Proclamation of 1763 – European/Native Land Claims on North American Soil
Effects of The Seven Years War
On Britain
1) It increased her colonial empire in the
America’s.
2) It greatly enlarged England’s debt
which they forced the colonies to pay for.
3) Britain’s contempt for the colonials
created bitter feelings.
4) The war demonstrated to the colonials
how powerful the mother country actually
was.
On the Colonies
1) It united them against a common
enemy for the first time.
2) It created a socializing experience for
all colonials who participated.
3) It created bitter feelings towards the
British that would eventually intensify.
4) The war demonstrated to the colonials
how effective guerilla tactics could be
against a huge, organized force.
4) The Taxation Issue
- In the early colonial years, English parliament opted for a policy of Salutary
Neglect or non-interference in terms of governing the colony.
- Colonists were free to do almost as they wished simply b/c it was too far for the
motherland to govern and enforce rules
- The selection of George Grenville by Brit. Parliament signaled a change in policy
- England was determined to make the colonies pay for the huge cost incurred to
defend them during the French and Indian War.
- Under the leadership of Grenville, the British gov’t passed several laws that were
designed to collect revenue from the colonies and help restrict some of the freedoms
they had previously enjoyed. (SEE CHART ON THE TAXATION ISSUE)
- The colonists resented these new laws because they
had no elected representatives in British Parliament to
represent their interests
- The ideas of British philosopher John Locke became
very popular in the colonies.
- Locke stated that gov’t existed to protect the life,
liberty, and property of its citizens and therefore, had
no right to take away any of these basic freedoms
without their consent.
- If a gov’t did so, the people had a right and a duty to
resist and overthrow the gov’t with force.
- “No taxation without representation” became a
popular slogan in the colonies as more and more
colonists became even more disenchanted and unhappy
with their English rulers.
- Freed from the danger of French attack, colonists
believed they no longer needed British protection.