Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Examples of self government in the american colonies
Declaration of independence arguments
Declaration of independence arguments
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Examples of self government in the american colonies
Based on England’s salutary neglect toward the colonies, their policy of mercantilism, and the fact that no colonists were represented in Parliament, I would have signed the Declaration of Independence. England’s policy of salutary neglect allowed the colonies to more-or-less rule themselves. This ability was demonstrated by town meetings in New England as early as 1620, where New Englanders met in meetinghouses to discuss local problems and vote for officials and schoolmasters. By the 1770s, councils such as local committees of correspondence and the Virginia House of Burgesses began to appear throughout the colonies. Colonial governments did not have full political autonomy, however, they were allowed to govern themselves with minimal …show more content…
Parliamentary interference. These privileges existed until the mid eighteenth century, when the British began cracking down on the colonies and discontinued their unwritten policy of salutary neglect. In 1774, as part of the Coercive Acts, or Intolerable Acts, as they were referred to by the colonists, the Massachusetts Government Act was passed. This law ceased self-rule all through the Massachusetts Bay colony. (ushistory.org) This infuriated the colonists, for they had been flourishing under self government and saw this as a direct violation of their God-given rights. England had ignored the colonies and left them to rule on their own for so long that the fact that they expected the colonists to still be 100% loyal and obedient was almost nonsensical. In view of this absurdity, I would have signed the Declaration because they colonies were easily able and willing to govern themselves successfully. At first glance, mercantilism may not seem like such a bad policy.
The colonies would grow and produce products that were needed in England, and in turn would buy manufactured goods made in England. Some producers were granted bounties, tobacco planters had a guaranteed monopoly of the British market, and the colonists enjoyed the rights of Englishmen and were protected by England, one of the strongest and most powerful countries in the world. (Merits and Menaces of Mercantilism) However, despite all these benefits, the mercantile system was an enormous burden on the colonies. Many traders and manufacturers became indebted to England, because they traded primarily on credit. Virginia tobacco planters received the worst end of it because overproduction caused prices to fall, causing many planters to plummet into debt. Trade among other countries was heavily regulated; in certain cases it was even prohibited. In 1651, Parliament passed the Navigation Acts, which required British crews to run the now British-made ships and created a long list of “enumerated goods” that had to be shipped to England before going anywhere else. (faculty.polytechnic.org) For a while these laws were laxly enforced and colonial traders continued to smuggle goods to avoid paying heavy taxes. Prime Minister George Grenville ordered strict enforcement of the Navigation Acts in 1763, and British officials began to crack down on smugglers. It then became even harder for American traders to buy, sell, and manufacture their goods without British intrusion. The colonists felt as if they were being kept in a “state of perpetual adolescence” because the trade was so heavily controlled. (Merits and Menaces of Mercantilism) These exasperating laws caused a great deal of tension between Britain and the colonies, tension that would evolve into the revolutionary war. This tension and frustration, I believe, would have prompted me to sign the Declaration of
Independence. “Taxation without Representation!” was a cry heard throughout the colonies, especially in the years leading up to the Revolutionary war. Following the French and Indian war, Parliament increased its taxes on the colonies, something that vexed the colonists greatly. Americans believed that since they weren’t being represented in British Parliament, Parliament had no right to tax them without their consent. The British claimed that the colonists had “virtual representation” in Parliament, that they were governing with Americans’ best interests at heart. Prime Minister George Greville claimed that each member of Parliament stood for the entirety of the British empire. He claimed they had no choice but to tax the colonies since they were equal to any other English citizens, yet continued to deny Americans representation in the British government. The colonists saw right through him and were furious. Adding fuel to the flames, the Sugar Act, adding tax to molasses (used to make run) was passed in 1764, the Stamp Act, putting a tax of 3 cents on each stamp, was passed in 1765, and the Townshend Acts were passed in 1767. They added indirect taxes on glass, paper, paint, tea and more. The money from these taxes was used to pay royal governors’ salaries, which enraged the colonists because before they had held the power to pay their governors. All of these laws were passed and yet not a single American was represented in Parliament. Without hearing how the colonists felt about being taxed, there was no way they possibly have Americans’ best interest in mind. WIth the passing of these frustrating rules and taxes, without any representation in Parliament, I would have been extremely angry as well. I definitely would have signed the Declaration of Independence because Britain refused to have any sort of compromise with the colonies.
After the Seven Years Way England was broke for she had spent more money needed to win the war. Also winning the war gave the colonist a “we can do it spirit”. However because England now was facing debt she decided to tax the colonies. One the first acts passed was the sugar act passed in 1764. This Act was the raise revenue in American colonies. What it did was lowered the tax from six penses to three penses per gallon on foreign molasses. Molasses is a product made by refining sugarcane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. This upset the colonist because before the sugar act they didn’t have to pay the tax so even if it was lowered that meant nothing for they now had to pay for it. A year later, in 1765, the Britain’s passed another act known as the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act put a tax on stamped paper, publications, playing cards, etc. Because it was on all paper products in a way it affected everyone; from the papers for the upper class such as lawyers, publications such as newspapers for the middle class, and playing cards for the lower class for entertainment. Next, the Townshend Act passed by Charles Townshend. This came in 1767, which imposed taxes on colonial tea, lead, paint, paper, and glass which just like the Stamp Act affected all of the classes in the colonist in the Americas. Though this act was removed three years later in 1770, it still left colonists with a warning that conditions may become worse. Around 1773, parliament passed the Intolerable Acts one of those acts which affected taxation was the Bost...
The Virginia House of Burgesses was a system of representative government created by the Virginia Company, first convened in 1619. It could make laws and levy taxes; however, the English governor and council could veto its acts. New England’s Town Meetings were the main institution of local government in a Yeoman Society in which most adult men had a vote. (1630-1700). Both were significant because they are both institution of governments created by the people to represent the people. The Virginia House of Burgesses attracted the migrants and the Town Meetings were created to fit the need of the Purtians’
Since the founding of the Thirteen Colonies, the colonists enjoyed a degree of autonomy and self sufficiency from the mother country, England. The colonies had colonial assemblies, which were more democratic than England’s and were independent governments. British mercantilist laws were not strictly enforced due to the policy commonly referred to as salutary neglect. However, as the British increasingly ignore the problems the colonies faced, the colonies began to look for a common government to lead them. This eventually led to three distinct efforts at intercolonial cooperation and union: The New England Confederation, Penn’s Plan of Union, and The Albany Plan of Union. Therefore, although there were unsuccessful attempts to unite the colonies, there was a strong desire for a common government.
In the early eighteenth century consumer goods flooded American markets, the colonists needed to sell what they produced in order to purchase British goods that were beyond their ability to manufacture and therefore made them feel more a part of the British "empire of goods".
There are many disadvantages associated with starting their own branch in India. First is that this option is the most expensive. They would have to pay for all the marketing, equipment, building, manufacturing, production, and staffing that they would need to operate. Mercan Systems would not be able to share any costs with another company. The financial investment needed would depend on the number of regions they choose to operate in (two, four, or nationally) and if they use a direct salesforce or dealers, but it would still be significantly higher than any other alternative. Starting another branch in an international market that they do not already have a location in, is a large change and project to take on. It requires an immense amount
One facet of this unique system involved the numerous economic differences between England and the colonies. The English government subscribed to the economic theory of mercantilism, which demanded that the individual subordinate his economic activity to the interests of the state (Text, 49). In order to promote mercantilism in all her colonies, Great Britain passed the Navigation Acts in 1651, which controlled the output of British holdings by subsidizing. Under the Navigation Acts, each holding was assigned a product, and the Crown dictated the quantity to be produced. The West Indies, for example, were assigned sugar production and any other colony exporting sugar would face stiff penalties (Text, 50). This was done in order to ensure the economic prosperity of King Charles II, but it also served to restrict economic freedom. The geographical layout of the American colonies made mercantilism impractical there. The cit...
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.
Why was the Declaration of Independence written? The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. We all know that day as Independence Day. It was accepted on July 4, 1776. On that day, the United States had freedom. There was a long, hard process to get the Declaration of Independence where it needed to be. It took several people, and several reviews to get it just right.
(140) It was during this time period that “the government in London concerned itself with the colonies in unprecedented ways…to help raise funds to pay for the war and finance the empire.” (Forner 141) The British government was heavily in debt after fighting the Seven Years War on several fronts. The need to raise funds was paramount and the colonies were a ready source. The British government started imposing taxes on the colonies as a means of income. This was a change in the relationship between America and the mother country. Many Americans opposed these taxes. (Forner 142- 143) According to Forner, “Opposition to the Stamp Act was the first great Drama of the revolutionary era and the first major split between the colonist and Great Britain over the meaning of freedom.” (142) This act was eventually repealed by Parliament in 1766 after great opposition by Americans. (Forner 144) The Stamp Act was just the beginning of several events and taxes on the colonist leading up the Boston Tea
The French and Indian War impacted the trans-Atlantic economic relationship between the motherland and her colonies. Before the war colonists were rushing to buy new British manufactured goods resulting from the early stages of the industrial revolution. To pay for these manufactured goods, colonists increased their export of raw materials for sale to Britain. Although the exports were able to pay for a significant portion of cost of British imports, a significant shortfall was covered by British loans. This economic relationship saturated much of pre-French and Indian War colonial America and became normal. After 1763, Britain was in dreadful need for revenue to pay for the French and Indian War. Britain was clever on finding ways to raise revenue from the colonies. From 1650 to the end of the French and Indian War was a period of "salutary neglect." Britain had very little involvement in the lifestyle of the colonies. After the French and Indian War, mercantilism became strictly enforced. Merc...
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...
The British were trying to control the Americans entirely, with their monopoly on trade, and also thought that the Americans would do everything they demanded them to do. The colonists soon figured out Great Britain's angle on the situation. That was, they didn't understand why they were forced to pay taxes to the British, when they had no say in Britain's actions.
The British also implemented new taxes. The Sugar act of 1764 sought to reduce smuggling, which occurred partly as a result of the earlier Molasses Act. This gave British possessions in the Caribbean the upper hand in sugar trade, which in the British view helped the empire as a whole, but to Americans, and especially the merchants, this put limits on their opportunities. The Currency Act, passed about this time forbade the printing of colonial currency. British merchants benefited because they didn't have to deal with inflated American currencies. The Americans felt they were at an economic disadvantage as very little sterli...
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.
Tensions began to build in the Colonies immediately after the 7 years war, or the French and Indian War. At this time the American Colonies were prospering. The colonists in America had no oppressing chains to throw off. “In fact, the colonists knew they were freer, more equal, more prosperous and less burdened with cumbersome feudal and monarchical restraints than any other part of mankind in the 18th Century”. (Wood 4) They had achieved an economic and political maturity that resented outside interference. (Jensen 34) They did not discover new ideas after 1763, but held up ideas of the rights of Englishmen which had begun back with the Magna Carta. The route to the American Revolution was based on this unique American character and the lack of understanding, which the British Government had for it.