The history of the United States
Lecture 3
The road to the revolution
AMERICA IN THE BRITISH COLONIAL SYSTEM
• Colonies develop their own economic and
political system
• New England participates in the global trade
networks through the system of the Triangular
Trade New England to Slave Coast or West Africa:
rum
• From West Africa to Caribbean: slaves, the
voyage is also known as the Middle Passage.
• During the Middle Passage 3 out of 10 slaves
would die, yet it is still good business
Mercantilism
• British approach to the colonies
• Colonies are not in a core-periphery
relationship
• Britain recognizes colonial economy and trade
• Protection of British markets from American
commerce and goods
Navigation Acts
• The purpose: to protect English trade
• 1651:All goods imported to England and the
colonies must be carried on English ships with
a mostly English crew, other acts 1663, 1673
• Enforcement of the Navigation Acts: Lords of
Trade and Plantations
Political developments
• Self-governing colony
• The individual colonies developed their own
legislatures and executive bodies
• Legislative branch: Assembly
• Virginia: Virginia House of Burgesses
• Massachusetts: Representatives
Self-governing colony
• Governor: appointed by King or Crown
• Powers: call and suspend assembly, absolute
veto over the assembly, controls colonial
militia, can appoint judges, create courts
• Paradoxical situation: while appointed by king,
governor has more power than the king as he
is limited by the constitutional monarchy
Self-governing colony
• Assembly:Elected members
• Religious qualifications were eliminated in the
17th century
• Power of the purse, taxation power
• The power to initiate legislation
• Assemblies control the salaries of governors
Ideological developments
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Leading idea: contract theory of government
Government as a result of a social contract
Defining texts: Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan
State of nature
“Life is nasty, brutish, and short”
“a war of all against all”
People choose a sovereign to protect their
lives
Political contract
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John Locke: Two Treatises of Government
Introduction of the idea of natural rights
1689: Glorious Revolution in England
Relationship between colonies and England is
seen as a contract
• The ideological basis of the American
Revolution is established
Colonial wars
• The colonies as part of the British empire were
also the sites of the French-English rivalry
• 1688: William of Orange is invited onto the
English throne
• For religious and political reasons: France
becomes the chief opponent of England
Colonial wars
• 1689-1697 King William’s War or Nine Years
War
• 1701-1713 Queen Anne’s War or War of the
Spanish Succession
• 1744-1748 King George’s War or War of the
Austrian Succession
• 1754-1763 French and Indian War
French and Indian War
• Clashes between French and Virginia militia
• 1754 July 4 (!) Washington surrenders Fort
Necessity to French
• 1754 Colonies start to organize themselves
Albany Congress
• Plan of Union was developed by a committee
led by Benjamin Franklin
• Main elements: chief executive appointed by
the crown and a supreme assembly called the
Grand Council
French and Indian War
• 1756 Seven Years War
• Two major coalitions England, Prussia and
France, Austria, and Russia
• 1759: Battle of Quebec, turning point,
• 1760: Fall of Montreal
• 1763 Treaty of Paris: French power ends in
North America (lev.stop)
Salutary Neglect 1714-1763
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Robert Walpole, Prime Minister
„Let sleeping dogs lie”
Colonies develop on their own
Colonial economy, ideology, trade
The seeds of the revolution
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Change of British policies after 1763
Proclamation of 1763
1765: Stamp Act
„No taxation without representation”
1766: Repeal of Stamp Act
Seeds of the revolution
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1767: Townshend Acts
1770: Boston Massacre
1773: Boston Tea Party
1774: Coercive Act, or Intolerable Act
England is seen as the archenemy