British Policy and The American Colonies

1250 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Relationship between Britain and the colonies

Changes in British policies toward the colonies between 1750 and 1776 played paramount in the evolution of relations between British North America and Mother England. Tension between England and the colonies mounted from the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War to the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a result of the several implemented changes imposed by Parliament for the purpose of increasing income and tightening the grip on America. During the Seven Years’ War, William Pitt was enlisted to take over command of the British forces from the failing Earl of Londoun. Pitt realized the advantage of employing the help of the colonies to bolster the war effort for the British; to appeal to them, Pitt ensured the colonists they would be paid for their service, he also promised them the war would be paid for by London not the colonies. Pitt stressed the importance of treating the colonists as equals and as a result the colonists joined forces with the British and won the war against the French. In 1763, the French signed the Treaty of Paris relinquishing their territory to the British. Morale amongst colonists was high after the war; not only did they feel as equals with the British, but they also assumed the conclusion of the war would mean lower taxes and access to the land previously occupied by the French. Britain however, had differing opinions; it was evident to them that they now had to protect and amalgamate their new territory with a standing army as well as pay said army, thus taxes were imminent. The morale boost amongst colonists didn’t last long. In 1763 a powerful Ottawa chief allied with several other Indian tribes waged war on the British capturing every fort west of Detroit forcing colonists east... ... middle of paper ... ...at the colonies bore the right to tax and legislate themselves. Additionally, an agreement was reached to once again cut off all trade until the Coercive Acts were repealed. Soon after the forming of the First Continental Congress, it was evident that colonists were slowly gaining the upper hand and replacing royal authority in America. The king declared that the colonists were officially in a state of rebellion. The back and forth battle of legislation versus resistance between England and the colonies had caused an irreparable rift that eventually led to the commencement of the Revolutionary War and subsequently the birth of an independent nation. Works Cited Davidson, James West., Brian DeLay, and Christine Leigh. Heyrman. "Chapter Six: Imperial Triumph, Imperial Crisis." US: a Narrative History. McGraw-Hill Higher Education: New York, 2012. 103-19. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Second Continental Congress Dbq

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the American Revolution the not yet established United States, held two Continental Congresses that eventually help defeat Britain. The First Continental Congress informed the local militias to prepare for war. The Second Continental Congress helped end the war and issue the Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental congress sought out to create a national government for our new country named the Articles of Confederation. However, The Articles of Confederation had many problems, for example, Congress and the states shared the right to regulate currency and issue money. This led to an excess of currency, which pushed down the value of currency and created inflationary pressure on the Continental dollar. The downfall of the Articles of Confederation ultimately sparked a political conflict between

    Read More

  • The Effects Of Britan On The Colonies During 1607 To 1763

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Between the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans.

    Read More

  • How Did The British Colonies Influence The American Colonies

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    The British Empire has had a long lasting and strong influence on the American colonies for over three centuries. From the 16th century all the way to the 18th century, the British empire has held power within the colonies in terms of legislature, economy, and social stature. The British’s rule has been both a positive and negative driving force

    Read More

  • Causes Of American Rebellion in 1776

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Eastern Woodland Indians and the Seven Years' War

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... due to a long relationship of trade, alliance, and kinship with the French as well as the promise of "war honors" (Calloway, 2012, p. 174). In 1757, the British troops at Fort William Henry on Lake George surrendered to the French. This victory was short lived as most of the French's Indian allies attacked the surrendered fort because they felt betrayed by the terms of surrender. The native peoples unleashed a slaughter, which included scalps and captives (Calloway, 2012, p. 174). The Indians were severing ties with the French and the British war effort was increasing with vigor. The Native Americans began to side with the British not knowing what this would bring, which was more freedom and land stripped away from them.

    Read More

  • Britain Vs the Colonies: The American Revolution

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Without colonial consent, the British started their bid to raise revenue with the Sugar Act of 1764 which increased duties colonists would have to pay on imports into America. When the Sugar Act failed, the Stamp Act of 1765 which required a stamp to be purchased with colonial products was enacted. This act angered the colonists to no limit and with these acts, the British Empire poked at the up to now very civil colonists. The passing of the oppressive Intolerable Acts that took away the colonists’ right to elected officials and Townshend Acts which taxed imports and allowed British troops without warrants to search colonist ships received a more aggravated response from the colonist that would end in a Revolution.

    Read More

  • Disagreements Between American Colonists and British Policymakers

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The American Revolution: The Beginning of Independence And Equality

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the start of the revolution, the colonists were faced with a threat. The French owned a large portion of American soil and had formed close ties with the Native Americans in their area whom were known for their hostility towards the English settlers. During the French and Indian War, the colonists had minimal help other than the strong naval power the English withheld and they were often belittled by the experienced soldiers that quartered in their homes. The colonists gathered a sense of unity in order to win the war. Although England beat the French, the peace would last only a decade before the colonists would revolt.

    Read More

  • The Olive Branch Petition

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...arliament, caused the colonies to become more and more independent throughout the eighteenth century. Yet the colonists wanted to exhaust every remedy to their grievances before resorting to war. Declaring independence was never going to be a swift process, as each colony progressed at a different rate. Nonetheless, forming a colonial army at the same time as attempting to negotiate peaceful conciliation with the British was not at first a popular decision, yet to many the benefits outweighed the possible losses. In the end, the rejection of the Olive branch represented a watershed in the evolution of a national identity that was completely independent of a British identity, for its dismissal stiffened the patriots’ resolve toward independence and paved the way for the penning of a much more famous letter to the king, the Declaration of Independence.

    Read More

  • The Relations Between Britain And Its American Colonies

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • DBQ: Relationship Between Britain And American Colonies

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • British Imperial Policies and Colonial Resistance

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    The imperial tactics of the British Empire were exercised on the colonists through heavy taxes trade restrictions because of their mercantilist economy. The Stamp Act taxed the colonists directly on paper goods ranging from legal documents to newspapers. Colonists were perturbed because they did not receive representation in Parliament to prevent these acts from being passed or to decide where the tax money was spent. The colonists did not support taxation without representation. The Tea Act was also passed by Parliament to help lower the surplus of tea that was created by the financially troubled British East India Company. The colonists responded to this act by executing the Boston Tea Party which tossed all of the tea that was imported into the port of Boston. This precipitated the Boston Port Act which did not permit the colonists to import goods through this port. The colonists protested and refused all of these acts which helped stir the feelings of rebellion among the colonists. The British Mercantilist economy prevented the colonists from coin...

    Read More

  • Analysis of William Pitt

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Seven Years War was a big deal to the French, Indian nations, and British. William helped out the most in this conflict and had Brittain win. I can say this because on page 122, (the last paragraph) of “The American Journey” textbook, it states that “Great Britain's fortunes improved after William Pitt came to power…” This proves that William Pitt did have the techniques to defeat the French. But people might say that he made things worse, because...

    Read More

  • The French And Indian War

    1491 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...in later years. Pontiac’s rebellion also caused Britain to be short of cash after having to pay for two consecutive battles. The British looked to the colonies for money without giving the colonies any say in the matter. This lead to the famous phrase, “no taxation without representation.” Another thing that happened during the French and Indian war was a much underpublicized meeting between the colonists. This was the first meeting the colonists ever had by their own accord. The meeting was called by Benjamin Franklin and was known as The Albany Plan of Union. Although the meeting got very little accomplished it still has to be considered a success because it showed that there were colonists willing to have independence. The over taxation and the fact the colonists got to see someone stand up to the British were the major events that lead to the American Revolution.

    Read More

  • Causes of the Deterioration of British-Colonial Relations

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

More about British Policy and The American Colonies

Open Document