Path to the American Revolution
By J.A.SACCO
Mercantilism
 What is mercantilism?
 Why was mercantilism implemented?
Advantages to mercantilism
To gain economic control over colonies
For a nation to become self-sufficient
Charles II
A steady market of raw materials from
colonies
Use the colonies to purchase excess products
Mercantilism
Disadvantages of Mercantilism on Colonies
 Restricted colonies to whom they could
buy/sell
 Prevented colonies from buying and selling
with other nations to get a better price
Problem- What happened if the colonies produced
something that England did not want?
Triangular Trade
Triangular trade allowed the colonies to conduct
its own trade without British supervision!
England the Colonies and Mercantilism
How did the British restrict colonial trade to
achieve mercantilism?
Navigation Acts (1660)
Enacted by Charles II- Exports>Imports
All Exports/Imports to colonies carried on English vessels.
Why did the British do this? How did this hurt the colonies?
 Certain “enumerated” goods (tobacco, sugar, cotton, indigo,
lumber) sent only to England or English colonies.
How did this hurt the colonies?
England the Colonies and Mercantilism
Staple Act (1663)
 All colonial imports must go through English
port (pay duty) then ship out again on English
ship.
 Why did the English pass this act?
England Gets Tough on the Colonies!
Problem- English government can’t prevent
smuggling into colonies. Result?
Dominion of
New England
Dominion of New England
 New England seen as center of smuggling
problem
 1684- Charles II makes N.E. a royal colony
 1685- James II establishes the Dominion of
New England
N. England, Conn, RI, NY, NJ charters revoked.
Become royal colonies!
Dominion of New England
 Dominion run by gov.general/councilors app’t
by king
 Dominion had power to make laws, tax,
administer justice, confirm/deny existing land
grants
 Colonial assemblies abolished
Sir Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros
 Caused greater tension in colonies
 Declared previous land titles worthless/had to pay
annual fee for new title
 Puritan Church not recognized- all marriages had to
be performed in Anglican church
 Puritan meeting halls must be made available for
Anglican services
 No one to teach school without government
permission
This was a way to punish the colonies for violating the
Navigation Acts.
Period of Transition /Glorious Revolution
 Rejected advice of




Parliament
Insisted on divine right
to rule
Openly practiced
Catholicism
Prosecuted Anglican
bishops for defying his
wishes on church
appointments
James II has son- will
raise him Catholic
James II- 1688
The Glorious Revolution 1688
 What affect did James II have on England
and the colonies?
 James abdicates thrown
 William and Mary obey laws
of Parliament.
English Bill of Rights, King must
have Parliament’s consent for
taxes and raise and army
William and Mary
Glorious Revolution and the Colonies
What affect does the Glorious Revolution have on the colonies?
Positives
Negatives
 Andros overthrown
 Colonial Governor
 Dominion of New
appointed by King
 Voters must own
property
England ended
 Right to elect assembly
 Assembly can elect the
gov’t councilors
“Two Treatises on Government”
(1689)
 People born with natural
rights
 Gov’t created by the people
to ensure those rights
 And if gov’t violates that
agreement-people have the
right to overthrow that gov’t
Basis of colonial protest in
Revolution!
John Locke
Period of Salutary Neglect (1689-1713)
What is the significance of the Period of
Salutary Neglect?
Why did the British take their
attention away from the
colonies?
Period of Salutary Neglect (1689-1713)
British involved in wars of empire.
America
Europe
 King William’s War (1689-1697)
 War of the League of Augsburg
 Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713)
 War of the Spanish Succession
 King George’s War (1744-1748
 War of the Austrian Succession
Effect on Colonies?
Wars kept England occupied with European affairs
allowed the colonies to develop on own with very
little interference from Britain. Colonies get a taste of
independence.
British Regain Control?
Early 1700’s Britain try to regain control over colonies
with new acts and enforce the old ones.
 Molasses Act (1733) – put tax on sugar/molasses
imported from non-British ports (Fr./Dutch West
Indies).
 Woolens Act (1699)– could not trade goods outside
of own colony
 Hat Act (1732) – could not sell hats and felts outside
colony in which it was made
 Iron Act (1750) - forbade the manufacture of the
finished articles of iron.
Acts poorly enforced.
French and Indian War (1756-1763)
 Last ‘war of empire”
 Determined European supremacy in North
America