theme 3 the loss of the American colonies Flashcards
Why did tensions rise between the British and American colonists?
- Because of salutary neglect and the light touch approach applied by the British, they wanted to tax the American colonies in order to pay for their own commodities.
- Due to the high taxation, Boston became centre focus of revolutionary acts.
- 2/2/1970 - man charged into a crowd and killed an 11 year old boy
- 22/03/1970 - workers at factory began fighting the red coats which then commenced into a street battle.
Why were the American colonies different to the rest?
The American colonies were important to the British for a variety of reasons
1- They had a larger availability of land, there was Opp for agriculture and white men owned properties and land too. They had better employment than Europe were there was a scarcity of labour. It was largely protestant thus to escape persecution at home, people escaped here. They were able vote and have a status too.
2. The colonies had a larger political experience, the British governor was appointed with legislative assemblies through this the money expenditure was further controlled. 80% of the adult male population was allowed to vote and be elected whereas in Britain only 1 in 10 allowed
3.Colonial assemblies were separate, there were 13 colonies hence there was a lack of unity- because there was a lack of unity it was easier for British to control . Their main role was to raise reveunues for provision of local services however in 1760 they overstepped the mark by having disc about taxes - easier to control as they were separate.
Why did the British colonies want to tax the American colonies
- after the 7y war with France, Britain was in severe debt. they had to repay loans for 4.4million annually where their govt income was 8.8 million. half of it - too much they needed money
- After France’s defeat, Britain acquired France Canada + the American colonies and they needed a way to provide safety for these colonies. They had to protect 80,000 citizens in French Canada
- There had to be a period of consolidation, they could not colonise.
AGENTS OF THE CROWN AND THE IDEA OF TARRING AND FEATHERING
- 1760 -1770
- agents of the crown were those that supported the British and were allocated as those to go and collect custom duties or any revenues - taxes.
- Became more obstructed and they had a lot of violence done to them
- publically humilliated and the most common form was to strip them down and put a hot substance on them which everyone threw feathers at
WHAT WERE THE TOWNSHEND DUTIES
- This was the British government’s way of forcing the colonies to pay tax that they had to use to pay for to raise £40,000 annually. The taxes were on glass/tea/lead.
- Boston was not happy with this hence they began to protest - parliamentary opposition began in Boston whereby the sons of liberty were created. Patriots
- formal protests which claimed that no taxation no representation - NY Asssembly refused to pay for the quartering of the military.
WHY WAS THE BOSTON MASSACRE NOT THE START OF THE AWOI
- boston massacre was where the british began shooting at civillians however not the start because
1. British repealed the townshend duties - existence of loyalist - lack of unity - Years of calm: represent no physical tension however, hostility was prevalent regardless.
- The american colonies were on the lookout for any new infringements of their liberties - townshend duties. everything apart from twa was repealed
LOYALISTS VS PATRIOTS
-1/3 loyalists, 1/3 patriots. 40-45% was patriotic whereas 20% is loyalist – shows the majority did not want the Townshend duties and there were more rebels. This would have made it harder to control.
Wealthier members did not support the British thus if they did not pay taxes then it would’ve been harder for the British to collect revenues - colonies had a financial gain.
The loyalists consisted of southern black farmers, Scottish immigrants and Germans - they were minority groups which hoped for freedom from the british than patriots.
Patriots were more unified and loyalists suffered from the diversity. Patriots had a catchy slogan and a strive to align themselves however there were still events that hampered with the patriotic cause.
There was a division between the rich and the poor made evident in the conflict in the Carolinas and virginnia especially those situated in the tidewater areas. In the 1771, small population of farmers rose up to the tidewater officials and this was more pressing than the Boston events.
Nevertheless, the sons of liberty in 1771 created the COC whose main aim was to communicate colonial grievances.
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
-british had attempted to squeeze money out of the british east India company of 400,000 to pay off national debt in 1765 and 1768 - the famine in bengal and the rise in administrative costs made the company face bankruptcy thus the British had to introduce tax on tea.
- TA allowed the company to trade directly with the American colonies and disobey the mercantilist system and trade thru the brit ports. this would allow the company financial concessions as they will have increased profit. Also allow them to compete with the smuggled tea that the colonists enjoyed & it would be far cheaper as it does not pass the brit ports. —-HOWEVER THIS WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE COLONISTS FELT THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE PAYING ANY TAXES WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
COC - boycotts - tea sent to Philly - sent back - Charleston landed but was not offered for sale.
SINKING OF THE TEA 1773
-Dartmouth sailed into Boston laden with East Indian tea, with Eleanor and beaver soon following. Gov Hutchinson was a prominent loyalist who felt that the tea should arrive and should be sold. However the patriots were solid in their response to argue against this.
After 2 weeks of discussion, the patriots and 60 sons of liberty stormed into the 3 ships on 16 December and threw cargoes worth 10,000. 342 chests sank.
-significance of this being that the patriots were determined in their cause and there was no sense of reapproachment that could happen between the two countries. The British response was to try and isolate the massachussets.
THE COERCIVE ACT 1774
-isolate Boston, and force the patriots into submission. –closure of the ports until all tea paid for - revising the charter to allow the governor to appoint or remove most officials. arranging for murder trial to England if necessary. giving power to military troops.
WHY DID CLASHES BETWEEN COLONISTS AND BRITISH DEVELOP INTO A STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE? REBELLION INTO REVOLUTION 1775 TO 76
- English did not succeed in isolating Boston - colonial assemblies met in defiance of the british and created the continental congress in 74
- supported radicals and called for massachussets to form an arms defence + dictated each colonial right for troops
- COC turned into safety and the british declared for massa to be in rebellion
— significance being that the british could no longer control the colonies, the british liked a divide and conquer rule hence the unity of the colonial assemblies was too much
furthermore it shows the colonial assemblies having a democratic approach without rushing into things hence why, they have more progression than the british.
-
MILITARY ACTION IN 1775
General gage only had 4,000 troops - they could not handle the entire of massachussets. In Lexington and concord, gage knew exactly where the weapons had been stockpiled by the rebels however he was unsuccessful in achieving them from Salem in 75.
In April of 75 they tried to shut down a store in concord however they were met with 75 rebel and british casualties came to 273 and 73 killed.
BUNKERHILL
Reinforcements in Boston where general howe Clinton and Burgoyne led a full frontal attack however 1,000 of the 2,500 became casualties. British lost as they had low artition rate
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
