Road To Independence
1750, Mohawk Indian
brought to William
Johnson a lead plate;
It was a land marker
claiming the Ohio and all
of the Northwest territory
for the King of France
It claimed also the
Mississippi Valley for
France
French Connection
• The notion was one should join to fight against the
French and prevent the French from assuming influence;
America was British not French.
• It was also a concern that the Indians were quickly
joining also with the French because of colonial
encroachments upon their ancestral lands.
• French gaining ground and influence at the Connecticut
Niagara and Kennebunk rivers and Lake Champlain—
interrupted the British fur trade and Indian relations
French Connection
• Indians were resisting the British and allying with
the French—British security was now an issue;
• Indians resented the British because of their ideas
of getting Chiefs drunk and then claiming they
signed large tracts of land over to the British.
• Pennsylvania had “Walking Purchases.” Could
purchase as much land as one could walk in a
day—this agreement unbeknownst to the Indians
showed up in written treaties in 1730.
Albany Conference 1754
• Because of the Indian issues and French encroachment,
the Lords of trade decided the colonies needed to work on
their relations with the Indians—mainly the Iroquois.
• Iroquois leaders spoke at the conference—”The governor
was ignoring the needs of the five nations, the French
were drawing the five nations away from the British.”
• Canadigara, “we have examined amongst the elderly …
they deny ever giving such huge land tracts away …”
• “The English have been defrauding us of our land … the
French are willing to allow us our land …”
Albany Conference
• Mohawk called Hendricks,
“Brethren, the Gov of Virginia
and Canada are both arguing
over lands that belong to us …
it may end in our destruction
… but they should first ask our
consent to build or encroach
our lands …”
• “We need to live in bright
sunshine, union and friendship
… or the clouds will gather
and not be very pleasant …”
Colonial Duplicity
• At the heart of the matter was colonial duplicity;
• Each colony was dealing with the Indians independently
at the other colony’s expense;
• Making deals and treaties that undercut the other and
creating tension and distrust among the colonial agents;
• Why Franklin and others suggested that the colonies must
unite as a single entity to speak and contract with the
native peoples. Get land and receive a fair reasonable
land tax and treat the Native equally—Hence Franklin's
Cartoon “Join or Die.”
Colonial Duplicity
• A united voice will
prevail, but separately
each will die—not from
the Indians;
• What Franklin and the
Lord’s of Trade feared
was that France would
make inroads and win
Indian allegiance; this
was considered disastrous
for the British, the Fur
Trade, and the natural raw
resources of America
War is Inevitable
• There is a theory that the Five Nations and their
Union Speech somehow gave the colonists the
model for Independence as the United States
against Great Britain—maybe, but maybe not.
• Franklin wrote to James Parker, “a voluntary
union would be preferable to having it forced upon
us by Parliament … it would be strange indeed if
six nations of savages are capable of forming a
union and ten to twelve European colonies …
cannot …”
War is Inevitable
• Franklin does not seem to be saying the Iroquois
have invented this great model or system and
America should copy it;
• It seems he is saying it is strange that these
savages can do this and enlightened highly
civilized Europeans cannot …
• Franklin wants a Union, but a voluntary one, not
one imposed by others.
Conference Results
• The conference which had representatives from
every colony except GA and SC, sent its report or
suggestions that a true colonial union needed to be
seriously considered;
• All colonies feared duplicity and feared loss of
their investments so they rejected the union
outright.
• No one wants to give up, concede or share their
interests with anyone—there is real jealousy of
each other, and real hatred for France.
Consequences of the Ensuing War
• Americans who before the War considered themselves
very British, now begin to understand they were not very
British after all;
• British treated them as provincials and rubes and regard
them as cowardly and bad soldiers; Americans believe
they are the reason the British won;
• British blamed the colonial governments as inept, to the
British, they consider these people and their governments
as rabble—Americans now decide for the first time “We
are not British, we are truly different.”
Consequences of the Ensuing War
• 2nd Consequence—Iroquois are able to maintain their
cohesiveness and power by playing the French off on the
British and the British off on the colonists;
• They have helped the British win, even though many other
tribes helped the French—they lose a bargaining chip
because the French are now removed from the equation;
• They finally realize it is the Americans all along they should
have feared not the British or the French. The Iroquois
realize they cannot survive because the one thing that held
the Americans in check was the French presence and the
British ability to use the French to also keep the Americans
in check
Pontiac’s War
• The War is over and Britain is in control of almost all of
North America, Cuba, South Pacific, India, Gibraltar,
Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are subdued. Without
meaning to, they have become the first true Global
Empire in History.
• Pontiac’s War would the greatest best organized and
brutal Indian uprising in North America
• Around 1761, the prophet Neolin began urging Indians
to reject European ways and return to the Old Ways—
mostly concentrated to the Ohio River Valley
Pontiac’s War
• Seneca leaders called on other tribes to raid British and
Colonial villages, seize Traders, cut off trade and
communication to the Forts and kill their soldiers;
• One grievance was the British had cut off gift giving to
the Indians—unfortunately what was left of the French
fur trappers and Canadian French they continued to give
gifts and try to woo the Indians.
• Though the British had restricted western settlement,
trying to honor Indian treaties and keep fur trade
functional, Americans continued pushing westward—not
enough British troops to police such a vast wilderness
and frontier.
Pontiac's War
• Fall of 1762, while treaty of Paris was convening,
the Seneca killed to white trappers on Lake
seneca—sent a war belt to other tribes to incite
rebellion against the Whites;
• Spring of 1763, Indians are now fighting in
earnest, Pontiac, Ottawa Chief, is now in charge.
• He tries to subdue Fort Detroit, but has to relegate
himself to skirmishes and ambushes and a war of
attrition cutting off supplies from the Fort.
Pontiac's War
• Throughout the spring and summer, other Forts
are attacked and cut off—making some headway;
• By June 21, Pontiac has control of every fort west
of Niagara except Fort Detroit.
• Bad communication, no one is aware that the
Forts are in distress until late June—British
hurriedly rush reinforcements to Detroit, Niagara
and Fort Pitt—initially the Indians beat them
back.
Pontiac's War
• Jeffrey Amherst considered using blankets with
small pox to help disperse the Indians—official
British version, contemplated but did not
implement; Colonial version and Indian version
suggest maybe it really did happen—small pox
broke out;
• Indians, however, were defeated at Fort Pitt—but
maintained their siege on the other forts—despite
English failures to relieve the sieged forts, Indians
are not accustomed to siege warfare, became
discouraged and abandoned the siege.
Pontiac's War
• To add to the Indian vexation, what little French
support they had, they learned it was now used up;
• Though much bloodshed and brutality took place,
Pontiac realized there was no way to sustain the
siege gave up and went back to Indian lands;
• Unfortunately, the colonists suffered more than the
entrenched British—Paxton Boys began raiding
the frontier—massacring a village of Christian
Indian women and children--
Pontiac's War
• Some friendly Indians escaped to Lancaster PA. The
Sheriff tried to protect them, but the Paxton Mob attacked
the town and killed the Indians.
• The Paxton’s also went after a tribe of converted
Moravian Indians in Philadelphia. Franklin led a militia
out to stop the Paxton Boys and negotiate a settlement—
• What this truly means is that the Euro-Indian relations
were too far gone to change the course of history—and
the British were not powerful enough to protect
Americans on the frontier—once again it was American
militia. Indians and Britain would become enemy #1.
Imperial Reform
• Parliament recognized that America was quickly
forming into a cohesive economic unit—Rich
natural resources;
• The idea was how to regulate trade and maintain
some financial control over trade;
• Parliament’s answer was taxation on external
products—for control and financial viability.
Imperial Reform
• There had been tax and
trade initiatives; now they
were to have teeth;
• War left England in £8
billion of debt (today’s
adjustment);
• Demobilization left many
people without work;
many unemployed left for
America.
Imperial Reform
• Proclamation of 1763—
forbid any and all
westward expansion of the
colonists—honor Indian
treaties, appease the
Indians,—to keep peace;
• Colonies saw this as an
affront—only the Crown
and the Indians could
make treaties--
Imperial Reform
• England was truly facing
financial collapse by
1763;
• American was prospering,
• Parliament passed a Stamp
Act(1765)—taxing legal
documents, newspapers
and college diplomas and
any other print trade
commodity.
Imperial Reform
• Tax explanation—England did not impose a heavy
tax burden on the colonies—they were the least
taxed of any British Protectorate;
• Just ensure they would collect the tax; Full time
customs collectors arrived in America to collect
taxes; Admiralty Courts were re-established to
convict smugglers etc …
• There was a history of taxes, Sugar, Molasses,
Iron, navigation acts etc … not new, just enforced
Imperial Reform
• Sugar Act 1764—actual tariff reduced—enforce
collection;
• Pamphleteers such James Otis, Patrick Henry and
Samuel Adams argued the Tax was
unconstitutional—no real representation in
Parliament;
• Virginia under Henry’s tutelage VA passed
resolutions against the tax and parliament’s right
to tax
Imperial Reform
• Boston became the “Hotbed” of agitation;
• They destroyed a Warehouse where the Stamps
were kept, Literally tore down the Lt. Gov’s
house for trying to enforce the Stamp Tax
collection;
• Boston called a Stamp Act Congress and in a
‘Circular Letter’ denied Parliament’s right to tax
• And refused to pay for the Quartering of Troops
Imperial Reform
• Franklin was summoned to explain the Stamp Tax—after
all he agreed as a Colonial agent that the tax was okay,
the colonists would not disagree; Neither Franklin nor
parliament had a good read of what was happening in
America.
• Parliament was fragmented, either force the colonists to
obey or cut their losses;
• They rescinded the Tax, but asserted the Declaratory
Act—Parliament does have the right to tax its colonies.
Declaratory Act of 1766
• The language of the Declaratory Act suggested
that the colonists were no more than provincial
settlements;
• They lacked the true English rights of selfgovernment—too dumb and unintellectual—
• It is interesting to note that George Grenville
before the Sugar or Stamp Act sent a description
and context of the Acts for the colonists
approval—they refused to Answer, Grenville
assumed as did Franklin—the tax was approved.
The American Revolution
• Things begin to happen
quickly;
• More tax issues; social
issues; economic issues;
• Political issues;
• The 1767 Townshend
Duties; The infamous
Boston Massacre; The
Tea Party, the Burning of
the Gaspee—
Lexington/Concord.