The Struggle for North America, 1608-1763

Review- Motivations for exploration and settlement

Spain (conquest-

gold) French (trade- fur) British (settle-land)

British-French Rivalry 1689-1697: War of the Augsburg-King Williams War-French and Indian raids on New England frontier-New England attacks on Canada

1702-1713: War of the Spanish Succession-Queen Anne’s War-Border raids between British and French colonists-Following 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Britain provides

colonies with decades of salutary neglect.-Expansion of British interests (Mercantile

Economy/colonial smuggling

British-French Rivalry continued…

1740-1748: War of the Austrian Succession-King George’s War-New England troops won victory at Louisburg

at entry to St. Lawrence River (important waterway for trade)

French interests in the Ohio River Valley:-Needed a link to connect holdings in Canada

and the lower Mississippi Valley-The French were outnumbered by the British

throughout North America (30 to 1 ratio)

The Conflict Begins (1754) Virginia Governor Robert

Dinwiddie wanted to promote interests of the Ohio Company without antagonizing the French

-Seven men are sent to urge the French to respect British rights in the Ohio River Valley

-George Washington is sent as a part of the group (surveyor)

Moving Closer to War France announces plans to

build Fort Duquesne (present day Pittsburgh and territory claimed by Virginia)

Governor Dinwiddie sends a work force to build a British fort on the same spot

-Construction crew and Military force are sent

George Washington brought troops to protect the construction crew

-camped near the Monongahela River

-attacked by a small French force (21 captured, 10 KIA)

-intelligence suggested a larger French force in route (Fort Necessity is constructed)

-Nine day siege in July 1754 (GW surrendered)

Moving Closer to War continued…

During the same time period:

-Colonial delegates from NE, NY, PA, MD meet in Albany, New York

(1) Immediate purpose: Keep the Iroquois tribes loyal to Britain

(2) Long Range: achieve common defense against the French threat

Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union

(1) President-General for British colonies selected by the crown

(2) Grand Council-to have legislative and taxing powers for purpose of defense

Albany Plan rejected (lack of colony’s independence and jealousy of sharing power to tax

French and Indian War (1756-1763)

Fighting starts in North America

British met defeat after defeat until 1759 when they won battles at

-Ticonderoga-Crown Point-Quebec

British General Jeffery Amherst

Outcome of the French and Indian War

Treaty of Paris 1763 ends the war

French surrendered all territorial claims in North America

Britain became the dominant power in North America

The British victory created sources of tension between Americans (colonies) and the mother country (England)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/NorthAmerica1762-83.png

1763- A Pivotal Year Colonists had increased confidence and

a sense of independence Elimination of the French threat lessened

their reliance on Britain Britain still sensed a need for

military presence in North America-Indian uprisings (Ottawa chief

Pontiac)-French begin rebuilding their navy-British regarded the colonial militias

as unreliable (colonial support)

End of Salutary Neglect New Imperial Policy (Why)-British unhappy with illegal colonial trade-huge war debt that needed to be resolved

George Grenville -Chief advocate of British policies for King

George III-Viewed as a man of limited vision-Treated the empire as a business concern-Initiates measures to reduce British

expenses and to generate income for England

Proclamation of 1763 Prohibited colonial

settlement west of Appalachian Mountains

In the British view, this would generate orderly settlement and prevent further Indian wars

It led to measures to raise revenue whenever the colonists refused to provide for their own defenses

Revenue Act of 1764 Revision of the Sugar Act

of 1733 Purpose was to raise

revenue Increased the number of

items to be taxed (reality: cut the previous tax by ½)

New taxes on imports such as molasses from the West Indies

Admiralty courts would enforce collection (use of search warrants called “writs of assistance” to enforce collection)

Currency Act of 1764 Prohibited colonial issue

of paper money This created a problem

for the colonists because they were “coin-poor”

Reaction to the New Imperial Policy

-Proclamation of 1763 ignored

-Revenue Act was branded as “Taxation without representation”

-Boycotts of British goods

Conclusion The imposition of the New Imperial Policy beginnings in

1763 might suggest that the American Revolution should really be called the “British Revolution,” because marked changes in British colonial policy were more responsible for the final division than were American action.

Agree or Disagree?

Undoubtedly, in the two decades before the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a profound shift occurred in the way many Americans thought and felt about the British government and their colonial governments.

What do you predict will be the legacy of this shift and will it affect more than just the American colonies and the British empire?