Changes

England also returned Cuba and the Philippines to Spain in exchange for Florida during this time.

England also returned Cuba and the Philippines to Spain in exchange for Florida during this time.

But there was a change in the King of England even before 1763:  When [[King George III]] assumed the throne in 1760, he wanted to end the war quickly.  But William Pitt wanted more war by England and resigned in 1761.   

But there was a change in the King of England even before 1763:  When [[King George III]] assumed the throne in 1760, he wanted to end the war quickly.  But William Pitt wanted more war by England and resigned in 1761.  Pressure from George III also played a part in his decision to resign.  George wanted Pitt to do his will, but Pitt had a strong will of his own.

In America, conflict with Indians continued.  From 1763 to 1766, The Ottawa Indians destroyed every Brit post west of Niagara.

George III openly controlled Parliament, bribing men to do anything he wanted by placing them in good positions.  This significantly altered the face of Parliament, and the majority became much less sympathetic to the colonies.  The ruling sentiment was that the colonies should be obliged to pay for their own expenses, rather than depending on the mother county.

Around the same time, the Spanish gained the Louisiana territory through a treaty with the French.  The French forts remained in the territory, running along the Mississippi as far north as Michigan.  Later, in 1800, Spain sold this land to France, which then sold it to America a few years later.

Around the same time, the Spanish gained the Louisiana territory through a treaty with the French.  The French forts remained in the territory, running along the Mississippi as far north as Michigan.  Later, in 1800, Spain sold this land to France, which then sold it to America a few years later.

Thus, when a new prime minister gained power, England was deeply in debt, and very tired of war.  The new prime minister was George Grenville who came into power in 1763.  England was very deep in debt after the wars in the colonies, and her citizens were already heavily taxed.  So Grenville turned to the colonies as the means to raise enough revenue to free England from debt.  England felt that the colonists hadn’t paid their fair share of the war expenses.  To keep from spending any more money, England was eager to make peace with the Indians and stop fighting.  It passed the Proclamation Act of 1763, forbidding colonists from settling west of Appalachians and forcing them to stop buying land from Indians.  The logic behind the Proclamation Act was that as long as the colonists stayed in the colonies and had nothing to do with Indians, there would be peace.  Little did the British know that peace would not last for long in the colonies, and that when war did break out, it would be against them.  

In America, the end of the French and Indian Wars left British with a great deal of territory west of the Appalachians, but the Indians did not give up their land easily.  From 1763 to 1766, The Ottawa Indians destroyed every British post west of Niagara.

 

This conflict left Britain deeply in debt, and very tired of war.  A new prime minister, George Grenville, came into power in 1763.  England was in debt after the wars in the colonies, and her citizens were already heavily taxed.  So Grenville turned to the colonies as the means to raise enough revenue to free England from debt.  England felt that the colonists hadn’t paid their fair share of the war expenses.  To keep from spending any more money, England was eager to make peace with the Indians and stop fighting.  It passed the Proclamation Act of 1763, forbidding colonists from settling west of Appalachians and forcing them to stop buying land from Indians.  The Proclamation Act ordered, "that no governor or Commander in chief of our other colonies of plantations in America, do presume for the present, and until our further pleasure be know, tho grant warrant of survey, or pass patents for any lands beyond the heads of sources of any of the rivers which fall into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or north west..."

 

The logic behind the Proclamation Act was that as long as the colonists stayed in the colonies and had nothing to do with Indians, there would be peace.  Little did the British know that peace would not last for long in the colonies, and that when war did break out again, it would be against them.  

==American Revolution

==American Revolution

Years before war broke out, tension was growing between England and her colonies.  King George III controlled parliament much more than preceding monarchs, and his changes facilitated attempts to gain additional revenue from the colonies.  This was accomplished through higher taxes and restrictive trade laws which oppressed the colonies.  We’ve already discussed the institution of the Proclamation Act, but not its consequences.

Years before war broke out, tension was growing between England and her colonies.  King George III controlled parliament much more than preceding monarchs, and his changes facilitated attempts to gain additional revenue from the colonies.  This was accomplished through higher taxes and restrictive trade laws which oppressed the colonies.  We’ve already discussed the institution of the Proclamation Act, but not its consequences.

The Proclamation Act was a terrible problem for the colonies.  90% of the colonial economy involved farming in 1763.  Farmers needed land to grow valuable crops of tobacco, corn, rice, indigo, and wheat, but the Proclamation Act confined them to the land they already had in the colonies.  The other 10% of the economy involved fishing & whaling in New England and timber, but the overwhelming majority of colonists were farmers, and the Proclamation Act was detrimental to their growth.

The Proclamation Act was a terrible problem for the colonies.  90% of the colonial economy depended on farming in 1763.  Farmers needed land to grow valuable crops of tobacco, corn, rice, indigo, and wheat, but the Proclamation Act confined them to the land they already had in the colonies.  The other 10% of the economy involved fishing and whaling in New England and timber, but the overwhelming majority of colonists were farmers, and the Proclamation Act was detrimental to their growth.

 

In addition, many colonists felt that the Proclamation Act was simply unfair.  They had worked hard fighting the French and Indian Wars, but now England was denying them the territory they had won.

The situation was similar to today’s problem with new Israeli settlements in areas claimed by Palestinians.  Like the Israeli settlers, colonists were angry at this restriction, and ignored it.

The situation was similar to today’s problem with new Israeli settlements in areas claimed by Palestinians.  Like the Israeli settlers, colonists were angry at this restriction, and ignored it.  Frontiers continued to expand westward.

Now that a new Prime Minister was in power who wanted peace, and wanted the colonies to pay their share of the war costs, colonists were burdened by strictly enforced taxes.  Prime minister George Grenville taxed sugar, then prohibited colonies from issuing paper currency.

Now that a new Prime Minister was in power who wanted peace, and wanted the colonies to pay their share of the war costs, colonists were burdened by strictly enforced taxes.  Prime minister George Grenville taxed sugar, then prohibited colonies from issuing paper currency.