I Mercantile Theory - A country had colonies in order to bring the wealth of raw materials to the mother country and also
                                 to provide a place where manufactured goods could be sold at a profit. It was important to have a
                                 favorable balance of trade. (more exports than imports)
                                Colonies provided England with fish, lumber, naval stores, tobacco, iron and potash.

II In order to assure a profitable trade relationship between England and the colonies, as system of laws was passed
   by the Parliament:

A) Navigation Act of 1650 - Goods shipped to colonies had to be carried in British ships or ships from countries
                                            selling the goods.
B) Navigation act of 1651 - Attempted to cut off trade with the Netherlands.

************ THE ABOVE LAWS HELPED BOTH ENGLAND AND THE AMERICAN COLONIES
                         ECONOMICALLY*****

C) Acts of Trade and Navigation 1660 :
        1) Colonial trade had to take place in ships built, owned and commanded by Englishmen. It excluded all foreign
            merchants from trade with the colonies.

       2) Certain goods called "enumerated articles" (tobacco, copper, furs, hides, iron, lumber, naval stores, rice) could
            be shipped only to England or her colonies. Colonies were still free to trade in grain, fish, meat, whale oil and
            rum.

D) Staple Act of 1665 - Foreign goods bought by colonist had to first be shipped to England. There they were taxed,
                                     sent to America and then taxed again. This discouraged the colonist from buying non-English
                                     goods because of the great expense due to the taxing and shipping charges.

F) Creation of the Board of Trade 1696 - It was created to make trade more profitable for England. It helped protect
                                     English merchants and discriminated against colonial merchants. Its goal was to stop
                                     illegal trade and smuggling, and set up courts to bring to trial any violators.

G) Woolens Act of 1699 - In order to prevent competition with England in the wool industry the colonist were
                                         forbidden to trade with England or any other colonies. Wool could only be sold within the
                                        colony where it was produced.

H) Hat Act of 1732 - Same as above except with regards to hats.

I) Iron Act of 1750 - It encouraged the development of pig iron and bar iron, but forbade the production of
                                 finished iron products. Again we see the English carrying out the policy of mercantilism -
                                 colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country.

J) Molasses Act of 1733 - It had the purpose of trying to stop the triangular trade of the colonies. It put a heavy tax
                                         on molasses, sugar, and rum products imported from the French West Indies. Colonist
                                        complained bitterly and England fearing that colonist would not be able to pay their debts to
                                        England, ignored violations of this law for 25 years.

****************************IMPORTANT*****************************************************

THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF THESE LAWS WAS TO REGULATE TRADE WITHIN THE ENGLISH EMPIRE.
IT WAS NOT TO TAX. WHILE THESE LAWS SEEM STRICT AT TIMES AND SEEM TO LIMIT THE RIGHTS
OF THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS TO TRADE, THEY WERE NOT WELL ENFORCED AND WERE MORE
OFTEN THAN NOT SIMPLY IGNORED BY THE COLONIST. REMEMBER THAT THIS WAS STILL PART
OF THE ERA KNOWN AS "THE PERIOD OF NEGLECT".
 
 

French and Indian War

I Background:
  The war is important in American history not only because of the changes it brought about in land ownership in
  America, but because it resulted in a change in England's economic policy towards the colonies that would eventually
  lead to a colonial revolt against British rule. Following this war, the English would realize the value of the American
  colonies and attempt to tighten control over them politically and economically. This would result in distrust, fear,
  resentment and eventually war and independence. The ideas of basic rights and revolution as well as the
  British-American sense of basic rights and self-government would be put into action.
  For many years England and France were involved in wars over land and religion. These wars were often started in
  Europe and then exported to the colonies were these two nations were competing over territory. In 1689 a series of wars
  were fought between these two nations that were to last for seventy years.

    King William's War
    Queen Anne's War
    King George's War
    French and Indian War (Seven Years War)

With the exception of the French and Indian War, these wars had no permanent effect on the landholdings or control
of territory in North America. The French and Indian War was different. It would determine who would win the final
control over North America - the French or the English.

II) Causes of the War:

A) Political - Both the French and the English were interested in building an empire in North America. The French
     needed the Ohio Valley in order to connect their holdings in the North (St. Lawrence valley, Great
     Lakes) with their holdings along the Mississippi down to New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico.
    The English feared that a French takeover of the Ohio valley would block their expansion westward and
     lock  them in to a colonial empire limited to the east coast.

Therefore both nations saw the Ohio valley as a key to their future in North America.

B) Economic- Both the French and English realized the wealth of natural resources in the Ohio Valley. The
                      economy of fur trapping was very profitable in this region and neither wanted the other to have
                     an advantage in this area. Also the land was very fertile and attracted those wanting to start a new life as
                     farmers on the frontier.

II) Immediate Cause of the War:
        Consider the concept and method of cause and effect in understanding this section)

          A)English begin to settle the Ohio Valley for farming and trapping.
          B)French respond by building forts in the region to backup their claims to the land.
          C)Governor Dinwiddie responds by sending George Washington to order the French out of the Ohio valley.
          D)French respond by building another fort near the present site of Pittsburgh (Ft. Duquesne)
          E)Governor Dinwiddie responds by sending Washington and some troops to capture the new fort.
          F)This results in the first battle known as the Battle of Great Meadows.
         G)The French respond by sending a large army against Washington at Ft. Necessity and they force him to
              surrender.
         H)The English respond by sending in their professional army under the command of Edward Braddock which
             attacks the French. Braddock and over 900 of his men are killed. WHY????????????

III) Examination of the styles of fighting : Traditional European Warfare vs. Guerrilla or hit and run warfare.

A)Consider such concepts as:
        1) The influence of one person on history: Braddock, Washington, Dinwiddie, Pitt
        2) Choices of a culture in a new environment: adapt, die out or move on.
        3) Role of prejudice and bigotry and how it limited the choices of the British.
        4) Role of geography of this war: forest, hills, Plains of Abraham
        5) History repeats itself - are there any situations like this in the world today????

IV) Tide turns for the English:
         The early battles of the war were won mostly by the French. Though fewer in number, they had adapted to the
         environment better than the English. They used guerrilla warfare, they learned from the Indians, etc.
         As time went on the English realized that they must change if they were to win this war.
        When William Pitt becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain he calls for better fighting techniques and a greater
        commitment of troops to the war effort. This helped to turn the tide of the war and the British begin to drive the
        French from their forts along the Great Lakes and through the New York area.
       With greater numbers and supplies the English drive the French to Quebec where the final battle of the war will be
       fought.

The Battle of Quebec:
      A) Role of geography - Citadel located above the St. Lawrence River
                                          Plains of Abraham - have an effect on style of warfare - favors the British.
 
 

V) Immediate Results of the War:

Treaty of Paris:
    a) All French landholdings east of the Mississippi, except New Orleans and a few small islands in the Atlantic were
        given to England.
    b) Spanish Florida was given to the English and Louisiana to the Spanish.

VI) Other results of the war:
    a) The territory held by the English in America more than doubled in size as a result of the war.
    b) The English had accumulated a very large debt as a result of defending the colonies.
    c) The English learned that the colonies were not as loyal as they once were. During the war the colonist
       traded with the enemy (French)

***************IMPORTANT************************************************

THUS THE ENGLISH WERE FACED WITH PROBLEMS OF DEBT AND THE ABILITY TO CONTROL
THEIR AMERICAN COLONIES. BECAUSE OF THIS THE ENGLISH WOULD DEVELOP A NEW
ECONOMIC COLONIAL POLICY AND WOULD PASS LAWS TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR
OF THE COLONIST. THIS NEW POLICY WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THE ENGLISH,
BUT IN AN UNEXPECTED WAS - IT WOULD LEAD TO WAR AND INDEPENDENCE FOR THE
AMERICAN COLONIES. THIS WAR LED TO THE END OF THE PERIOD OF NEGLECT AND THE
NEW ATTENTION THAT ENGLAND WOULD GIVE TO HER COLONIES WOULD LEAD TO THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

************************************************************************************************

New Colonial Policy of England in 1763

Background: The problems that resulted from the French and Indian War would be addressed in the formation of a new
                     colonial policy. Laws would be passed in an attempt to control the settlement of the colonist and laws
                    would be passed to tax the colonist in order to help pay off the debt.

1) Proclamation Line of 1763 - Stated that colonist could not settle beyond the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.
                                               England stated that its purpose was to guarantee the Indians their rights to lands and to
                                               prevent conflict between the colonist and the Indians.
                                              The real reason was to keep the colonist along the coast where they would be easier to
                                              watch and control.

What problems do you see with enforcing this act?????????

2) The Sugar Act of 1764 - Placed a three pence per gallon duty on molasses. This actually lowered the tax by three
                                           pence per gallon, however, unlike the molasses act, this tax was to be strictly enforced.
                                           Colonist reacted by denouncing the law as unfair , stupid and ruinous.

3) Quartering Act - Required colonies to provide food and lodging for British troops stationed in American cities.
                              Colonist viewed this as a violation their privacy and rights as Englishmen and deeply resented this
                              law.

4) Stamp Act of 1765 - Placed a direct tax ( internal tax) on legal documents, newspapers, and some luxury items.
                                     Required a stamp indicating the tax be placed on product. Examples: mortgages, wills, contracts,
                                    deeds, college diplomas, licenses, bills of sale, playing cards.

    Colonist Reaction:
            Political: Formation of Stamp Act Congress
            Economic: Use of the boycott against British goods
            Social: Formation of the Sons of Liberty

**********COLONIST REACTED SO STRONGLY BECAUSE THIS TAX WAS AN INTERNAL, DIRECT TAX.

REMEMBER THAT THE MAGNA CARTA STATED THAT THE ENGLISH PEOPLE COULD NOT BE
TAXED WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT. COLONIST FELT THEY HAD NOT GIVEN THEIR CONSENT
TO BE TAXED BY PARLIAMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD NO ROLE IN THE ELECTION OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT AND THAT THESE MEMBERS DID NOT REPRESENT THEM.
FROM THIS THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT REPRESENTED, THEREFORE HAD NOT
GIVEN THEIR CONSENT AND THEREFORE PARLIAMENT HAD NO RIGHT TO TAX THEM.

****The colonist felt that their local legislative assemblies had the right to tax them because they
         elected them and thus gave their consent to be governed.It was this issue that the colonist were
         willing to fight for:
        England responded by saying all colonist were "virtually represented" in Parliament.
        That every member of Parliament represented every citizen of Great Britain.
        Therefore England felt that the colonist had given their consent and could be taxed.
 
 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Out of the three reactions of the colonist the most successful was the boycott. English merchants were
hurt by the refusal of Americans to buy their goods. They complained to the members of Parliament and
the king and the law was finally repealed.
The colonist had reacted to the Stamp Act with not only words, but acts of violence. This created a great
concern by the English and widened the developing split between the colonies and the mother country.
The English at the time of the repeal of the Stamp Act passed the Declaratory Act.
They were fearful that the Americans would view the repeal as an acknowledgment that they had no
right to tax them. This Declaratory Act stated the Parliament had the right to make all laws and collect
taxes for the colonies.

In the excitement of the success of the boycott, the colonist ignored the passage of the Declaratory
Act. They saw a trend developing - if you protest loud enough and long enough, the Parliament will give
up. Parliament was trying to discourage such a view by the passage of the Declaratory Act.
Townshend Acts: A series of indirect, external taxes on glass, paper, paint, lead and tea.
Gave custom officials "writs of assistance" giving them power to search private property.
Again colonist used the boycott and the Sons of Liberty to protest.
More regulations were passed:
British officials would be tried only in Canada or England.
Governors were to be paid by royal funds - loss of power of the purse strings.
Colonist guilty of smuggling would be tried by Admiralty courts or sent back to
England were they would not be judged by their peers. (violation of the Magna Carta)