chapter four: the empire under strain

Alan Brinkley,

American History 14/e

Chapter 4:

The Empire in Transition

Highlights

Loosening Ties

The Struggle for the Continent

The New Imperialism

Stirrings of Revolt

Cooperation and War

© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.2

Loosening Ties

A Tradition of Neglect

– Growing Power of Parliament—after the Glorious

Revolution the real power in England is Parliament-mostly wealthy

merchants-looking to make money off colonies not spend Money to

control them-Salutary Neglect-as long as colonies remain

financially loyal to G.B. for the most part let them smuggle

– Decentralized Colonial Administration—to many

bureaucracies control colonies to do things efficient

– Powerful Colonial Legislatures—corrupt royal

officials, Power of the Purse, colonial legislatures use to governing

themselves—all thought they were mini parliaments with control

over their own affairs.


Loosening Ties

The Colonies Divided Colonies very different in populations, culture and governing styles-

New Yorkers hate Mass Holes who hate Virginians etc.

However because of circumstances they did develop ties—

construction of roads—colonial postal service development of inter-

colonial trade

– Albany Plan—1754 Delegates from NY, Penn, Maryland, and

NE meeting to negotiate a treaty with the Iroquois—stayed on to

listen to Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union-to create a

single gov’t for the states to coordinate efforts should the colonies

need to defend themselves-no colonial leg. approved it

4


– An Uneasy Balance of Power—Iroquois, British and

French 1750s uneasy balance of power disturbed

New France and the Iroquois Nation

– New Sources of Conflict—France’s North American

Empire—French attempting to establish an Empire in North

America, Canada, upper mid-west, lower Mississippi Valley-

Louisiana- claimed from Appalachian Mts. to Rocky Mts.

– The Iroquois Confederacy—Five tribes (Mohawk,

Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Oneida)—most powerful tribes

in the North East—tied to British Empire and Dutch-but played

French and English against each other



Anglo-French Conflicts—Main area of contention was

Ohio River Valley

– European Seeds of Conflict-Glorious Rev. King William’s

(1689-1697) and Queen Ann’s Wars (1701-1713) French-Spanish-

English in NA 7 Years War in Europe

– Fort Necessity-1754 George Washington Starts the

French and Indian War in NA


A French map of

North America, 1758 (Royalty-Free/CORBIS)


The Great War for the Empire

– Braddock Defeated-1754-1756 colonists fight war on their

own—British inept help Braddock dies—colonist defending frontier

– William Pitt Takes Charge—1756-1758 War time

measures put into effect impressment, quartering and confiscation

of war supplies (58-63)-Pitt formalize war effort-reimburse

colonists-relax impressment-pay for quartering

– Siege of Quebec— Sept. 13 1759 James Wolfe-up the

cliffs-to his death-1760 French surrender to Jeffery Amherst at

Montreal



– Peace of Paris—1763-Pitt gets most of his objectives-Sugar

islands, Canada, all French territory east of Mississippi river-

France seeded N.O. and West of Mississippi to Spain

– Consequences of the Seven Years’ War– England much larger empire, massive debt(33 Trillion in modern $)

– Resentment of colonists who they felt were inept during the war

– Feel colonists contributed little to war effort-war being fought for

them

– Anger at American smuggling during the war to French Islands



– Colonists– Forced the colonies to work together for the first time

– Friction over British war policy early and the 1757 return of colonial

power sets precedent-confirmed illegitimacy of British interference

with local affairs

– Communal experience of American forces cements national unity

in the future

– Natives fare the worst-marks the beginning of the end for Iroquois

Confederacy




The Seven Years’ War

The New Imperialism

Burdens of Empire

– Commercial versus Territorial Imperialists--do you

take land for trade or for the sake of future growth. (Guadeloupe or

Canada)

– Who owns new land? How do you settle the new lands?-how much

will it cost?-what about Natives?

– Britain’s Staggering War Debt--How do we pay for the

war and protection of colonists moving west England already over

taxed. How do you get the Americans to pay their fair share.

– George III’s Shortcomings-removes Pitt and stable gov’t

and brings in ministers he trusts(G. Grenville PM 1763)-Mental

illness, age and inexperience combined to make a bad king


The New Imperialism

The British and the Tribes

– Proclamation of 1763-no settlement west of Appalachian

Mts.

– Pontiac’s Rebellion-Natives resist white settlement-small pox

blankets

– Goal control settlement of the West and prevent costly conflicts

with natives and disruptions of trade

– Grenville feels colonists have been coddled for too long and

should be compelled to obey the laws and pay a part of the cost of

colonial protection and administration. Begins attempts to enforce

colonial policies previously left intentionally lax

– White Encroachment--in the end white people just kept

coming like the plague


The New Imperialism

Grenville Ministry--British Regulars stationed permanently

in colonies—Mutiny Act 1765 colonists must provided assistance in

providing for and maintaining army

Ships assigned to patrol American waters in search of smugglers

Customs office reorganized and enlarged

Royal officials ordered to take their posts in person

Colonial Manufacturing to be limited to reduce competition


The New Imperialism


The Thirteen Colonies in 1763

The New Imperialism

The Colonial Response

– Sugar, Currency, and Stamp Acts– 1764 sugar act

enacted to collect sugar duties and reduce smuggling—Currency

act 1764 required colonies to stop issue of paper money and take

all currency out of circulation —Stamp Act first direct tax on

colonies requires tax paid on most printed document-collecting 10

times the revenue before 1763


The New Imperialism

– Paxton Boys-(Country/Court) Established East v. the Hill

people—Hill folks want relief from colonial taxes and money to

defend themselves from Natives— descend on Philly-bloodshed

avoided when concessions granted

– Regulator Movement--(Country/Court) Established East

v. the Hill people- N. Carolina—revolt over internal taxes and

representation-put down by militia

– Postwar Depression- Colonial concerns over British policy

soon overrode internal conflict-restraints on commerce-merchants-

no manufacturing-workers-farmers fear taxes and loss of cheap

paper $$-strapped with a postwar recession colonists feel

economic pressure and blame the Crown


The New Imperialism

Political Consequences of the Grenville Program--

The largest group of people on earth dedicated to the idea of self rule

and actively involved in public affairs-keen to maintain their “rights as

Englishmen”-long held right to tax themselves-home rule was not new

but ingrained old and familiar-therefore the fight is both

Conservative(conserve ancient rights) and Democratic (fighting for

greater liberty to rule themselves)


The New Imperialism


North America in 1763

Stirrings of Revolt

The Stamp Act Crisis

– Effects of the Stamp Act—galvanized colonial

resistance—economic impact not great but colonial leaders feared

the precedent it set-taxation without representation-Riots ensue up

and down east coast

– Virginia Resolves—May 1765—House of Burgesses led by

Patrick Henry and a group of young aristocrats looking to

challenge dominance of eastern elite and royal governor.

Parliament has no right to tax colonies without consent-claimed

king could loose his head-”if this be treason, make the most of it”


Stirrings of Revolt

– Sons of Liberty--terrorists insurgents willing to use what ever

means necessary to fight the “Man”. Riots, intimidation, property

destruction, physical punishment, flag pole wedgies

– Parliament Retreats--colonial boycott of British goods (+/-

40% of market)—merchants force Parliament to back down

– March 18, 1766 Declaratory act-we are the boss of the colonies,

always have been, always will be

– Both sides think they won (fyi nobody wins when there is violence)

– They should have just kneeled

Internal Rebellions– Poor farmers rebel against Patroon system NY, VT-


Stirrings of Revolt


The Tory’s Day of Judgment(Library of Congress)

The Townshend Program—English money angered

that Rockingham gov’t backed down-want traitors and hillbillies

hanged-Rockingham sacked Pitt brought back (he’s nuts) Charles

Townshend now in charge

– Mutiny Act--Quartering act 1765-done voluntarily since end of

War now Mandatory-Taxation without representation-NY and

Mass refuse to supply troops-Townshend suspends NY colonial

leg.

– Internal and External Taxes—Townshend Duties-on

imports(controlled by Empire Mercantilism) Lead, paint, paper, tea

etc.

Stirrings of Revolt


Colonial Boycotts

Colonial Boycotts— Colonists see Duties as once again an

attempt to raise revenue without their consent—see attack on NY leg.

as precedent to destroy all legislatures

Mass. Takes lead in opposition-sends correspondence to all colonies

urging utmost resistance of taxes and attack on NY-letter received

little attention and some resistance from Quakers (hippy communists)

in Penn.

When London responds with threats to suspend any colonial gov’t

which supports the letter the colonies rally to support Mass.

Townshend further strengthens anti smuggling measures in colonies

virtually ending smuggling in Boston-Americans move to other ports

Boston, NY and Philly joined by some southern ports begin boycott of

British goods

1770 Boycott works-(Townshend dies 1767) all taxes except those on

tea lifted


Stirrings of Revolt

The Boston Massacre

– Competition for Scarce Employment--British gov’t

places 4 regiments of the 14th and 29th Marines 4-8,000 troops.

Direct affront to colonists sense of freedom and constant

competition for jobs in a tight labor Market

– March 5, 1770 Boston Massacre-it was the colonists fault.

– Samuel Adams—failure at business however he was the

best trouble maker in the colonies—1772 responsible for

“committee of correspondence”—creates a loose network of

political cooperation and kept the spirit of decent.


Stirrings of Revolt

The Philosophy of Revolt--Enlightenment ideas-John

Locke-Social Contract basis for government

– England’s Balanced Constitution— Montesquieu’s

idea of the perfectly balanced gov’t in England-power distributed

between classes and branches (not really true but many on both

sides of the Atlantic felt the system was being destroyed by the

King and his ministers—others felt since it wasn’t a written

document it was more flexible

– Virtual versus Actual Representation—Members of

Parliament represent the “whole of the Empire”(virtual)-Colonial

Reps. Represent a voting district(actual) as you understand it.


Stirrings of Revolt

The Tea Excitement--despite the repeal of Townshend

Duties customs officials “clumsy, arrogant and prone to corruption”

stayed in the colonies and stirred resentment

– Revolutionary Discourse--Revolutionary sentiment was

kept alive and growing by the revolutionary press, social clubs,

church groups, in taverns and bars and anywhere people gathered

to express their growing dissatisfaction with the Crown and its

tactics

– Gaspee incident—British Naval ship lured into Narragansett bay by

smugglers and hung on a sand bar is burnt to keel—attackers tried

by special commission with power to send accused back to G.B.

for trial


Stirrings of Revolt

– The Tea Act--drops duty on East India tea company tea to

alleviate the abundance of tea sitting in London harbor due to

colonial boycotts. Cuts out colonial merchants who acted as the

middleman in most sales to this point—Company plays favorites

with importers and further enrages colonial power class—convince

Americans this is just another example of an unconstitutional tax

– Daughters of the Liberty—militant women Mercy Otis Warren-

satire

– Boston Tea Party-tea boycott-effects all unites colonies in

unified resistance—Dec. 16, 1773 150 men protected by

thousands of spectators-dumped 92,000 lbs. of tea into Boston

Harbor


Stirrings of Revolt

– Coercive Acts—The Coercive Acts describe a series of laws

passed by the British Parliament in 1774, relating to Britain’s

colonies in North America.

– Passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, the Coercive Acts

sought to punish Massachusetts as a warning to other colonies.

– The Coercive Acts consisted of the Boston Port Act, the

Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act,

and the Quartering Act of 1774.

– Tensions escalated over the Coercive Acts and the American

Revolutionary War broke out the following year.


Stirrings of Revolt

Consequences—Mass. becomes a martyr to

other colonists-resistance up and down East

coast-boycotts of British goods


Cooperation and War

New Sources of Authority--to maintain function of Gov’t

in colonies many local institutions simply assumed the authority of

gov’t-Son’s of Liberty, committee of correspondence,

– First Continental Congress—Sept. 1774 Carpenters

Hall Philadelphia-Statement of Grievances, Resolutions to prepare

for war in Boston, nonimportation, no export, no consumption-stop

trade-economic war to maintain autonomous status

– The Conciliatory Propositions- Colonists tax

themselves at parliaments demand-too little too late-gets to

colonies after Lexington and Concord


Cooperation and War

Lexington and Concord

– General Thomas Gage--Overly cautious leader of British

troops in Boston-April 18, 1775-attempts to seize weapons at

Lexington and Concord-Paul Revere and William Dawes

– The Revolution Begins- Shots fired at Lexington-”Shot

heard round the World”-Ambushed from Concord back to Boston


Recruiting poster (Library of Congress)

Cooperation and War


The Battles of Lexington and Concord, 1775

chapter four: the empire under strain

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