Unit 3- Britain- America Flashcards
What are the 4 main features of the America section?
1) French intervention into the war (1778) 2) Differing British and American views over taxation 3) Tea Act (1773) Coercive Acts (1774) 4) Repeal of the Townsend Duties
French intervention into the war 1778 led to British defeat in 1783?
The French intervention massively extended the war and stretched British resources
French intervention led to Spain’s participation- opening up fresh new areas for conflict
French were motivated by their longtime rivalry with the British
Wanted to regain territory lost in the 7 year war
Subsequent redrawing of British priorities- conflict was now opened on many fronts for the British, the defeat of the French was not more important than holding on to the colonies
65% of British army in North America- dropped by 20% and there was a threat of a possible British Invasion
The French sent troops that played a part in forcing the surrender at Yorktown
General Cornwallis’ defeat at Yorktown 1781- Washington leading an army of 16,000 into the Yorktown peninsula and lay siege on the British for 2 weeks while the French controlled the Bay
In London- Lord North ‘Oh God its all over’- responded to news campaign which culminated in the defeat at Yorktown- British were unable to overcome in America
The British made strategic errors and the quality of British military leadership was mediocre- seen in General Burgoyne’s defeat at Saratoga which was the 1st key turning point of the war and first revel defeat of the British
Burgoyne had penetrated 200 miles into America from Canada but was not met by Howe and Clinton- he was overstretched and surrounded and had negotiations with the American General and surrendered
Weaknesses: Burgoyne was overconfident, bad communication with generals and disorganised as the native Americans and loyalists didn’t get along
Surrender was a factor in the French decisions to intervene in the war
Tension between colonists and the British
The economy of the new colonies were agriculturally based, but with distinct differences
New England, Middle and Southern colonies
Majority of settlers were Protestant and better wages than in Europe due to scarcity of labour
13 individual colonial assemblies meant that opposition from the British came from each individual colony at the outset of opposition to taxes it was easier to ignore than with one National Assembly when a National Assembly did form- high degree of agreement
1) The British repeal of the hated Townsend Duties March 1770
1) All of the Townsend Duties, expect for those on tea were repealed however the British’s fundamental position that the American colonies should be repealed has not changed
Most colonists were highly suspicious of Britain’s intention- this meant confrontation was inevitable without taxation on 13 colonies
American agitation had forced a reversal of British policy for the colonies- continuation of duties on tea represented continuing British tyranny
2) 1/3 of the population were loyalists (Tories) accepted Britain’s right to tax the colonies and deplored the violence- had a personal interest in the system remaining how it was
3) The patriots were more unified and drawn from the colonial elite than those who remained loyal to the British crown
Tea Act 1773
Coercive Acts 1774
British hoped for increased duties from the American colonies as the E. India tea would remain subject to American duties
American reaction was predictable- Act was greeted as another attempt for the British to tax illegally
Committees of Correspondence sprang into action condemning the Act and encouraging boycotts and civil disobedience
The most outrageous defiance took place in a Boston when 60 Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in December and threw cargoes worth £10,000 into the sea
British response- outrage- try to isolate Boston- under military control
Coercive Acts 1774- closure of the port of Boston from 1st June until all the tea was paid for
The impact of hardline policies in Boston drove the colonies into rebellion
