The Empire on the Eve
of Revolution
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(‘86) Despite the view of some historians that the conflict
between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies
was economic in origin, in fact the American Revolution had its
roots in politics and other areas of American life. Assess the
validity of this statement.
(‘89) In the two decades before the outbreak of the American
Revolutionary War, a profound shift occurred in the way many
Americans thought and felt about the British government and
their colonial governments. Assess the validity of this
statement in view of the political and constitutional debate of
these decades.
(’92) Evaluate the relative importance of the following as
factors prompting Americans to rebel in 1776:
Parliamentary taxation British military measures
Restriction of civil liberties
The legacy of colonial religious and political ideas
(‘97) Analyze the extent to which the American Revolution
represented a radical alteration in American political ideas and
institutions. Confine your answer to the period 1775 to 1800.
I. Britain on the Eve
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British political culture disabled response:
system still vital, but too rigid to respond
reasonably/imaginatively
In addition, B knowledge of colonies imperfect:
info channeled through Governors (office
seekers, aristocrats) who couldn’t/didn’t
understand colonial situation
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Board of Trade and Plantations
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
A. Conservative Culture
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End of Seven Years war: greatest empire
in world spanning the globe (Asia, Africa,
Canada)
Enormous power at home
Economy and population growing rapidly
Proud of “English liberties”: great degree
political freedom and power
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But bought at a cost: Magna Carta, English
Civil War, Glorious Revolution
B. Government in Britain
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Representation in Parliament was limited to
property holders, and not even all of those:
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Rotten boroughs
Failure to reapportion: no account of population
changes (shift north)
½ of seats controlled by old families
Virtual representation: all citizens
represented in Parliament because all towns,
cities, rural areas had basically same interests,
and there were representatives from those types
of areas; and Parliament had interests of whole
nation at heart
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English “Constitution”: system of laws and
tradition that established form of government
Mixed: combination monarchy (King),
aristocracy (House of Lords), and democracy
(House of Commons)
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NOT a system of checks and balances
1689: Glorious Revolution Parliament
dominant
1707: King cannot veto legislation
Only House of Commons could levy taxes (no
taxation without representation)
C. View of Colonies
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Salutary Neglect (necessity of other concerns
and distance) until 1763
View colonies as very rude, crude, malformed
society; strong sense of superiority
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Yankee Doodle Dandy and the Colonial militias
BUT by mid-18th growing concern that colonies
might break away pop. and territory growth,
growing economy
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In part why take Canada over French sugar islands at
end F+I war (Franklin’s warning)
II. The Colonies on the Eve
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Before 1763 colonists content to be part of
empire, and most especially liked being
left alone
Mercantilism largely worked to colonists’
advantage, and when didn’t bribery,
smuggling, ignore
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Were not taxed directly by Parliament: paid
taxes to local assembly and customs duties
A. Colonial Political Culture
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Believe English liberty extends back to ancient AngloSaxons (birthright, not dependent on gov’t)
Native born elites provide political direction:
connected to British elite and able to influence
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Merchants successfully lobby/petition Parliament
Role of gov’t: 1) “King’s gov’t” to maintain “King’s
peace” (status quo) and foreign policy (esp. maintain
imperial power)
2) Colonial gov’ts to provide “King’s peace” and
economic development: distribute land,
infrastructure, award certain monopolies, buy
supplies in wartime source of capital and stimulus
B. Colonial Government
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Importance of government led to interest and involvement
Colonial gov’t echoed British mixed: King=Governor,
Lords=Governor’s Council, Commons= Assembly
Representation more open and broader:
 1) Land rich, labor poor society wide ownership, vote also
extended to tenants and even residents
 2) Class lines less rigid: no nobility middle class dominate
social and political life
 3) Religion: American church hierarchy weak laymen
establish power accustomed use of church power
transfer power to politics
Left out: women, blacks, Indians
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Approx. 100 year tradition native born elites dominating
a “widely” represented polity
Actual/direct representation: colonists believed their
representatives were concerned for their indiv., specific
interests that differed from others’
 factionalism and power struggles
Conflict contained by unwritten rules
 1) interest groups/factions would not use violence
violence threatens system and economic prosperity
 2) power as fire: power necessary but dangerous and
corrupting, must be contained (colonial and imperial)
 3) Americans run their own lives
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Basis of stability in 18th century:
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1) Representative institutions
2) Widespread ownership of land
3) Tradition of self-gov’t
Stability Self-Gov Stability
A challenge to this self-gov threatens
stability revolt
III. 1763: Pyrrhic Victory
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A. Pontiac’s Rebellion
Indians unable to play B and F off
each other British less willing to
negotiate on Indian terms collapse
of the “middle ground”
+ Concerns Indians losing culture and
religion to European materialism and
alcohol (the Delaware Prophet/Neolin)
= Pontiac’s Rebellion: massive Indian
alliance attacks B outposts (Detroit
and Great Lakes, Penna. + VA
frontiers)
B. Proclamation of 1763
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George III limits colonial
expansion
w/Proclamation Line
1) Avoid war w/ Indians
(fur trade, £137 million
debt from F+I)
2) Restrain power of
colonies
Sends 10,000 troops to
colonies to enforce
 Standing Army
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Colonists outraged:
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Need fertile lands for expansion (soil exhaustion
throughout colonies); some already settled there/had
claim to lands
Felt it their due for militia’s role in F+I War
Standing Army violated English rights under Magna
Carta
Even worse: Prime Minister George Grenville
decides colonies should help pay for cost of
running empire (not to pay down war debt)
Sugar Act, 1764 (Revenue Act)