The development of British hegemony in America Flashcards
(36 cards)
How many settlers lived in British North America by 1740?
- Approximately 1 million settlers
- the largest European settler population in North America by 1740.
How did British colonies govern themselves in 1740?
- Through local elected assemblies and a policy of salutary neglect from Britain, which allowed significant autonomy.
What was the purpose of mercantilism and how did it affect the colonies
- Colonies served Britain’s economy: raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods
- Enforced via Navigation Acts
- Although meant to bind empire, light enforcement allowed colonial economic freedom
What were the key economic activities in British colonies in 1740?
- New England focused on shipbuilding and timber
- Middle Colonies on mixed farming and trade
- Southern Colonies on plantation crops like tobacco and rice, heavily reliant on enslaved labour.
What was the population of French North America in 1740?
- Fewer than 70,000 settlers
- mainly in the St. Lawrence River Valley and Mississippi region.
What was the main French economic activity in North America?
- The fur trade, particularly beaver pelts
- based on cooperation and alliances with Native tribes.
How were French colonies governed?
- Centrally controlled from Paris with no local assemblies
- governed by royal officials such as intendants.
What was the Spanish colonial focus in North America by 1740?
- Focused on Catholic missions, military presidios, and converting Native Americans rather than large-scale settlement.
How large was the Spanish settler population in North America (1740)?
- Very small
- spread thinly across areas like Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and California.
What was the British policy of ‘salutary neglect’?
- A policy of non-interference in colonial affairs
- allowing the colonies to develop their own political and economic systems.
What was the impact of salutary neglect on the colonies?
- Encouraged the growth of colonial autonomy, self-governance, and identity
- laying groundwork for future resistance to British control.
What caused tensions with Native Americans during colonial expansion?
- Land encroachment by settlers, destruction of hunting grounds, and violence led to growing Native resistance.
Which tribes did the French ally with?
- Primarily the Huron and Algonquin tribes
- based on longstanding trade and military alliances.
Which tribes were often neutral or allied with Britain?
- The Iroquois Confederacy
- often allied with Britain but maintained independence through balance-of-power diplomacy.
What role did slavery play in colonial economic growth?
- Crucial to the Southern colonies’ plantation economy
- especially for crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo.
What was the impact of the First Great Awakening (1730s–40s)?
- Spurred religious revivalism, promoted individual liberty, and weakened traditional religious and political authority.
What was the War of Austrian Succession known as in America and when was it?
- 1740 –1748
- King George’s War
- part of broader European conflict.
What was Britain’s main success in King George’s War?
- The capture of the French fortress at Louisbourg in 1745
What happened in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and what was the impact?
- 1748
- Returned Louisbourg to France
- Swapped for Madras (India)
- Colonists saw British imperial priorities as Asia-focused, not American, creating tensions.
What caused the Seven Years’ War and when was it?
- 1756 - 1763
- Tensions over control of the Ohio Valley and global imperial rivalry between Britain and France.
Why was the Ohio Valley important to British expansion?
- rich in resources, unsettled by charter
- claimed by both Britain and France
What was William Pitt’s role in the Seven Years’ War?
- prioritised America
- Funded colonial militias
- Removed British officer authority over colonial officers, led to Colonial troops made up 50% of the 45,000 British forces.
- Sent 25,000 troops
What were key British victories in the Seven Years’ War?
- Capture of Louisbourg (1758)
- Victory at Plains of Abraham (1759)
- Capture of Montreal (1760)
What role did the Navy play in British victory
- Cut French supply lines
- Victory at Quiberon Bay prevented France from challenging Britain(1759)
- Enabled siege landings
