eventually, the rift in the relationship between the colonists and the British led to the Revolutionary War and the formation of a new country.
After the French and Indian War, the British were unimpressed with the colonial war efforts and generally assumed they were unable to defend the western frontier, whereas the colonists thought they had done well in all of the wars and were confident that they could defend themselves. This led to conflict between the two nations, brought on by the costs of the wars. Landowners in Britain wanted to reduce the taxes placed upon them. King George III and the Whigs supported a colonial policy that would abandon salutary neglect and force the colonies to support the cost of the British empire. In addition to this the British began to be more present in the colonies, beginning with Pontiac’s rebellion where the British sent troops instead of letting the colonial forces respond to the attack, because of their thoughts on the colonists military efforts. The Proclamation o...
Some say that the Revolution was destined to happen ever since Settlers set foot on this continent, others argue that it would not have happened if it weren't for a set of issues that finally drove the colonists to revolt. Ultimately, Britain lost control in 1765 when they gave in to the Stamp Act Congress’s boycotts against parliamentary taxation and gave them the idea that they had the power to run a country. To a lesser degree, Salutary Neglect led to the conception of a legacy of colonial religious and political ideals which set in motion an eminent conflict. During this period, England “forgot” about the colonies and gave them colonists a taste of independence and suspicions of individual political theories. Through Parliament's ruthless taxation without representation and a near opposite religious and political mindset, Britain and the colonists were heaved into a revolutionary war.
An oppressed people will eventually rise against the oppressor regardless of loyalties they may have had in the past to their oppressor. Humans can only withstand so much oppression before eventually reaching a breaking point-a fact the British Empire failed to realize when they took oppressive actions on their colonies that would cause conflict and culminate into the American Revolution. After claiming victory in the French-Indian War, the British decided to implement policies and taxes in the colonies the colonists that the colonists considered illegal due to lack of their consent. While initially, the colonists did attempt more peaceful and logical alternatives to resolve their discontent with the British Empire, eventually more oppressive taxes and violent events culminated to a full Revolution. Before the revolution, the British had incurred debt from the French-Indian War and needed to raise money: they turned to the colonies as a source of income.
The American colonists’ disagreements with British policymakers lead to the colonist’s belief that the policies imposed on them violated of their constitutional rights and their colonial charters. These policies that were imposed on the colonist came with outcome like established new boundaries, new internal and external taxes, unnecessary and cruel punishment, and taxation without representation. British policymakers enforcing Acts of Parliament, or policies, that ultimately lead in the colonist civil unrest, outbreak of hostilities, and the colonist prepared to declare their independence.
The Seven Years War, or more commonly referred to as “The French and Indian War”, has been called the true First World War. In this book The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America, the author and historian Walter R. Borneman paints a detailed and elaborate picture that justifies the claim of it being the first true war of global proportions. If ever there truly was a climax to the never ending feud of the European powers that be, Borneman would like to suggest that it was The Seven Years War. Beginning roughly in 1754, the author leads us on a path of discovery that truly has no beginning and only a tentative and temporary end. The author describes in great detail the early agitations that both could have and did lead to all out war not only in Europe but throughout their global realms and reaches. Introductions are made to some of the greatest historical figures of that era and those to come, through the extensive work that the author engages in, in an attempt to grant the most detailed and comprehensive book about not only the Seven Years War, but the events that would both lead up to and follow as a result. A MUST read for any true student of history, Borneman goes further in his masterpiece by examining and explaining common misconceptions and theories that have arisen in regards to the period and war. The book truly shines however not simply in the breadth of knowledge that it provides, but also in the manner in which it does so. Borneman masterfully fits all of the many different parts of this book together in a manner that is easily understood. It is no easy feat to cover the sheer number of names, dates and events detailed in this book. Borneman manages to weave in and out of the different faction...
Britain and their American colonies had a friendly relationship towards each other during the 17th century and early 18th century. Salutary neglect was set in place for the colonies by Britain. Most laws, like the Navigation Acts, were not greatly enforced because of it. The colonies appreciated the minimal restrictions by Britain. From the results of the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, salutary neglect was no longer permitted and the colonies did not have much freedom (Doc. F). The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies through a gain in territory, Britain’s debt from the war, and an increase in taxes.
A new era was dawning on the American colonies and its mother country Britain, an era of revolution. The American colonists were subjected to many cruel acts of the British Parliament in order to benefit England itself. These British policies were forcing the Americans to rebellious feelings as their rights were constantly being violated by the British Crown. The colonies wanted to have an independent government and economy so they could create their own laws and stipulations. The British imperial policies affected the colonies economic, political, and geographic situation which intensified colonists’ resistance to British rule and intensified commitment to their republican values.
The French and Indian War, otherwise known as the Seven Years’ War was an imperial war conflict between Great Britain and the French. “The French
The connection between Britain and the English colonies was that of the ruling of the colonies by the king of Britain, King George III and his parliament. The king’s ruling was very unfavorable for the colonists because of his tyrannic dictatorship and unjustly taxations. The mere thought of an island ruling an entire continent thousands of miles away with poor communication and lack of supervision of the colonies by the king, did not work in favor of the colonies nor for Britain. Three contributing factors for the outbreak of the American Revolution were (1) the king’s taxes, (2) neglect of the 13 colonies and (3) England’s mercantilism policy. King George III and his decisions were one of the major causes that had the English colonists fumed with anger towards Britain and this eventually led to the American Revolution.
The British have passed many laws that took away the colonies independence. The colonists found the laws unfair so they took action. The American colonists resisted the British treatment.
The French and Indian War, a provincial indication of the same powers and pressures that ejected in the European Seven Years' War, was, just, a war about colonialism. The French and the English were going after area and exchanging rights in North America; these strivings brought about a lot of questioned area, especially that of the rich Ohio Valley. Every country saw this region as indispensable in its exertion to build its own particular influence and riches while at the same time restricting the quality of its adversary. Despite the fact that the war itself in this way originated from a genuinely straightforward inspiration, its results were far- arriving at. The English triumph in the war chose the frontier destiny of North America, but
The Seven Years’ War generated an uncertain change in Europe's alliance structure and stability of control. The war was waged to resolve the dominance of the power in Europe. The reason that was elemental was which country in the colonial field would dominate. And in America this war was also called the French and Indian War. During the war there were three essential areas where the war took place, “Nova Scotia and what was then Acadia, the frontier between New France and New York, and the upper Ohio River, gateway to the Old Northwest” (137). The following paragraphs below will describe how Britain believed they had to prevent the French from having gain and control over the territories and trade that in the British eyes saw was lawfully
From 1754 to 1763, the French and Indian War took place. This war altered the political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies. It was the last of four North American wars waged from 1689 to 1763 between the British and the French. In these struggles, each country fought for control of the continent with the assistance of Native American and colonial allies. The French and Indian War occurred to end the land dispute between the British and French. Whoever won, in reality, gained an empire. It was a determined and eventually successful attempt by the British to get a dominant position in North America, the West Indies, and the subcontinent of India. Although Britain had won all this land, political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies were totally annihilated.