The warfare between Britain
and France that began in 1754 with skirmishes in North America has several
different names. In America it is known as the French and Indian War
(1754-1763). In Europe it is called the Seven Years’ War because the fighting
there lasted from 1756 to 1763. The war in North America was fought mostly
throughout the Northern colonies, and in the end Great Britain defeated France.
During the peace negotiations, Britain acquired French holdings in Canada and
Florida from France’s ally, Spain. However, Britain also accumulated a large
debt over the course of the war. To help pay off the debt, Britain turned to
the colonies to generate revenue.
The war changed the relationship
between Great Britain and the colonies. Prior to the war, Great Britain had
practiced a policy of salutary neglect, not insisting on strict enforcement of
laws, such as the Molasses Act, which in 1733 imposed a tax on molasses,
because trade with the American colonies was making Britain very wealthy and
powerful. During this period, the colonists developed a nearly independent
political and economic system.
After the war, however,
British leaders reevaluated their relationship with the colonies, ending the
policy of salutary neglect and proposing reforms and new taxes. This
reevaluation was caused by conflicts between Great Britain and the colonies
during the war, such as the colonial assemblies’ insistence on controlling the
militia units raised to fight the French, the increased colonial independence,
and colonial smuggling of French goods into the country during the war. In
addition, the war had left Great Britain deeply in debt. British leaders viewed
American prosperity as a resource and taxing the colonies as a means to relieve
British debt. Conflicts arose as Great Britain attempted to reassert its power
over the colonies; they viewed Great Britain’s attempts to tax them as
interference into internal matters. The colonies believed that Great Britain
had jurisdiction only over external issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment