French & English Mercantilist Wars

French & English Colonial Wars These regulations began with the Navigation Acts in 1660 The French & Indian War changed EVERYTHING between England & the colonies The introduction of new English mercantilist policies changed its economic & military attitude towards the colonies: England increased protective tariffs & trade regulations so the colonies worked for motherland If that failed, go to war with economic rivals & get the colonists to fight too New mercantilist policies after the French & Indian War led to colonial resentment & the American Revolution British Americans were increasingly drawn into European conflicts in the 18th Century with France & Spain

French & English Colonial Wars A series of European conflicts involving England & France spilled over into colonial North America: King William’s War (1689-1697) Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) King George's War (1743-1748) These wars were based on mercantilist competition & had little political significance, but… Queen Anne’s War was War of Spanish Succession; King George’s War was War of Austrian Succession While the British colonies were militarily superior to New France, a lack of colonial unity & French alliances with Native Americans weakened colonial advantages

…these wars led to a land frenzy in the 1750s, among French & British colonists Territorial disputes along the Ohio River sparked the French & Indian War

Westward Expansion & Land Conflicts, 1750-1775

This would give the colonists too much power Turning Point: 1754 This would give the colonists too much power 1754 proved to be a turning point in American colonial history In 1754, English officials & colonists met to discuss Iroquois problems at the Albany Congress Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union for a coordinated colonial army The plan was vetoed by colonial assemblies & Parliament The plan was too expensive & would limit each colony’s power to control its own actions

Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union America’s 1st political cartoon

Turning Point: 1754 In 1754, VA governor sent 22 year old George Washington to protect an Ohio Company claim Washington’s troops were forced to retreat from Fort Duquesne; This clash proved to be the beginning of the French & Indian War

French & Indian War

The French & Indian War The war went bad for England from 1756 to 1758 In 1757, Prime Minister William Pitt took command of the military: Used well-qualified generals Had a “blank check” to fund the war in America, India, & Europe In 1758, the tide of the war turned; England won by 1760

1758-1761 The Tide Turns for England By 1761, Spain became an ally of France

Treaty of Paris France—lost Canada, most of its empire in India, & claims to lands east of the Mississippi River Spain—got all French lands west of the Miss. River, New Orleans, but lost Florida to England England—gained all French lands in Canada, exclusive rights to the Caribbean slave trade, & total control of India

North America after 1763 America in 1750 America in 1763

How was 1763 a “turning point” in the British-colonial relationship?

Perceptions of the War Colonial views: English views: Colonies could be very strong when they worked together Newly gained frontier presented opportunities for wealth & land Colonists learned how to fight English views: Americans were slow to organize & balked at helping raise money even to protect their own lands

British-American Tensions Colonials British Fighting Methods Indian-style guerilla attacks Marching in formation Military Organization Militias led by captains British officers in charge of colonials Finances Resistant to rising taxes Colonists should help pay for their own defense

Effects of the War on Britain? The war increased England’s colonial empire in North America But, the Pitt’s “blank check” greatly enlarged England’s debt Britain’s contempt for the colonials created bitter feelings As a result, English leaders felt that a major reorganization of its American empire was necessary!

Effects of the War on Americans? The 1760s were an affluent & optimistic “post-war” period: The French & Indian War united the colonists against a common enemy for the 1st time Most colonists considered themselves proud members of England’s empire with little (if any) thought of independence

Eroding Bonds of the Empire

Parliamentary Sovereignty In 1760, George III became king & began a new colonial attitude: Parliamentary Sovereignty English officials assumed that Parliament must have ultimate authority over ALL laws & taxes The colonists tried to reserve the colonial authority for their own legislatures Suspicions in colonies & England that George wished to enlarge his powers (appt of chief minister Bute & others) Bute was appointed Chief Minister of England because he got along with George, no other reason. Parliament was furious. Eventually Bute resigned & George was fickle in his appointments—often changing chief ministers leaving England with no clear plan for gov’t. Left England in precarious state & colonies largely ignored during this time. 3

“No Taxation Without Representation” Parliament represents ALL British citizens no matter where they live The colonists assumed that their assemblies were quasi-equal to Parliament because they had no Parliamentary representatives British officials countered with “virtual representation” argument The colonists insisted that only their colonial assemblies could tax Americans 4

Eroding the Bonds of Empire After the Seven Years War, everyone expected George to remove British army from America (French were no longer a threat) But…this large, expensive army was not removed British citizens were not happy because they had to pay for it Colonists doubted the army’s ability to defend against Indians 6

English colonists flooded across the Appalachian Mountains: Pontiac’s War Backcountry natives banded together to repel white frontier settlers during Pontiac’s War: Indian successes exposed the British army’s weakness Attacks revealed desperation of Native Americans after the withdrawal of their French allies Colonials took matters into their own hands (Paxton Boys in PA) English colonists flooded across the Appalachian Mountains: “There’s all this land & no French!!” (Senecas, Ottowas, Miamis, Creeks, Cherokees)

Pontiac’s Rebellion, 1763 Fort Detroit Chief Pontiac led the Ottawa & other tribes against colonists due to: The flood of colonists into Ohio Country British “gifts” of smallpox-infected blankets from Fort Pitt

Retaliatory attacks by frontier colonists (like the Paxton Boys in Pennsylvania) were common

The Proclamation of 1763 In response to Pontiac’s War, the British government established the Proclamation Line of 1763: This law forbade colonists from settling across the Appalachian Mountains (for their own protection) Americans viewed the line as an obstruction to their “legitimate economic development”

“Virtuous” citizens must fight tyranny New Political Ideas All gov’ts are susceptible to corruption, tyranny, & intrusion upon citizens’ liberty The introduction of Parliamentary sovereignty contradicted England’s original policy of salutary neglect The influx of new political ideas of the European Enlightenment began to impact colonial thought (especially those of John Locke) While no colonists were thinking of independence by 1763, many became committed to “natural rights” & opposed to “tyranny” “Virtuous” citizens must fight tyranny 5

Conclusions: Rule Britannia?

Rule Britannia? Despite the mounting tensions between the English government & American colonists by 1763, most Americans were loyal “brothers” to England due to: a shared British culture dependence upon British consumer goods shared nationalism after British military victories against France