AP US History Unit 2: Empire in
Transition
Decentralized Control
• Prior to 1750, The English Crown has only
exerted a loose control over the colonies.
• Administration was loose, inefficient, and
decentralized.
• In response, colonists called their own
assemblies and made their own laws.
• These laws were allowed to stand so long
as they did not contradict acts of
Parliament in England.
Albany Plan of Union
• Prior to the 1750’s the colonies
viewed themselves as
independent of each other. In
fact, they were often in direct
competition with each other.
• In 1754, the first effort was made
by the colonies to forge a united
response to a threat. Delegates
from: Pennsylvania, Maryland,
New York and new England met
in Albany
• Came up with a unified plan to
oppose the French and Indians.
• None of the colonies approved it.
The French and the Indians
• French built few large settlements,
but instead built forts, trading
posts, and missions.
• The larger cities were:
–
–
–
–
Quebec
Monteal
New Orleans
Detroit
• French had closer relations with
the Indians
• The major Native American group
that lived between the French and
English settlements were the
Iroquois.
• The Iroquois was a confederacy
made up of several Indian tribes
or nations.
War!
• Competition for resources in
the New World led to conflicts.
• Native Americans fought on
both sides, attempting to play
Europeans off against one
another.
• King William’s War (16891697)
• Queen Anne’s War (17011713)
• King George’s War (17441748)
– French defeats caused the
Iroquois to grant English rights
into the interior
– French began building forts to
block perceived English
expansion
Washington and Fort Necessity
• 1754- The Governor of
Virginia sent a group of
militia under young George
Washington into the Ohio
River Valley to block
perceived French
Expansion.
• Washington built a fort called
Fort Necessity near modern
day Pittsburgh.
• The fort was surrounded and
he was forced to surrender
to the French and their
Indian allies.
Phases of the French and Indian War
• 1754-1756 conflict was
mostly confined to North
America, most Native
Americans aided the French
• 1756-1758 war spread
beyond North America,
England is losing, colonists
are impressed into service,
supplies are seized
• 1758-1763, war became
widespread, Pitt tempered
impressments and supply
seizures and gave some
control back to colonists, poor
French harvests and large
numbers of British troops
helped England to win the
war
Peace of Paris
• England won
• France gave up:
– Most colonies in West Indies
– Colonies in India and in Canada
– All territory in North America East of the Mississippi
– New Orleans and their land West of the Mississippi
was given to Spain
Effects of the French and Indian War
• Indians lost power as they could no longer play the
French and British off against each other. Many
colonists hated the Indians for the part they played in
attacking frontier settlements during the war. Many
colonists did not differentiate between different Indian
tribes in their ill will.
• England went heavily into debt. They believed that
they had fought the war to aid the colonists and thus
the colonists should shoulder the burden of the debt.
• The English also felt that the colonists had not done
their part during the war. They had been unreliable
soldiers, had traded with French, and had resisted
providing supplies to British troops.
Proclamation of 1763
• In an effort to appease
restless and nervous Indian
leaders and to save on the
expense of defending the
vast American frontier, the
British declared that settlers
would not be aloud to move
to the West of the
Appalachian Mountains.
• Settlers ignored the
Proclamation
• The British moved the line
West in 1768 but settlers
continued to ignore it.
• This tarnished the image of
the crown and caused the
British to spend money to
protect colonists from Indian
reprisals against westward
moving settlers.
Acts of Parliament
• To pay the war debt
incurred by the Crown
during the French and
Indian War, Parliament
passed a number of
acts designed to raise
revenue from the
colonies.
1764 Sugar Act
• Raised the duty on
sugar
• lowered the duty on
Molasses
• Created new courts
in America to try
smugglers through
English judges
• Led to boycotts of
English goods
1764 Currency Act
• Prohibited Colonial
Assemblies from issuing
paper money
1765 Mutiny Act
• Colonists were required to allow soldiers to stay
in their homes.
• Soldiers had to be fed at colonists expense
• Colonists did not mind so much Quartering
soldiers but were angry that they were being
forced to do so by a Parliament they had no
control over.
1765 Stamp Act
• Tax on printed documents
• Everyone had to pay it
• Clear attempt to raise money
directly from the colonists
• Virginia Resolves: In the
House of Burgesses Patrick
Henry made a speech openly
opposing the tax
• A Stamp Act Congress was
called and it was the 2nd
attempt at cooperation by all
the colonies.
• Sons of Liberty attacked tax
agents and burned stamps.
• People boycotted English
goods
• England repealed the Act in
1766
Declaratory Act and Townshend Acts
• Declaratory Act
– 1766
– Said that Parliament had the right to legislate over the
colonies
• Townshend Acts
– 1767
– New York refused to pass a law providing supplies for British
troops
– The Crown responded by:
• Disbanding the New York Assembly
• Imposed Townshend Duties on more goods
• Established a Board of Customs
– Colonists felt it was a threat to colonial assemblies in
general
Boston Massacre?
• Due to the harassment
of customs inspectors
and tax collectors the
British stationed more
troops in Boston.
• March 5, 1770
• Dockworkers began
pelting British soldiers
with snowballs, rocks,
and ice
• British fired into the
crowd
• 5 killed
• Was a public relations
disaster for the British
The Central Issue
• No taxation without
representation.
• Virtual vs. Actual
Representation
• Enlightenment
– Natural Rights
– Social Contract
1773 Tea Act
• Raised prices on
tea.
• Right?
• Nope.
• Allowed East India
Company to have a
monopoly on
American Market
• Boston Tea Party
1774 Coercive Acts
• Also called the
“Intolerable Acts”
• Closed Boston Harbor
• British officers accused
of crimes would be tried
in England
• Limited self government
in Massachusetts
• Required that soldiers
be quartered
1774 First Continental Congress
• Delegates from all
colonies EXCEPT
Georgia
• Rejected a plan for
Colonial union under the
Crown
• Asked the King to
intervene on their behalf
• Recommended making
military preparations
• Boycotts
• Meet again