grenville's problems Flashcards
what were grenville’s anti smuggling measures?
banned sinecures - customs officers had to reside in america
hoped to use the trade laws to extract more revenue
counter the leniency of colonial juries towards smugglers, jurisdiction in revenue cases were transeferred from colonial courses to a vice admiralty court in halifax, nova scotia where the judge alone would hand down the verdict
what did john robinson refuse?
a bribe of £70,000 to ignore illegal smuggling
did john robinson accept the bribe?
no, he turned it down
was the judge and the population in on the act?
yes
what happened when robinson went to find a crew?
a mob wrecked the ship and robinson was accused of criminal damage
what were grenville’s issues?
debt - £75,000,000 before the war to £122,600,000 in January 1763, and almost £130,000,000 by the beginning of 1764
smuggling
western lands
salutary neglect
sugar act 1764
usually had to pay a duty of 6 pence per gallon but it was reduced to 3 pence and would yield £78,000 per year
no opposition in parliament
only really affected new england merchants - turned molasses into rum
wine , silk and coffee to the list of enumerated commodities
anyone who accepted a bribe would be fined £500 and disqualification in serving in any government post
currency act 1764
stopped colonies, mainly virginia from printing more money
issued a large amount of money during the seven years war
appeased merchants who insisted that colonial debts be paid in a more acceptable currency such as british sterling or spanish dollar
how did the colonists react to these new laws?
they were angry
kindled their suspicions
new england merchants aggravated by sugar act
currency act caused an economic depression - threatened some americans with ruin
american suspicions
believed bute still had some sort of influence behind everything despite him being sacked
convinced they needed to guard against the attempt to expand executive power by stealth
concerned with old whig issues of resisting arbitrary power
army was stationed in america when they didn’t ask for it
john wilkes
radical british mp who demanded freedom of press and democratic parliament
1763 - criticised king and accused ministers - ‘tools of despotism’
arrested and convicted of libel
american opposition
most complied with sugar act
1765 - nine colonial assemblies accused britian of power abuse e.g sugar act
james otis 1764 pamphlet - criticised parliament’s aggressiveness
no taxes without consent
