Transcript The French and Indian War

Unit II
1607-1763
Part 4
Mercantilism: for the selfsufficiency of a nation
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Colonies for raw materials, resources
Colonies for new markets
A favorable balance of trade
Bullionism
Encourage industry at home
Navigation Acts to steer trade (tariffs, etc)
Benign Neglect
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Though England passed navigation Acts, she
was often willing to look the other way at
American colonial misdeeds for the sake of a
harmonious relationship with her American
colonies.
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Note: 1607-1776: No member of Parliament
had ever even visited the American colonies
Remember…
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The Leviathan by Hobbes promoted mercantilism
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith promoted free
market capitalism
The Dutch smugglers made it impossible for the
English to enforce its navigation acts with her
American colonies
Trade wars between the Dutch and English led
to real wars
English Mercantilism
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Not as rigid as French (Colbert) or Spanish
Power of English kings was restricted by
parliament
BUT most colonial charters specified that if
precious metals were found, most would go to
the crown
Particularly profitable products ALL reserved
for England: Tobacco, lumber for
shipbuilding…
Colonial problems
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Lack of currency due to:
Unfavorable balance of trade with England
 Lack of gold and silver mines in American colonies
 English restrictions on Americans issuing paper
money….
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NOTE: Most colonial legislatures reserved the right
to print their own $ in spite of the restrictions until
1764
Triangular Trade
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Please note: the most important aspect of the
general carrying trade used by North America
was trade with the West Indies (the British West
Indies)
1651 The First Navigation Act
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Parliament barred foreign ships from the
American colonies
Prohibited the importation of goods into British
ports unless on British ships (American
colonists’ ships were considered British)
Barred foreign ships from English coastal trade
The above provoked the first of 3 Anglo-Dutch
Wars
1660 The Second Navigation Act
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1651 Act was passed during the Interregnum,
It’s legality was in question
Second Navigation Act (after the Restoration)
was just insurance
Reserved the whole trade of Am. Colonies to British
ships
 Required the Ship Captains and ¾ of ships’ crews to
be British (Americans were considered British
citizens)
 Certain articles could not be transported outside of
the Empire: tobacco, cotton, ginger, indigo
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1663 The Third Navigation Act
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All European products destined for the colonies
had to go through England first
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NOTE: The Navigation Acts protected the
colonies too. The English provided a ready
market for their raw materials and paid fair
prices
The English were busy
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1664-67
1668-97
1702-13
1739
Trade
1740-48
Second Dutch War
War of the League of Augsburg
War of the Spanish Succession
Brief war with Spain over the Slave
War of the Austrian Succession
Other British Legislation
enforcing the navigation Acts:
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1699 The Woolens Act: Prohibited the export
(but not the manufacture for local sale) of
colonial wool and other cloth
1732 The Hat Act : Similar to above regarding
hats
1733 The Iron Act: outlawed the construction
of new iron mills. Designed to steer the
industry; not destroy it. By 1775, America was
turning out 1/7 of the world’s supply of iron.
The Molasses Act (1733)
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High taxes on molasses and Sugar transported
into the colonies
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NOTE: This was DIFFERENT than other
navigation acts. This act represented a tariff for
revenue
…and yet the colonists did not complain…why?
The Molasses Act was rarely enforced.
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In Disputes with the Mother
Country…
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…the colonies usually lost BUT the English
were very inefficient. Also, they could be
bribed, piracy was common, and the English
often looked the other way. (Benign Neglect)
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Also, English products were usually superior to
those made by other European countries and
they tended to be cheaper too.
Relations between England and
America were harmonious
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As late as the 1750’s, 1760’s, and even into the
1770’s most in America believed themselves to
be loyal Englishmen
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There was very little cooperation between the
colonies
Proof: The Albany Plan of Union of 1754:
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Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union:
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A suggestion that the colonies unify for the
purpose of common defense against the Indians
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This would have benefitted ALL of the colonies
but not one was willing to agree to it…proof
that the colonists were NOT unified by the mid
1750’s
The Albany Plan of Union
BY 1750
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The original colonists were dead
Those who were here had never been to
England
Many of their parents had fled England to
escape poverty of persecution
The colonies were founded with little help or
interference from the British government.
BUT the American colonists NEEDED the
British for protection from the French and the
Indians
France and England
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Constant warfare between France and England
in Europe, the Mediterranean, India, East
Indies, America
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It was not at all unusual for war to break out in
one area of the world and then spill into another
area of the world
British advantages over the
French
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There were more British colonists than French
colonists in America (1.5 million v 90,000)
England had control of the seas (for transport of
troops and supplies)
The English settlers were in a compact line of
settlement along the coast (while the French
were spread out in the interior)
French Advantages over the
English
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The French had a unified command (The
English king had to share power with
Parliament)
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The Americans were not really unified
Colonial perspective…
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American colonists usually refused to fight
outside of their own colonies (when they agreed
to serve at all)
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Americans avoided paying taxes for defense
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Americans engaged in illegal trade with the
French and the Indians
The French and Indian War
(aka the Seven Years’ War)
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1754-1763
The British and the Iroquois
The French, most other tribes, and the Spanish
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It began in the Ohio Valley…
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By 1749
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The Iroquois had finally allowed British fur
traders into the interior of the country
The French were already there and built Ft.
Duquesne there in 1753
Lt. Gov. Dinwittie told a young surveyor,
George Washington, to ride out to the fort and
tell the French that they must leave Ft.
Duquesne as it was on English territory
Washington did as he was told …
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The French reply was, “ We are not leaving.”
Dinwiddie gave Washington a promotion to Lt.
Colonel and 150 men and was told to take the
fort. (was outnumbered 4 to 1)
Washington and his men were surprised by a
very small French reconnaissance party and in
the end was captured.
Washington and his men were marched to Ft.
Duquesne and were then released.
Washington was hailed as a hero!
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Washington had struck the first blow against the
French
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British sent General Braddock to take command
Braddock with 1400 (and Washington) attacked.
BUT was defeated by an ambush by a much
smaller French force.
Braddock died here
Washington and 500 others…back to Va
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War Atrocities
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Native Americans had 150 years of pent-up
frustration aimed at the colonists
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Delaware Tribe was so vicious that Braddock
paid British troops and Iroquois for scalps of
Indians and the French
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Many early English defeats
William Pitt PM
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Impressed Colonial soldiers
Spent LOTS of $
Promoted talented soldiers from within
By July 1758
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Fort Louisburg captured by the Brits
Fort Duquesne fell and was renamed Fort Pitt
Then Fort Niagara fell to the Brits
Pitt was able to relax his policies
The victories caused the American colonists to
fight willingly
The Peace of Paris
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To England From France:
Some territory in the West Indies
 Some colonies in India
 All of Canada
 All possessions east of the Mississippi (except for
New Orleans)
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Peace of Paris
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From France to Spain (remember, Spain was a
French ally)
New Orleans
 French possessions west of the Mississippi
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Peace of Paris
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From Spain to England
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Florida
The Peace of Paris
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Signaled the end of France as a colonial power
Impact of the War:
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The American colonists no longer needed
British protection from the French and the
Indians
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Americans believed it meant the opening of the
West
A New British Attitude
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Brits were angry with the Iroquois. Believed
that they did not do their part. So policy of
extermination will include the Iroquois from
now on.
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British angry with the American colonists who
did not do their fair share either…
A New British Attitude
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During the War…
Americans were unwilling to fight
 Americans tried to avoid paying taxes supporting the
war
 Americans traded goods with the enemy during the
war! (Smuggling during war time = treason!)
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British Attitude
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The End of Benign Neglect
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The Americans colonists must pay their fair
share from now on
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The Brits had acquired a huge debt in the
French and Indian War which was fought to
protect Americans from the French and Indians