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.  A new prime minister gained power in England in 1763: George Grenville.  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.   

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.   

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.

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

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.

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.  

He humiliated the colonists with legal intrusions: writs of assistance to search businesses without a court order or warrant.  He violated ancient rights.  He passed the Quartering Act to require colonists to house British troops at their own expense.

In 1770, the [[British Empire]] was the greatest in the world, and it continued to grow in power through the 1800s.  The idea that 13 different colonies with tiny armies and a divided populations - a large percentage of which were pacifist Quakers - could defeat the mighty British would have been absurd in 1770.  But this unlikely victory came true.  The story of this epic struggle for freedom is the story of the American Revolution.

Colonists disliked these events, but only with the passage of the [[Stamp Act]] did they become truly angry.  The Stamp Act was an undisguised attempt to bring the British more money, the first time Parliament directly taxed the colonies.  It required that printed materials, like newspapers, bear stamp showing that coin tax had been paid.  The public, and especially the media, was outraged.  This sparked the colonies to meet with each other in the Stamp Act Congress, which was attended by 9 colonies. Riots broke out, and colonists boycotted the tax and British goods. 

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 it’s consequences.

Foolishly, the British government appointed colonists to sell the stamps, imagining that intimidation would persuade them to do as the government asked.  Instead, they simply didn't sell stamps, and the colonies kept doing business without them.  Realizing that it had underestimated the colonies, Britain repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting right to legislate for colonies in future.

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 colonists developed a strong argument:  taxation without representation.  Britain said colonists had “virtual” representation.  Colonists said adequate representation was impossible because England is so far away.

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.

1767: Townshend Act imposes more taxes.  It taxed paper, lead, paint and tea in colonies to pay salaries of royal judges and governors. Singled out New York and Massachusetts to suspend their assemblies for failing to levy taxes to house and feed British troops in their colonies.  The Act tried to avoid inciting the wrath of all colonies.  But the colonists boycotted British goods again, and once again the boycott was very effective.

Now that a new Prime Minister was in power who wanted peace, and wanted the colonies to pay its share of the war costs., Prime Minister Grenville started taxing colonists, and enforcing the taxes strictly.  He taxed sugar, then prohibited colonies from issuing paper currency.

'''Debate''': should England have been able to impose direct taxes on the colonies? 

He humiliated the colonists with legal intrusions: writs of assistance to search businesses without a court order or warrant.  He violated ancient rights.  He passed the Quartering Act to require colonists to house British troops at their own expense.

 

 

 

In 1770, the [[British Empire]] was the greatest in the world, and it continue to grow in power into the 1800s.  The idea that 13 different colonies with tiny armies and a divided populations - a large percentage of which were pacifist Quakers - could defeat the mighty British would have been absurd in 1770.  But, this unlikely victory came true.  The story of the epic struggle for freedom is the story of the 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.

Colonists disliked these events, but only with the passage of the [[Stamp Act]] did they become truly angry.  The Stamp Act was an undisguised attempt to bring the British more money, the first time Parliament directly taxed the colonies.  It required that printed materials, like newspapers, bear stamps showing that coin tax had been paid.  The public, and especially the media, was outraged.  This sparked the colonies to meet with each other in the Stamp Act Congress, which was attended by 9 colonies.  Riots broke out, and colonists boycotted the tax and British goods.

The Proclamation Line of 1763 was an imaginary line through the Appalachian Mountains which colonists were not allowed to settle beyond.  Soon, the British government funded a standing army and navy in America to enforce England's ever-stricter regulations.  Then the [[Sugar Act]] forced colonists to pay duties on all the molasses they imported.

Foolishly, the British government had appointed colonists to sell the stamps, imagining that intimidation would persuade them to sell stamps as the government required.  Instead, they simply didn't sell stamps, and the colonies kept doing business without them.  Realizing that it had underestimated the colonies, Britain repealed the Stamp Act in 1766 but passed the Declaratory Act asserting right to legislate for colonies in future.

Colonists disliked these events, but only with the passage of the [[Stamp Act]] did they become truly angry. The Stamp Act was an undisguised attempt to bring the British more money, the first time Parliament directly taxed the colonies.  The Act required that common items like newspapers, dice, documents, etc. have a stamp on them.  The money gained by selling stamps went directly to the British government.

The colonists developed a strong argument against England’s oppression: taxation without representation.  Britain said colonists had “virtual” representation.  Colonists said adequate representation was impossible because England is so far away.

The Townshend Acts were the next crisis caused by the British government, taxing the colonists' imports.   

The Townshend Acts were the next crisis caused by the British government, taxing the colonists' imports.