2. Enforcing the Colonial Relationship 1763-1774 Flashcards
- What was Britain’s financial situation at the end of the 7 years war?
- Doubled national debt from war.
- Interest for debt was £4.4 mil a year.
- National income only £8 mil a year.
- Cost of maintaining colonies was £350,000 a year.
When did the 7 years war end?
February 1763
- Why did the American colonies benefit from the defeat of France in 1763?
- No French threat from Canada.
- Colonies on the frontier were hoping to exploit the land gained from France.
- Why did it seem evident to many British politicians that imperial control over the colonies should be tightened in 1763?
- To defend against Native American skirmishes.
- To provide adequate government for the French Canadians.
- Policy needed to manage land settlement and the fur trade.
- Smuggling problems were becoming apparent.
- What happened in Pontiac’s rebellion of May 1763 and why was it significant?
Knowing white settlers would continue to invade their lands, Ohio valley tribes rebelled against the British, led by Pontiac.
- British troops eventually defeated them which proved colonists could not be counted on for their own defence.
- What was the 1763 Proclamation?
- Declared boundary of white settlement along Appalachian strip, intended to be temporary to control conflict.
- Frontier colonies angered as they felt they had the right to settle in land they ‘fought for’.
- Over 30,000 settlers ignored it and by 1767, Britain accepted the breakdown of the proclamation.
- What were Grenville’s anti-smuggling measures of 1763?
- Colonial customs officials now had to live in colonies rather than delegating their duties.
- Smuggling cases went to a vice-admiralty courts in Nova Scotia with a judge and no jury.
- What was the 1764 Sugar act and associated legislation?
- Lowered duty on foreign molasses and sugar to 3d per gallon instead of 6d.
- Aimed to be more enforceable and raise over £78,000.
- Added more items to the list of enumerated commodities such as wine and coffee, meaning they had to be shipped via Britain.
- What was the currency act of 1764? And who was it aimed at?
- Banned Colonial paper money.
- Mostly aimed at Virginia who had issues vast quantities of paper money during the 7 years war.
- What was the colonies response to Grenville’s measures of 1763/4?
- Angered many colonists, especially smugglers.
- Worried the vice-admiralty courts challenged the colonial legal system.
- Thought currency act was poorly timed during post war depression in colonies. Especially worried about deflation.
- Why did the Sugar act and additional policies cause some Americans to be suspicious in 1764?
- Taxed without representation, showing parliament would control without consent.
- Suspicious their political and legal systems were being undermined.
- Suspicious of presence of standing army.
- What American opposition was there in 1764?
- 9 colonies contacted parliament to tell them they had overstepped their power in raising revenue.
- Some pamphlets produced.
- Most colonists fine with it, giving Grenville the confidence for the Stamp act.
When was the stamp act announced and due to come into effect?
Announced in 1764, to come into effect in 1765.
- What was the Stamp act?
- Stamps now had to be bought for all ‘official’ documents w.g marriage licenses, tavern licenses, newspapers.
- Estimated to raise £60,000 in first year.
- Why did the Stamp act provoke such violent reaction in the colonies?
- Almost all groups were affected by the act.
- Influential groups at the heart of communities affected most such as newspaper printers and tavern owners.
- First direct tax on colonies.
14a. What were the Virginia resolves?
- Written by Patrick Henry in May 1765
- Said, ‘Colonists have rights of Englishmen’
‘ Colonists can only be taxed with proper representation’
‘ Colonists have the right to consent’
‘ only the house of Burgesses can tax Virginians’
14b. What was the impact of the Virginia resolves?
- Spread ideas of consent for taxation.
- 8 other assemblies passed similar resolutions, colonies were uniting.
- Some Newspapers published 2 more extreme resolves from Patrick Henry which had not been passed but threatened violence/resistance.
- What was the Stamp act congress?
- A Massachusetts proposed intercolonial meetings discussing common resolutions.
- 9 Colonies in attendance.
- Decided:
‘Stamp act subverted rights of colonists’
‘Only colonial assemblies could tax colonists’
‘Stamp act must be repealed and vice-admiralty courts abolished’
When was the Stamp act Congress?
October 1765
- Who were seen as the ‘real villains’ by colonists during the Stamp act crisis? And why?
- The ministers in British parliament such as Bute and Grenville.
- Believed they were conspiring to remove colonists liberties, and thought the standing army served as proof.
- Why was popular protest so important during the Stamp act crisis of 1765?
- Took the debate from assemblies into a public movement.
- Showed British government how widespread the unrest was.
- Kept movement and unrest alive.
- Outline the mob action that took place in Boston during the Stamp act crisis?
- Effigies of stamp officers (Oliver) and Bute burned/hung.
- Houses of stamp officers destroyed, forcing resignation.
- Sons of Liberty organise urban movement of resistance.
- Class resentment as rich colonials feared property destruction.
- What economic sanctions were put in place by the colonists to protest the Stamp act?
- Many merchants signed a non-importation agreement.
- General population undertook a boycott of British goods which severely damaged British merchants and artisans.
20a. When was the Stamp act repealled?
March 1766
20b. Why was the Stamp act repealled?
- New Prime minister, Rockingham, felt parliament should exercise its right to tax less intensely.
- British manufacturers were calling for repeal to end boycott.
- Britain also lacked military power to enforce the act.
- Why was the declaratory act passed at the same time as the repeal of the stamp act?
To reassert parliament’s right to make laws for the colonies, in all cases except this one.
When was the declaratory act passed?
1766
- What were the short term consequences of the repeal of the Stamp act ?
- Non-importation abandoned.
- Sons of Liberty disbanded.
- Assemblies sent thank yous to the King.
- Most colonists returned to friendly perception of Britain.
- Some politicians in the Colonies lost power due to affiliations with stamp officials.
- What were the more significant, long term consequences of the repeal of the Stamp act?
- More radical politicians elected in colonial assemblies.
- Britain felt the need to reassert its power over the colonies.
24a. What lessons were learned by the Americans as a result of the Stamp act crisis?
- Learned to be vigilant in defence of their liberties.
- Learned uniting could defeat the British.
24b. What lesson was learned by the British as a result of the Stamp act crisis?
- Learned America didn’t respect their power as much as they thought.
When were the Townshend duties passed?
June 1767
Who was Charles Townshend?
A British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1767, but died later that year.
- What were the Townshend duties?
- Duties on imports of glass, wine, paper, etc.
- Were external as Benjamin Franklin had highlighted difference between internal and external taxation.
- Why were the Townshend duties introduced?
- To pay salaries of royal officials in the colonies.
- These salaries had to be paid through Britain so colonies were taxed.
- What was the New York restraining act of 1767? Why was it passed?
- Stopped NY assembly from taking any legislative action until they complied with the Quartering act of 1765.
- NY had unequal number of soldiers due to army headquarters so felt unfairly burdened by the quartering act.
- What was the intellectual response to the Townshend duties?
- John Dickinson writes ‘Letters of a Pennsylvanian farmer’
which condemned taxation without representation and the NY restraining act. - Other writers warned the NY restraining act strengthened the King’s power and corrupted colonial assemblies.
- What was the political response to the Townshend duties?
- Feb 1768, Massachusetts circular letter is sent, denouncing Townshend duties.
- 7 Colonies endorse letter.
- House of Burgesses issue own letter saying joint action must be taken to avoid being enslaved.
- Sons of liberty revived.
- What economic resistance was there to the Townshend duties?
- Boston organises non-importation movement from 1768, almost every colony involved by 1769.
- Colonial manufacturing increases.
- Importing merchants threatened.
- Many colonists eager to abandon British ‘luxury’ and return to colonial ‘simplicity’.
- What unrest occurred in Boston in 1767-8?
- Boston was the location of the American Customs Commission.
- Failed to prevent smuggling and were driven out of town after the seizure of John Hancock’s boat.
- By 1768, Sons of Liberty controlled Boston.
32a. Who was the first secretary of state for the colonies?
Earl of Hillsborough.
32b. When was the Earl of Hillsborough appointed as secretary of state for the colonies?
January 1768
32c. What did the Earl of Hillsborough do first as secretary of state for the colonies?
Ordered Massachusetts to rescind their circular letter.
When did troops first arrive in Boston following the Townshend crisis?
September 1768
- Why did the arrival of troops in Boston in September 1768 lead to more problems?
- Difficult to quarter men.
- Aggravated Bostonians.
- Off duty soldiers took up other jobs.
- What led to the Boston Massacre of 1770?
- Late February, Customs informer kills 11 year old during riot. And funeral becomes political demonstration.
- 5 March 1770, Troops open fire after being attacked by snowballs and rocks.
- What was the media impact of the Boston massacre of March 1770?
- Sam Adams created the idea the civilians were deliberately killed and they became martyrs of the political struggle.
When did the Boston Massacre take place?
March 1770
How many colonists died as a result of the Boston Massacre?
5
- What problems did the British government face by 1770? Why was the situation not yet irretrievable?
- Insufficient troops in colonies to enforce order.
- Relations between parliament and colonial assemblies was deteriorating.
- However, Conservatives in America opposed mob action, and non-import was not fully followed. Not full devotion from colonies.
37a. Why were the Townshend duties repealed?
Did not raise enough revenue and non importation was damaging Britain. However the duty on tea remained.
When were the townshend duties repealed?
April 1770
37b. What effect did the repeal of the Townshend acts have on resistance in the colonies?
- New York stopped non-import, most ports then followed.
- Trade returned.
- What were the committees of correspondence?
- Created by Sam Adams in 1771 at a Boston town meeting.
- Meant to ensure quick unified responses across colonies.
- By February 1774, all but 2 colonies had some.
When were the Committees of correspondence created?
1771
- Why were American colonies not united in 1770?
- Disputes over land, e.g New York and New Hampshire.
- Wealth and class disputes.
- Regulator movement in backcountry farmland.
- Why was the 1773 tea act introduced?
EIC had too much tea and wanted to sell it off at a discounted price in America.
When was the tea act passed?
1773
- Why did the tea act seem like a good idea in Britain?
- American consumers would benefit from low prices.
- Britain would obtain duty from Townshend duties.
- EIC would sell excess tea.
- How did most Colonists react to the tea act?
- Saw another attempt to reduce American freedoms.
- Newspapers criticised it.
- Merchants supporting it were attacked, most tea agents resigned.
- What happened in the build up to the Boston tea party?
- 28th November, Dartmouth ship enters harbour
- 30 days before tax must be paid on tea even if it isn’t unloaded.
- What took place during the Boston tea party of 1773?
16 December 1773, Sons of Liberty threw £10,000 worth of tea into harbour from 3 ships.
When did the Boston Tea party occur?
16 December 1773
- What did John Adams write of the Boston Tea party?
- Bold, daring, firm
- ‘A notable stage of history’
