The French Indian War free essay sample

The Colonists rejected British rule in three ways; the first way was the protest against British troops in the Colonies. When the French Indian War ended in 1763, Great Britain was in major debt, one hundred and forty million pounds worth; to try and pay for this debt Parliament decided to implement a small tax in the North American Colonies, as half that debt was acquired paying to protect the Colonies, and Parliament felt it only fair that the Americans shouldered one third of the bill.Even though the tax was thirty times less than the tax paid in Great Britain, Americans were outraged. This outrage led to a, sometimes violent, protest against the taxes room Great Britain; the Sons of Liberty were a group that allegedly tarred and feathered the government officials that were going to enforce the Stamp Act. The Colonists reaction Is clearly shown In Benjamin Franklins letter to John Hugs, from London to Pennsylvania, August 9th, 1765. We will write a custom essay sample on The French Indian War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this letter, Benjamin Franklin says, As to the Stamp Act, thou we purpose [propose] doing our Endeavor to get it repealed in which I am sure you would conquer with us, yet the Success is uncertain. If it continues, your undertaking to execute it may make you unpopular for a Time The second way that the Colonists ignored British rule had nothing to do with taxes. The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited the American Colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, or it tried to. In a speech from Accentuates, Chief of the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy to the representatives of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, Accentuates says, We know our lands are becoming more valuable Your People dally settle on these Lands, and spoil our Hunting. We must Insist on your Removing them. The Colonists were settling over the Appalachians spite Britains law. The proclamation of 1763 was not only to keep good relations with the Native Americans as was the official reason for passing it, as a matter of fact the British did not want the Colonists to move west and procreate unchecked. The British thought that if the Americans got a bigger population than it would throw more fuel into the fire of rebellion. The third and final reason that the American Colonists began to reject English rule was because the French no longer occupied any land in North America, as seen in a comparison of maps of North America before 754 and North America after 1763. There was no threat from the French anymore and the Americans felt that since they no longer needed protecting, the presence of the English army in the Colonies was unnecessary.Overall, American Colonists Just did not see the need for the British to rule them. The economy of both Great Britain and the American Colonies major played Into their relationship after the French Indian War. Conflict ensued when the Colonists were expected to pay taxes for their portion of the debt from the French Indian ouch a small tax, they were not completely crazy for throwing a tantrum, while the British were taxing them they also were impe ding on the Colonists trade.The English were saturated with American goods, they could not buy any more American products and instead of trying to solve the problem by allowing the initiation of trade with other countries to replace the income the Colonists normally received from Britain, Britain refused to allow the Colonies to trade with anyone but them. Great Britain only allowed trade with other countries through them, the Colonists ships had o pass through London and give a sizeable cut of their profit to the British merchants.The economic status of the time was best expressed through the eyes of the Colonists in a Pennsylvania Journal masthead in October 1765, which said The times are dreadful, doleful, dismal, dolorous, and dollar-less. The British economy was in a similar state, as well as being millions in debt and paying much higher taxes than in the colonies, the Colonists began to boycott English goods and refused to pay taxes in protest of the Stamp Act. In a British Order in Council in 1763, the British unfrosted the Colonists on their smuggling, they said, Avian taken into consideration the present state of the duties of the customs imposed on your majestys subjects in America and the West Indies, we find that the revenue arising therefore is very small and inconsiderable And is not yet sufficient to defray a fourth p art of the expense necessary for collecting it. .. Also contributing to the economic problems of America, were the Native Americans wanting more for their land, and the problem for Great Britain was that the Stamp Act was getting repealed, asking away the income from that tax.All these factors contributed to economic stress on both sides After the French Indian War, the Colonists loyalties to Great Britain began to break; this is because the Colonists began to feel like their Rights as Englishmen were being threatened. All the actions of the Colonists pointed out in this essay previous to this point have emphasized that the American Colonists did not like to be controlled by Great Britain; part of the reason they did not like their relationship with Britain was based on personal experience with their fellow Englishmen.In a Massachusetts soldiers diary from 1759, one can see how the British treated the Americans. [30 September 1759] Cold weather. [We] hear a great talk of things uncertain and thus time spends away and so we spend our day Cold weather is coming on apace, which will make us look round about us and put [on] our winter clothing, and we shall stand in need of good liquors for to keep our spirits on cold winters days. And we, being here within stone walls, are not likely to get liquors or loathes at this time of the year; and although we be Englishmen born, we are debarred Englishmen liberty.Therefore we now see what it is to be under martial law and to be with the regulars who are but little better than slaves to their officers. And when I get out of their [power] I shall take care of how I get in again. . . As seen in this diary, the American soldiers are But little better than slaves.. . This was a crime to the Colonists. Throughout all the protests and the separation of Great Britain and the Colonies, Britain still had its supporters. Right after the war ended in 1763, Rev.Thomas Bernard from Massachusetts praised Britain, Auspicious Day! When Britain, the special Care of Heaven, blessed with a patriot-sovereign, served by but, even as the Reverend praised Great Britain for their support in the war, he simultaneously told the people Now commences the Era of our quiet Enjoyment of those Liberties which our Fathers purchased with the Toil of their whole Lives, their Treasure, their Blood This Just points out how the Americans Rights as Englishmen were extremely valued and expected.The Colonists expected their Liberty; it was a fundamental human right. So when their rights were threatened, the Colonists protested vigorously. On the Pennsylvania Journal masthead from October 1765, Adieu Adieu to LIBERTY is printed on the side. The threat of the loss of their rights was the most important cause for a change in the relationship between the American Colonies and Great Britain. Put all the pieces together and it is obvious that the French Indian War was the main cause of the change in relationship between Great Britain and Her colonies.The war created the need for the taxation of the Colonies, the America