Chapter 4 APUS Outline

Loosening Ties
Eight colonies are under the English Government by 1754 including New Jersey, the Carolinas and Georgia. However, the English government made no major efforts (except increasing of rules that supplemented navigation acts and strengthening of the mercantilist program) to restrict the colonies.

A Tradition of Neglect
Parliaments power grew rapidly under George I and George II at the cost of the kings power. o Relied greatly on merchants and landowners whom feared that strengthening of rules would result in a costly increase of taxes (first prime minister Robert Walpole didnt even strictly enforce the navigation acts).

Colonial administration was decentralized! o Agencies responsible for administering laws that were tangled in a large pile of overlapping of responsibilities and confusion of authority. Few officials actually visited America.

Political briberies and customs briberies. By the 1750s American authorities claimed right to levy taxes, make appropriations, approve appointments and pass laws.

The Colonies Divided

Colonies viewed each other as foreigners for differences and still felt loyal to GB. Slowly, population growth managed to lead to roads allowing for intercolonial trade. Albany Conference meeting in 1754 to discuss how to protect themselves from the French. Everyone wanted a union, but Benjamin Franklins well thought out plan was still shut down.

The Struggle for the Continent

Seven years war/French and Indian War: late 1750s-1760s. French v. England. English win and are shown to be superior in the region. Gain control. An uneasy balance of power is formed in America between the English, French, and Iroquois.

New France and the Iroquois Nation

France began lucrative fur trade down the Mississippi River. The better farm territory intrigued farmers and the French moved down the Mississippi. This will lead to a source of conflict. To begin securing land holdings and building a North American empire they claimed land and populated it with a string of fortresses, missions and trading posts. Seigneuries (feudal lords) established estates on the coast of the Mississippi. The Middle ground was land occupied by natives, French, and British. English traders gave better deals but the French were my tolerant and the French won their alliance. Established a relationship with the Iroquois nation most powerful group and defensive alliance of 5 tribes. o Key to success was avoiding relationships and staying in between the two groups.

Ohio valley, which was filled with refugee Indians and settling French became a potential battleground with introduction of land-hungry English!

Anglo-French Conflicts
After glorious revolution, William III , and Queen Anne begin struggle against France and Spain (it snew ally) due to previous conflict. Wars broke out for 8 years (King Williams war from 1689 to 1697) and produced some clashes in New England. Border fighting with Spanish! England and Spain engage in war of trading rights. This combined with French and English war over Prussia and Austria was King Georges War in colonies o 1744-1748 they engaged in series of conflicts with French in the colonies!

In aftermath of King Georges War all relationships are destroyed in the colonies. In 1749 new fortresses are quickly built in Ohio Valley and military operations grew rapidly. Tensions continued to increase! o In 1754 government of Virginia sent a militia under George Washington to challenge French expansion with Fort Necessity not far from fort Duquesne (French). Washington surrendered when attacked.

The Great War for the Empire

Phase 1 (1754): Fort Necessity to expansion to Eur in 1756. Moderate British help. o General Edward Braddock hired to destroy French reinforcement efforts and retake sites in the Ohio Valley failed miserably and was killed in an Indian ambush. Local colonial forces were forced to defend themselves from oncoming Indian raids (all but Iroquois, who were still somewhat allied with the English. The Iroquois had declared war on the French under heavy English pressure). Many begin to withdraw to the east!

Phase 2 (1756): 7 years war spreads but main struggle remains in the New World! o William Pitt takes over and transforms war effort by bringing in British control. Forcibly enlists colonists. Officers seize tools and supplies from citizens without compensation.

Due to William Pitts new and harsh war techniques, riots broke out (i.e. New York 1757) and they threatened to bring the war effort to a halt.

Phase 3 (1758): To settle riots he agreed to reimburse colonists for all supplies.

Sent large number of troops to America and upped enlistment via colonial assemblies. Generals James Amherst and James Wolfe captured fortress at Louisburg, Duquesne and Quebec. In September 1760 the French formally surrender to Amherst in Montreal.

Effects included extreme cruelty on part of the English. Peace of Paris came after resignation of Pitt who wanted to continue hostilities. The Peace of Paris was signed in 1763. Canada and all other French Territory East of Mississippi except New Orleans went to Great Britain. French ceded all territory to the West of the Mississippi to Spain, thus losing all territory in North America except New England. Americans benefited from selling food etc. during conflict while the English did not financially. The war forced a common foe upon the American colonies (Britain) due to new acts and policies being impressed in 1756-1758. Communal army and Indian tribes had been destroyed aside from Iroquois whom were still weakened.

The New Imperialism

After the treaty of 1763 English was at peace but found themselves with a huge war debt, large amounts of unsettled land and the inability to casually rule.

Burdens of Empire
Difficult to control colonies in 1758 when Pitt was forced to relax his policies and now the colonials were unwilling to be taxed and in defiance of regulations of the British. Territorial annexations of 1763 were debated by the old commercial imperialists and the new territorial ones. Territorializes prevailed and the once French territories began to grow. Arguments that moving in too quickly could stir conflict and that hunting ground would be destroyed. Colonial governments made conflicting claims over land.

In 1760 King George III gains crown with a staggering war debt to fix. o o Extremely insecure and intellectually and psychologically limited. Not equipped to handle the challenges he placed upon himself.

George Greenville Prime Minister in 1763. Brother-in-law of Pitt who had opposite point of view (saw that the colonists should be compelled to obey laws and pay Britain, the administering empire.

The British and the Tribes

Departure of the French lead to immediate thirst for land. Ottawa chieftan Pontiac, an alliance of tribes, attacked the English to hold their land. As a result, to prevent more severe conflict the English issued the Proclamtion of 1763 which: o o o Allowed London to control the westward expansion. Limited conflicts of tribes. Reserved land opportunities for the English rather than the colonial population.

John Stuart was in charge of Southern Indian affairs and Sir William Johnson in charge of Northern affairs. Both are sympathetic to the Native Americans. Proclamation fails to meet the modest expectations of Native Americans. Proclamation fails due to white encroachment, and new treaties are drawn up. Treaties continue to fail and the new treaties continue to cut deeper into Native American territory.

The Colonial Response

English troops were being brought over in numbers to the new world to monitor customs and suppress colonial manufacturing. o Mutiny Act of 1765 Colonists are required to assist in provisioning and maintaining the army (See the Townshend Program). Eliminating illegal sugar trade between colonies, French, and Spanish came via the Sugar Act of 1764 in which smugglers were tried. The Currency Act of 1764 stopped all issuing of paper money in circulation.

The Stamp Act of 1765 imposed a tax on most printed documents.

New imperial method was to reinforce the mercantile system however colonists greatly resented these new regulations. Resistance included a band of people in 1763 by the name of the Paxton Boys descending on Philadelphia in search of colonial money to defend themselves from Indians. o This shows those in the borderlands constantly were underrepresented.

In 1771 a small scale civil war known as the Regulator movement broke out in North Carolina. Members of the upcountry opposed high taxes. The West was badly represented. They armed themselves and rose against Governor William Tryon. o Tryon raised an army whom defeated 2,000 Regulators in the Battle of Alamance.

The Grenville Program increased the burden of taxation and closed manufacturing opportunities. The majority of the colonists believed they suffered from this. In 1763, economic bust from war lead England to impose more taxes lead to severe postwar depression. Economically, it became apparent that something was wrong. Unemployment rates were up. Colonists politically long for the self-rule that they always had. Destroying provincial assemblies and creating salaries to royal officials from tax money lead to political discontent from the colonists.

Stirrings of Revolt
The victorious war for empire gave colonists an incentive to demand more political support and at the same time gave the British to a strengthened belief that tightening of administration was needed. These are directly conflicting interests

The Stamp Act Crisis

Sugar Act had affected only a few people other than merchants. The Sugar Act however affected everyone including the most influential people such as printers.

The Stamp Act differed from all other taxes as it was not an attempt to regulate commerce but an attempt to raise money. Colonists were afraid this might set precedence for more taxes. Group of young Virginian aristocrats in hopes to change Virginian politics by challenging the tidewater planters attacked the stamp act. o Patrick Henry made a dramatic speech to the House of Burgesses that predicted that the present policies must be revised or George III would lose his head. o Patrick Henry wrote Virginia Resolves a list of resolutions that declared Americans the same rights of English (especially regarding local taxes). The House of Burgesses shot most down, but they were printed and circulated. James Otis of Massachusetts called forth an intercolonial congress that (1765) sent a petition to the king and parliament stating they should only be taxed via provincial assemblies. The Sons of Liberties take the law into their hands during the summer of 1765 and rioted all along the cost. In Boston, loyal aristocrats along with government Hutchinson were attacked. The British backed off not because of petitions or riots but because of the economic pressure that the colonial boycott had caused. Enforced by the Sons of Liberties, the boycott of the stamp act marked stories of unemployment, poverty and discontent. Stamp act was repealed via pressure from Marquis of Rockingham (new prime minister) but a new act, the Declaratory Act which stated Parliament had authority ver the colony in all cases whatsoever was created.

The Townshend Program

English landlords feared that backing down from taxing colonists would lead to taxing them. In response, the king shut down the Rockingham ministry and replaced it with William Pitt. o Being incapacitated by mental illness, Charles Townshend was actually making decisions for Pitt. The first decision was about the Mutiny Act. British believed this was reasonable, but while the Americans were willing to supply the troops they did not like the idea of being forced to do it. Considering the mutiny act a form of taxation without consent the Massachusetts and NY assemblies refused to create laws regarding supplying troops. To enforce the mutiny act, Townshend created two punishments: o New York Assembly is disbanded until colonists obey the Mutiny Act.

New taxes including lead, paint, paper and tea: known as the Townshend duties. Although at first Townshend believed the taxes would be acceptable as they were external the colonists still saw them as taxation without consent. The Massachusettes Assembly lead in opposing the measures by circulating a letter to all colonial governments for them to stand up against every tax internal and external imposed by parliament. At first this went no where but when Lord Hillsborough warned the assemblies endorsing the letter could make them dissolved, Massachusetts remained against, with support. Townshend also created a new board of customs in America meant to stop corruption in colonial custom houses (successful-ending smuggling in Boston, but hated). Boycotts of the Townshend Duties. o Begins with Philadelphia and New York but spreads. o Townshend dies in 1767 and Lord North takes over. He repeals Townshend acts but leaves tea.

The Boston Massacre

Colonists harassment of new customs commissioners was so terrible four redcoats were on duty at the office to protect them. British soldiers were poorly paid and often clashed with liberty-boys in the economy. Captain Thomas Preston lined up troops in front of the customs office to protect in when a crowd of liberty boys began throwing snowballs. The event was greatly exacerbated by figures such as Paul Revere (who portrayed the assault as a planned one on a peaceful crowd) and Samuel Adams. The redcoats were charged of minimum sentences Samuel Adams, whom viewed public events in stern moral terms and occupied several political and governmental positions argued that the Townshend Duties, the placement of customs commissioners in Boston, the stationing of troops and others should be done away with. This message gained a lot of support, especially from Massachusetts.

The Philosophy of Revolt

There was a superficial calm after the Boston Massacre for about 3 years but the event had produced ideological challenges to England. Radical ideas in Great Britain that opposed typical rule and argued it to be corrupt and oppressive (i.e. Scotts and Whigs).

Colonists believed that the English government was fair because the monarchy, aristocracy and common people were able to check each other. However, when the monarch began having too much power, the unbalance aggravated Americans. Americans believed they should be taxed only with their own consent or greater and more horrible consequences may emerge. Virtual vs. Actual representation issues emerge between Britain and the colonies. America wanted sovereignty that Britain was not prepared to give.

The Tea Excitement

Colonists kept revolutionary sentiment alive even after the calm through talking and distributing pamphlets to create a social presence. Still popular anger caused bursts of rebellion such as burning the Gaspee in Massachusetts Bay. When England tried the colonists in the English courts rather than colonial courts, Americans were extremely angered. The Tea Act: The East India Company in need of a market for Tea and on the verge of bankruptcy received help from the crown who made them exempt from the Townshend duties and they could therefore present a much cheaper product. o This angered colonists because colonial merchants feared being replaced by the EITC monopoly. o This angered colonists because it was seen as another example of the results of an unconstitutional tax. The response was boycotting tea. o First protest that mobilized large segments of population united colonies. o Women played a significant role in the boycott as they were the chief consumers of tea. Many women were already a small part of the protests in the Daughters of Liberty but this event maximized their commitment. Leaders in various colonies made plans to prevent the EITC from porting as resistance. o Philadelphia and New York forced tea to stay on ships o Charleston stored it in a public warehouse. o In Boston colonists dressed as Indians boarded ships and dumped the tea into the water. The news of the Boston tea party quickly spread as an notable act of resistance. In response to the Boston Tea Party, parliament closed the port of Boston, reduced the powers of self-government in Mass., permitted royal officers to be tried in other colonies or in England, and provided for the quartering of troops (known as the coercive acts)

The Quebec Acts were made to provide a civil government for Roman Catholics but raised anger in the colonies as the colonists saw it as a threat from their propaganda influenced eyes. o Those who were interested in Western lands saw it as an attempt to block them. o Religiously, some saw it is the tyranny of the pope (blinded by religion). Consequences of this act caused other colonies to rise up in support for Massachusetts and women to find replacements to commodities they were shunning.

Cooperation and War

Organizations established that shifted discontent to action.

New Sources of Authority

Local institutions respond to resistance movement by seizing their own authority. o In Massachusettes in 1768, Samuel Adams called a convention of delegates known as the General Court. The Sons of Liberty formed bands that disciplined colonists for not following protests. Committees of Correspondence which began in Mass. In 1772 promoted cooperation between colonies. Virginia took the largest step towards untied action by declaring the Intolerable Acts menaced every colony and demanding a Continental Congress be held. In September 1774 the first Continental Congress agreed on five major decisions: 1. Rejected a plan for a colonial union much like the Albany Plan by a close vote. 2. Endorsed a statement of grievances that conceded trade rights to the king but included demand for a repeal of harsh legislation such as the Townshend duties. 3. Passed Mass. resolutions that included making military preparations to defend against possible attack from the British 4. Agreed to nonimportation, nonexportation and nonconsumption as means of stopping all trade with Britain. They formed a Continental Association to enforce the agreements. 5. Agreed to meet again next spring. Parliament, in attempt to fix relations passed the Conciliatory Propositions but they did not get to America until the first shots had been

fired. The goal of these were to separate the radical population from the majority of the population

Lexington and Concord Histnotes

Farmers and townspeople of MA had been gathering arms and training minutemen. IN Boston General Thomas Gage knew of preparations, received orders from England to arrest rebel leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock in Lexington vicinity. Heard of minutemen stock in nearby Concord and decided to act on April 18, 1775 William Dawes and Paul revere road from Boston to warn of impending British attack. At Lexington town common shots fired and minutemen fell. On march back from hidden farmers harassed British army Rebels circulated their account of events, rallied thousands of colonists in north and south to rebel cause. Some saw just another example of tension