French And Indian War Dbq Essay

The French and Indian War changed the economic, political, and ideological relations between Great Britain and the American colonies in many ways. Politically the colonist felt like they were deprived of representation, when Great Britain imposed unfair taxation without any say. Economically, many colonist were infuriated with the British because the British were starving them of many resources and making high taxes and tariffs. Ideologically, it brought feelings of discontent towards Britain. Boycotts during the war opened the eyes of the colonist. It showed them they had the ability to make a change and proved that they could unite together. The colonist no longer viewed Great Britain as the great mother country, but as a tyrant who looked to feed on the American colonies new sense of life.

After the French and Indian War, Great Britain obtained a huge amount of land including Canada and the land west of the Appalachian mountains and owned most of the New World(Document A). Great Britain may of obtained all this land, however they had twice the debt than before the war. To compensate for all this money, English monarchs imposed tariffs and high taxes on

the American Colonies to gain the money back. American colonist were not happy about this. They felt as if they were deprived of representation and that Britain didn’t have the right to impose these unfair taxes and tariffs without their consent. Already the colonist were restricted with trade policies and the mercantilist system imposed by the British, but now with these new tariffs like the stamp act, they would have nothing at all (Document G).

Colonist had many ways of protesting against the newly imposed tariffs and taxes.

They wrote letters and made art as propaganda. Examples of people protesting were the Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly advertiser who made art to protest the stamp act (Document H). An example of one Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly advertisers works is in document H. You can see on the right side of the letter there’s words saying “ The Times are Dreadful, Doleful, Dismal, Dolorous, and Dollar less”(Document H). This says that the colonist are not happy and that they don’t have any money. Also on the bottom of the letter there’s an expiration date. It says “In hopes of a Resurrection of life again”(Document H). Meaning that the letter will expire when the colonies aren’t subjected to the harsh taxes and tariffs from Great

Britain.

With all these sudden taxes, and regulation of new tariffs, the colonist and Britain’s economic relationship weakened. With the new taxes and tariffs by the British, came a large amount of angered colonist. A notable colonist that was enraged by these new taxes and tariffs was Benjamin Franklin. In document G ,he is infuriated by the Stamp act. He states that the colonist wanted to “ get it repeal’d” quickly (Document G).

Ideological relations between Great Britain and the American colonies changed during the French and Indian War. However, the greatest changes occurred after the war. The colonist realized they had the ability to unite together and make a change. This was proven by boycott’s created by them during the war. The new taxes and tariffs regulated added to the resentment of colonist to Britain, before the Proclamation of 1763, which restricted them from settling the new land received from the war. Also, the American Soldiers realized they had less liberty and rights than Englishman after the French and Indian War. In a Massachusetts soldier’s diary he wrote that “though we are Englishman born, we are debarred Englishman's Liberty” (Document D). Which means that American soldiers are denied the liberty and rights that Englishmen receive, even though they are of Englishman descent.

The French and Indian War cause many changes in relations between Great Britain and the American colonies. Ideologically, it brought many feelings of bitterness and discontent with Great Britain. It also affected the political relations between the colonist and Britain because the colonist felt like were unfairly taxed, without representation. The colonist then boycotted these taxes and which harmed the economic relationship with Britain. The French and Indian War is accountable for the American Revolution and has altered the world’s history.