Mercantilism Acquire gold and silver and keep it in your country
Sell more goods than you buy…. Don’t pay much (if anything) for raw materials b/c of colonies… Sell your manufactured goods to people in colonies… FAVORABLE BALANCE OF TRADE!!!
English Civil War (1640-1660) Navigation Acts (not really enforced) Dominion of New England (not really enforced) Glorious Revolution (gave the people the English Bill of Rights)
Salutary Neglect Colonists’ best interests suited GBR best interests Colonists voluntarily honored the King ***Colonists became accustomed to self-rule
Diverse Economies South – Agriculture Middle Colonies – some agriculture, some commerce, some shipping New England – small farms heavily dependent on shipping
Road to Revolution… The French and Indian War (1754-1763) Fought over disputed lands claims around Appalachian Mountains and Ohio River Valley British: Expanded West Built towns Cleared forests Planted crops French: Built forts to protect trade with Indians
George Washington leads British in defeat at Fort Necessity…his defeat leads to all out war – In Europe, they called it the Seven Years War
Albany Plan of Union Permanently unite colonies in times of war Each colony sent a delegate to an assembly It was rejected….none of the other colonies wanted to submit to a central authority. BUT – it did provide for a later model of government!
Treaty Of Paris (1763) GBR gets Canada France gives up all land claims East of the Mississippi River
Pontiac’s Rebellion Either side winning outright was bad news for Indians – they knew their lands were at stake Pontiac unites numerous tribes and fights British Ultimately, it’s put down, but British see it as more cost efficient to respect them
GBR in debt… Sugar and Quartering Act (1764): - cut tax on molasses in half, BUT – anyone caught smuggling went to royal court - Colonists had to house and feed any royal troops in North America Stamp Act (1765) : - Colonists had to buy special “stamped” paper for all legal documents, licenses, wills, newspapers, pamphlets, and almanacs. Special “Stamp Duties” were placed on playing cards and dice
As a result… Boycotts began – Sam Adams led the Sons of Liberty, who wreaked havoc on tax collectors *It was repealed in 1766, but Declaratory Act was passed – Parliament has the right to rule the colonies any way it sees fit Townshend Acts (1767) – tax on lead, paint, glass, paper, and the most popular English good…TEA!!! ***B/c taxes were collected at port, Boston shippers were upset most More boycotts and protests (Daughters of Liberty appear for “spinning bees”)
March 5, 1770 Boston Massacre
1772: Commitees of Correspondence – formed to communicate between the colonies the wrongdoings of GBR 1773: Tea Act – East India Tea Co. could sell surplus tea TAX FREE (smuggled tea was more expensive now)
December, 1773: Boston Tea Party
1774: Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) Stripped MA of any self rule Boston harbor shut down until price of destroyed tea was repaid