Colonial Political Culture and
Structure
2 major roots of Independence
1) Culture of opposition and
concern from England
2) Heavy-handedness of England
1730s-1775
“Democracy” in England
• Glorious Revolution 1688
• James I was an open Catholic who did not work well
with Parliament…
• upon birth of a Catholic son in 1688, Parliament
demanded that James’ protestant daughter (from his
1st marriage) Mary, ascend the throne.
• King William III and Queen Mary II agreed to rule as
“constitutional monarchs” – 1689 Bill of Rights (right
to petition, no excessive bail, right to bear arms)
• 1707 they also agreed not to veto acts of Parliament
“Public corruptions and abuses have
grown upon us; fees in most…offices
are immensely increased; places and
employments, which ought not to be
sold at all, are sold for treble values;
the…public has run very much in debt;
and as those debts have been
increasing, and the people growing
poor, salaries have been augmented
and pensions multiplied.”
~ Cato’s Letters, John Trenchard and
Thomas Gordon, 1720
Reasons for Opposition
•
•
•
•
Appointments to aristocratic insiders
Selling of offices to highest bidder
Bribes of govt officials
High pensions despite increasing debts of
government
• ALL stemmed from the increased
power-grabbing of Prime Minister
Robert Walpole (1721-1742)
The End of Salutary Neglect
• Hat Act 1732 Can’t make Hats!
• Iron Act 1750 Can’t make products from Iron!
• Proclamation Line of 1763 Can’t Move West of
Appalachian Mountains
• Stamp Act 1765 Must pay tax on all printed items
• Townshend Duties 1767 Tax on paper, paint, glass
and tea
• 1773 Tea Act Can’t buy Tea from anyone but EIC
• 1774 Coercive Acts If you live in Boston, you must
pay! Closed harbour; prohibited town meetings; no
local trials
Conclusion
• When the “intolerable” actions of England
began to escalate in the 1760s and 1770s,
Americans had a LONG history of
opposition political culture on which to
draw.