American Revolution v. War for Independence
Mercantilism
- Colonies existed for the benefit of mother country
- Ensured British naval supremacy
- Provided profitable markets for English goods
- Kept gold/silver within the empire
- Goal: keep colonies economically dependent on England
- Enforced by the navigation laws: list on p. 91
- Colonies restrained from printing paper currency
- Colonial legislation could be vetoed by the Privy Council via the "Royal Veto"
Merits v. Menace of Mercantilism
- Laws laxly enforced - Economic initiative stifled
- Colonies paid bounties - Exploited by British merchants
- Guaranteed markets - Debasing to the Americans
- Free military protection - Generous share of profits
1763 - Prime Minister Grenville decided to enforce the navigation laws and to tax the colonies to help defray 1/3 of the cost of protecting the colonies
1764 - Sugar Act: tariff on imported sugar (indirect tax)
1765 - Quartering Act
1765 - Stamp Act: direct tax > colonial cry: "no taxation without representation"
- Virtual v. direct representation > consideration of independence
1765 - Stamp Act Congress (NYC) - significance:
1. Asked the king and parliament to repeal the act
2. Brought together leaders from different colonies
3. Adopted a non-importation agreement against British goods
4. Led to violence by the sons & daughters of liberty
Why Repealed:
1. Law was openly and flagrantly defied
2. British merchants demanded that parliament repeal it
1766 - Stamp Act repealed > Declaratory Act
1767 - Townsend Act: light import tax on glass, paper, & tea
- Revenues were to be used to pay salaries of the Royal Governors
- Colonial smuggling increased
1768 - British troops > Boston (taunted by the colonials)
1770 - Boston Massacre: British troops kill 7 colonials including Crispus Attucks
- Flames of discontent and resistance fanned by Samuel Adams (Penman of the revolution) who organized in Massachusetts the local Committees of Correspondence
- Chief function was to spread propaganda and information > British
- Creation of similar committees in all the colonies
1773 - British East India Company given a monopoly on the American tea business > Cheaper tea but still with a tax (a British trick?)
- Boston tea party
1774 - Outraged parliament passed a series of Repressive Acts (called Intolerable Acts in the colonies):
- Boston harbor was closed
- Restrictions placed on town meetings
- Accompanied by the Quebec Act:
- French were guaranteed their Catholic religion
- No representative assembly or trial by jury
- Southern boundary extended to the Ohio River
- Response: 1st Continental Congress in Philadelphia:
- Intercolonial frictions reduced
- Declaration of rights
- Appeal to the king and the British people
- Created the association which called for a complete boycott of all British goods: non-importation, non-exportation and non-consumption!
- Still no genuine drive for independence
*The granting of some kind of home rule to the Americans might have prevented rebellion
1775 - British commander sent a detachment of troops to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of colonial gunpowder
- 8 Americans (Minutemen) were killed at Lexington but 70 British soldiers were killed at Concord
"The shot heard round the world" - Emerson > war!
British strengths v. weaknesses
1. Larger population 1. Irish threat
2. Greater monetary wealth 2. French threat
3. Stronger naval power 3. Govt. confused/inept
4. Professional army 4. Whigs supported colonies
5. Hessians 5. Military difficulties
6. American loyalists 6. Britain had to win
7. Indian support 7. Problems of distance
8. American geographical expanse
American strengths v. weaknesses
1. Outstanding leadership 1. Badly organized for war
2. French aid 2. Sectional jealousy
3. European officers 3. Economic difficulties
4. Fighting defensively 4. Inflation
5. Agricultural self-sustaining 5. Desertions
6. Superior marksmen 6. Scant military supplies
7. Moral advantage 7. Lack of manufactured goods
8. Unreliable militiamen
9. American profiteers
* Territoriality
* Only 1/3 of the American colonials supported the cause of independence wholeheartedly!