the colonies 1760-1763 Flashcards
(60 cards)
1
Q
British attitudes towards the colonies
A
- valued for their contribution to the empire
- vital for supplying raw materials, trade and acting as a buffer against French and Spanish territories
- primarily viewed through a mercantilist lens due to their role in the economy
2
Q
value of the colonies
A
- a vital part of the triangular trade system as they exported raw materials such as tobacco and cotton
- accounted for a substantial portion of Britain’s trade
- while direct taxes were limited, the colonies generated significant revenue through customs duties, tariffs and trade policies like the Navigation Acts
3
Q
salutary neglect
A
- a British policy where the colonies were allowed considerable freedom to govern themselves and manage their economic affairs with little British interference
- This meant trade regulations were loosely enforced, smuggling was largely ignored and assemblies gained large authority over local matters
4
Q
population growth of the colonies
A
Between 1700 and 1763, the population of the colonies increased eightfold to 2 million.
5
Q
reasons for population growth of the colonies
A
- a high birth rate as the average woman had 7 children
- a low death rate, less prone to disease as they were scattered over a large area
- large-scale immigration
6
Q
population of the colonies- European settlement
A
- the largest group of immigrants, around 15,000 were Scots-Irish Protestants
- Discontented with the land system, recurrent bad harvests and the decline of the linen trade, they left their homeland for economic purposes
7
Q
population of the colonies- indentured servitude
A
- some went to the colonies under their own resources
- tended to travel in groups as part of colonisation schemes
- they could also travel under a system of temporary servitude to meet the severe labour shortage
- this enabled them to achieve free passage by entering a contract pledging their labour for a specified number of years, usually 4
8
Q
population of the colonies- undesirables
A
- British authorities used the colonies as a dumping ground for ‘undesirables’
- despite colonial protests, Britain transported around 30,000 criminals, vagrants and political prisoners to America
9
Q
royal colonies
A
- colonies under direct British control
- governed by officials appointed by the monarch
- the governor had executive authority and was responsible for enforcing British policies
10
Q
administration in the royal colonies
A
- a council appointed by the Crown or governor advised the governor and often acted as an upper legislative house
- an assembly elected by the colonists acted as the lower legislative house
11
Q
charter colonies
A
- a type of colony governed under charters granted by the Crown
- operated with a greater degree of autonomy
- their charters outlined the legal frameworks for governance
- often allowed the colonies to elect their own governors and legislatures
12
Q
administration in the charter colonies
A
- governors were typically elected by colonists who owned property rather than the Crown
- local assemblies held significant power and operated with minimal interference from Britain
- colonists managed their own affairs, particularly in taxation and legislation and so had fewer restrictions than the royal colonies
13
Q
proprietary colonies
A
- a type of colony granted by the Crown to proprietors who had full governing rights
- these were responsible for the administration, defence and development
- most had elected assemblies which shared power with the proprietor-appointed governors
- known for their tolerance compared to other colonies
14
Q
proprietary colonies and Pennsylvania
A
- established by Penn in 1681 as a safe haven for religious persecuted groups like the Quakers
- based on the principles of religious tolerance
15
Q
governors
A
- in most colonies, they were appointed and removed by the monarch
- this wasn’t the case for proprietary colonies where the proprietor appointed the governor, and charter colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island, where they were popularly elected
16
Q
responsibilities of governors
A
- internal administration, law enforcement, granting lands and military matters
- authority was limited
- could be dismissed at will
- average term of office was only 5 years
- they were dependent for political support, revenue and their own salaries on the lower houses of the assemblies
17
Q
upper houses
A
- appointed by the governors
- chosen from the colonial elite
- members served as an advisory board to the governors
18
Q
lower houses
A
- elected by a wide franchise
- most could be appointed and dismissed at the will of the governors
- their legislation could be vetoed or disallowed by the Privy Coun
19
Q
responsibilities of the colonial legislatures
A
- responsible for initiating money bills and controlling expenditures
- represented their provincial communities in a way that neither the governors or upper houses did
20
Q
aims of colonial legislatures
A
- main priority was to agree taxes to pay the expenses of the colonial government
- also made local laws
- acted as protectors of local interests
21
Q
colonial democracy
A
- representative government had a greater democratic base in the colonies than in Britain
- most adult white males owned enough property to vote
- around 50% could do so, compared to 15% in Britain
22
Q
colonies not being democratic
A
- not all men owned sufficient property entitling them to vote
- the amount of property varied between colonies and from time to time
- women and enslaved people couldn’t vote
- higher property qualifications for office, custom and deference towards men of high social standing meant rich landowners were usually elected
23
Q
local government in New England
A
- where settlements were relatively compact, authority over local affairs was vested in town meetings
- all freeholders had voting rights
- elected annually, the town meetings fixed local taxes and chose men to administer the town’s business
24
Q
local government in the middle and southern colonies
A
- some communities had New England-style town government
- in others, local government was organised by county or parish
25
British rule in the colonies
- charters attached the colonies to Britain and the Crown
- governors were appointed and represented by the Crown
- the Crown's authority was ambiguous in the proprietary colonies, and even more tenuous in the corporate colonies
26
British rule in the colonies
- responsibility for colonial supervision was with the Board of Trade
- advised on colonial appointments, drew up government instructions and reviewed or disallowed colonial legislation
27
British rule in the colonies- organisations
- the Board of Trade answered to the Parliamentary Committee on Plantation Affairs, which made recommendations to the Privy Council
- the secretary of state for the Southern Department also had responsibility for colonial affairs
28
British rule in the colonies- organisations
- the Board of Trade and the secretary communicated with governors on policy and routine administration
- governors submitted regular reports to the secretary on colonial affairs generally, and the Board of Trade on commercial matters
29
salutary neglect
- the common presumption in Britain was that the colonies were subject to parliamentary legislation
- the colonists didn't necessarily accept this view
- this wasn't a major disagreement and issue pre-1763 as Parliament gave little attention to colonial affairs
- apart from trade regulation, there was hardly a single act that impacted the internal affairs of the colonies
- this meant few colonists gave much thought to their relationship with Britain
30
colonial economy overview
Between 1650 and 1770, the colonial gross product grew by an annual average of 3.2%
31
reasons for the growth in colonial economy
- expanding intercolonial trade
- trade with Britain and its empire
- availability of credit and capital from Britain
- rapid increase in population
availability of new land
- increasing overseas demand for colonial products
- increasing diversification, such as development of iron production
32
agriculture and economy overview
- there was no large-scale industrial development as farming remained the dominant economic activity
- employed 9/10ths of the working population
33
New England's economy
- known for their production and trade
- economy based on shipbuilding, fishing and manufacturing
- remained a land of small subsistence farms with a lack of rich soils
- the sea provided a profitable alternative
- fisherman profited from great quantities of cod to be dried and exported
- over 50% of its export trade was with the West Indies which supplied sugar
34
economy in the middle colonies
- known for their fertile soil and moderate climate
- centered their economy around agriculture due to the flourishing conditions
- enabled them profit due to their access to waterways and so were able to excel with trade
- developed crops such as wheat and corn as ports enabled them to trade with NE and southern colonies
- a major source of wheat and flour products for export to other colonies, the West Indies and Europe
35
economy in the southern colonies
- solely relied on agriculture to fuel their economy
- tobacco was the main product and feature of the economy
- this cultivation was facilitated with the plantation system which made the labour surrounding these crops possible
- exports rose from £14 million in the 1670s, to £100 million by the 1770s
- rice, indigo and grain were also produced for export
- development was most advanced in the tidewater, where the population was dense
36
mercantilism overview
- assumed the colonies existed to supply Britain with raw materials, absorb its manufactures and provide employment for its shipping
- British policy remained strictly mercantilist throughout the century
- the list of enumerated commodities was steadily extended until by 1763 it included practically everything the colonies produced except grain and lumber
37
Trade and Navigation acts
- designed to establish an English monopoly of the colonial carrying trade, the colonial market and certain colonial products
- all cargoes to and from the colonies were to be carried in ships built and owned in England or the colonies and staffed by predominantly English crews
- certain enumerated commodities could only be exported from the colonies to England, even if their destination was elsewhere
- sugar, cotton, indigo, ginger and tobacco
- European goods bound for America had to be landed first in England and then reshipped
38
the 1733 Molasses Act
placed high duties on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies from French, Spanish and Dutch possessions in the Caribbean
39
why few Americans complained about the mercantilist system
- the system was not well enforced
- while the Navigation Acts levied high duties, they were rarely collected
- the chief posts in the colonial customs services were sinecures, filled by men who remained in Britain
- the poorly paid deputies sent to perform their duties could easily be bribed, ignoring infractions of the trade laws
- smuggling was a strong part of colonial economic life
40
why laws restricting colonial production had little effect
- the Woollen Act had a limited impact as sheep and wool rarely exceeded local demand
- the Hat Act only affected a minor industry
- the Molasses Act was easily evaded
- the prohibitions of the Iron Act were disregarded
41
benefits of mercantilism
- by the 1770s, the colonies had outstripped Britain as producers of crude iron
- American products enjoyed a protected market in Britain and the rest of its empire
- Parliament granted generous subsidies to producers of some colonial commodities like indigo
- the shipbuilding industry profited by the exclusion of overseas ships from colonial trade
- by the 1760s, 1/3 of British merchant ships were built in the NE colonies
- both Britain and the colonies benefited from increasing trade
42
colonial society overview
- in every colony, a wealthy elite had emerged whose superiority was evident in their possessions, lifestyle and control in politics
- they copied the behaviour and social valued of the British aristocracy, building large houses
- the elite lacked the titles, privileges and often the possessions that gave social prestige and political authority to the British elite
43
colonial society
- 80% of free American males were farmers
- most owned and worked their own land
- in the towns, 2/3 of the population were shopkeepers and self-employed craftspeople
44
extent of there being a middle-class world
- the groups at the top and bottom of the British social pyramid were under-represented in America- the nobility and poor
- society was hierarchical, with huge differences between the rich and poor
- the notion of widespread social mobility wasn't that significant
- only a few individuals rose to wealth and power
45
families
- households were hierachical
- the structures and functions of the family were the same as in Britain
- American conditions tended to loosen family ties and undermine parental authority
- the availability of land encouraged young people to leave the households to create a life for themselves
46
American culture overview
by the 1760s, Americans could boast their own cultural and intellectual achievements
47
education
- was strongly encouraged, especially in New England where small towns established schools
- by 1763, 75% of white adult males were literate, compared to 60% in Britain
- there was a lack of concern over education for women and enslaved people
- by the 1760s there were 8 colleges and universities including Harvard and Yale
- the colonial intellectual elite were influenced by the Enlightenment
48
religion
- church membership was high especially in New England
- the vast majority were Protestants, shaping cultural, social and political attitudes
- there was no dominant religious denomination in the colonies as a whole or within most individual colonies
- there was an established church in 9 colonies
= Congregational Church= New England
= Anglican Church= Virginia and other southern colonies
49
religious tolerance
- the plethora of diverse religious groups forced Americans to acknowledge a degree of religious tolerance
- this was largely confined to other protestant groups
- most Americans were strongly anti-Catholic
- Maryland was the only colony to possess a significant Roman Catholic minority
50
the Great Awakening
- a wave of religious revivals swept through the colonies in the early 18thc
- preachers emphasised the individual's personal relationship with God and the necessity of salvation through conversion
- tended to undermine the position of the established clergy
- didn't develop into a general challenge to traditional forms of authority
51
Pennsylvania and Penn 1681
- drafted a charter of liberties/ Frame of Government for the settlement in 1682
- guaranteed fair and free trial by jury
- freedom of religion
- freedom from unjust imprisonment
- free elections
- freedom of worship was to be absolute
- all the traditional rights of Englishmen were carefully safeguarded
- oversaw the founding of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe
52
the 7 years war overview
- Pitt, determined to expand Britain's imperial power, judged the defeat of the French in NA as the key to victory
- sent 25,000 troops to the colonies under Amherst and Wolfe
- he paid for raising 25,000 more colonists
- the war provided an economic bonanza for the colonies
- paid good money to support British forces
53
what the Peace of Paris 1763 outlined
- Britain received Canada and all French possessions east of the Mississippi
- Britain gained most of France's Caribbean islands
- Britain gained Florida from Spain
- France ceded Louisana to Spain
54
other results of the 7 years war
- Britain was now the world's greatest imperial power
- the war gave training to men who later became senior officers in the American army
- there was mutual contempt between colonial and British soldiers as British officers regarded the colonists as a rabble
while the colonists considered the British haughty and incompetent
- the colonists expected to benefit from the expulsion of the French
- French elimination from North America weakened the colonist's military dependence on Britain
55
Britain's economic situation
- had a rising population, with 7.5 million in 1760
- most were employed in farming
- Industrial Revolution was beginning to take effect, especially in the production of textiles, iron and steel
- was the world's greatest trading nation
56
Britain's social situation
- society was hierarchical
- landowners dominated society and politics
- the nobility filled most of the high offices
- the rising middle class was essential to the growth of the economy, social flexibility and stability
- at the bottom of society were agricultural and industrial labourers
57
Britain's political situation
- was a parliamentary society
- service undertaken was in the name of the monarch
- the king took an active part in government, choosing ministers who served him
58
Britain wasn't democratic
- in the 1761 election, only 215,000 wealthy males could vote
- most growing cities weren't represented in the Commons
- rich landowners usually determined who would stand as candidates and who would be elected
- few MPs were independent, half owed their seats to patrons, a 1/3 held offices under the government, usually voting as the government directed
59
the political parties
- the main parties were the Whigs and the Tories
- between 1722 and 1762, there were only 7 years in which the Whig oligarchy failed to provide Britain with a stable and generally successful government
- in the late 17thc, the Whig party stressed government by consent of the people, resistance against arbitrary rule and the inviolability of the individual's fundamental rights
60
reasons for political instability in Britain
- in the absnece of the whig-Tory framework, politics became factionalised
- several powerful political leaders competed for control
- due to the whig feuding, ministries found it difficult to command majorities
- there was constant shifting of support from one faction to another
- resulted in political instability in the 1760's
