History Chapter 7

Characteristics of Mercantilism

--"Bullionism": the economic health of a nation could be measured by the amount of precious metal (gold or silver) in which it possessed --hard money was the source of prosperity, prestige, and strength for a nation --dictated a "favorable balance of trade" --EXPORT MORE THAN YOU IMPORT (trade surplus) --High tariffs on imported manufactured goods --Low tariffs on imported raw materials --Each nation must try to achieve economic self-sufficiency --Those founding New Industries should be rewarded by the stateE

John Hancock

--"King of Smugglers" --greatly exaggerated --earned a great fortune through smuggling

Lexington and Concord

--"Shot heard around the world" --April 1775 --British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops to nearby Lexington and Concord to seize supplies and to capture Samuel Adams & John Hancock --Minutemen, after having many of their own killed at Lexington, fought back at Concord, pushing the Red Coats back

Molasses Act

--1733 --was enacted by the British Parliament on the 13 colonies with the purpose of protecting sugar plantations in the West Indies --placed a tax on molasses --angered colonials

Sugar Act

--1764 --passed by Grenville --decreased duty on imported molasses in attempt to stop bribes --put new taxes on indigo, coffee, sugar, wine, and textiles --violators tried in admiralty courts, not local courts --British reason: raise revenue "for defraying the expenses of defending, protecting, and securing" -Grenville --Colonial reaction: furious, once again felt restricted by Parliament (HOW DARE THEY?!)

Quartering Act

--1765 --colonists must supply British troops with living quarters, bedding, food, beer, cider, and rum --British reason: Most soldiers were quartered in public buildings, but when away from cities would need to be in private homes --Colonial reactions: most refused to comply

Stamp Act Congress

--1765 --representatives from 9 of the 13 colonies met in NYC to discuss the stamp tax --was largely ignored in Britain, but was a huge step toward inter-colonial unity in America --similar to the Albany Congress during the french and Indian war

Stamp Act

--1765 --required stamp tax on all legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, dice, and all other printed material --some colonial assemblies blatantly refused to comply --violators tried by the courts --British reason: to raise revenue for the military to defend the colonies --colonial reaction: colonists burned tax collectors, tarred, and feathered them

Declaratory Act

--1766 --Parliament affirms that it has the right and power to make laws that bind colonies in ALL cases --smartly left out the word TAX --British reason: a face saving response to the repeal of the stamp tax (however, Parliament still believed they had the right to tax...???) --Colonial reaction: Colonists agreed that Parliament had the right to pass laws, but not tax. No one seemed to understand this was all based on a misunderstanding of the difference in external and internal taxes

Townshend Act

--1767 --taxed paint, lead, glass, paper, and tea --customs officials could search private buildings at any time --accused tried without jury --suspended the NY assembly because Quartering Act was not being followed --British Reason: Townshend had a hard line policy toward the and planned force them to comply --Colonial reaction: colonists felt these acts violated all rights they had as Englishmen, and boycotted all taxed goods --As a result to American opposition of the Townshend acts, British officials sent regiments of troops to Boston to restore law and order

Tea Act

--1773 --British East Indian company gained a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies --Exclusive right to sell tea in the colonies --not designed to make money for the crown --caused the Boston tea party --colonists thought it was a trick to make them pay the tax since the price of tea was so cheap

Quebec Act

--1774 --Much wider range --good law in bad company --tightened authority in Canada: allowed them to retain old customs and institutions while also guaranteeing Catholic religion

Intolerable Acts

--1774a series of repressive acts in response to the Boston Tea Party --boston port act --MA Government act --the administration of justice act --Quartering Act --The quebec Act

Reaction of Taxation

--Americans felt that they were unfairly taxed for an unnecessary army (hadn't the French army and Pontiac's warriors been defeated?), and they lashed out violently, especially against the stamp Act --Americans formed the Battle cry: "No taxation without representation!!!" --American were angered, mostly, to the principle of the matter at hand --Americans denied the right of Parliament to tax Americans, since no Americans were seated in Parliament --Grenville replied that these statements were absurd, and pushed the idea of "virtual representation", which was not welcomes by the colonists

Boston Tea Party

--December 16, 1773 --some whites, led by patriot, Samuel Adams, disguised themselves as Indians, opened 342 chests of tea, and dumped all the tea into the ocean --Reaction was varied from approval, to outrage, to disapproval --Edmund Burke declared "to tax and to please, no more than to love an be wise, is not given to men" --people in Annapolis did the same, and burned the ships to water level

Mercantilism

--Economic philosophy or practice in which England established the colonies to provide raw materials to the Mother Country --Colonies received manufactured goods in return --Justified British control over the colonies --Mercantilists believed that wealth=power and that a country's economic wealth was measured by the amount of gold and silver in its treasury

British Disadvantages in the war

--France was an established enemy --NO william pitt to guide the British --Many Brits had no desire to kill their American cousins --Many whigs felt that id George III won the war, his rule would become tyrannical --generals were send rate and men were brutally treated --America was expansive and there was no single capital to capture and, therefore, cripple the country.

Hessians

--Germans who were employed by George III for the british army

American Advantages in the war

--Great leaders (George Washington and Ben Franklin) --French supplied the Americans with guns, supplies, gunpowder, etc --Marquis de Lafayette --colonials were fighting in a defensive way and they were self-sustaining (better marksmen) --enjoyed the moral advantage of fighting for a just cause

The (second) Quartering Acts

--June 2nd, 1774 --same purposes as the first/previous one

Boston Port Act

--March 31, 1774 --closed the tea stained harbor until damages were laid, order was restores, and the East India Tea Company was repaid for the destroyed tea

Boston Massacre

--March 5th 1770 --a crowd of about 60 townspeople in Boston were harassing some 10 redcoats --one fellow got hit in the head, another by a club --Without orders, but heavily provoked, the troops opened fire, wounding or killing eleven "innocent civilians", including Crispus Attucks --only two redcoats were prosecuted

The Administration of Justice Act

--May 20, 1774 --limits the ability for colonial courts to try British officials

MA Government Act

--May 20, 1774 --purpose: to control the local government and to eliminate the obstruction and the execution of British laws

Important leaders

--Samuel Adams --Edmund Burke --George Grenville --King George III

Mercantilist Restrictions on Trade

--Trade was restricted through the Navigation Acts, a major effect of Mercantilism --other laws stated that European goods consigned to America had to land first in England, where custom duties could be collected --only "enumerated goods" could be shipped to England

Privy Council

--a body of some 30-40 advisors appointed by the king --could declare colonial laws null and void them --colonist were enraged by it --used sparingly (469 times out of 8563 laws)

Proclamation of 1763

--all lands west of the Appalachians were reserved for the Indians--> not colonists could settle there --British reason: to stop conflicts between the colonists and the Indians and save them $ --Colonial reaction: frustrated and saw it as an oppressive act to limit their freedom --1763

George Grenville

--an honest and able financier --not noted for tact --ordered the Navigation laws be enforced in 1763 so that Americans could pay of 1/3 of the coats of the 7 years' war --secured the sugar act of 1764 --imposed stamp act

Blacks

--fought and died in service, though, in the beginning, many colonists banned them from service --by war's end, at least 5000 of these men enlisted in the american armed forces --they also served on the British side

Baron Von Steubem

--german --spoke no english when he reached America --regular of the colonial army who was whipped into shape by stern drill masters --eventually taught his men that bayonets were not for broiling beef steaks over open fires

King George

--good man, bad ruler --attempted to restore the British monarchy's power --recruited Hessians for British army

British Advantages in the war

--had 7.5 million soldiers while America only had 2 million --had 30,000 Hessians, 50,000 American Loyalists, and many Native Americans --overall, had a stronger army and better equipment --they were unified, which is something the newly banded colonies were not

Virtual Representation

--idea introduced by Grenville --every parliament member represented all British subjects (so Americans were represented) --rejected this as hogwash

First Continental Congress

--in response of Intolerable Acts --met in Philadelphia --12 out of 13 colonies showed up (all but Georgia) --total of 50 men --deliberated for 9 weeks (September 5 1774 - October 26 1774) --inter-colonial fractions melted away --drew up petitions and dignified papers --petitions were denied; clash = inevitable --if there was failure, the congress would meet again in May, 1775

American Disadvantages in the War

--lacking in unity --jealousy was prevalent, as colonies resented the continental congress' attempt at exercising power --inflation harshly hit families of soldiers and made many people poor --the army was desperately in need of clothing, wool, wagons to ship food & other supplies --many soldiers received rudimentary training --many Americans sold to the British because they paid in gold --Many Americans didn't care, making it difficult to raise a large number of troops

Samuel Adams

--master propagandist and engineer of rebellion --founded the committee of correspondence --led the Boson Tea Party

Navigation Acts

--most infamous laws to enforce Mercantilism --first of these was enacted in 1650 and was aimed at rival Dutch shippers who were elbowing their way into the American shipping --restricted trade: only allowed commerce from the colonies to England and back using only English ships --extremely hated --were not heavily enforced until 1763: "salutary neglect" --^^resulted in smuggling

The Association

--most significant action by the First Continental Congress --non importation, non exportation, non consumption, --closest thing to a constitution the colonies had

Edmund Burke

--political theorist --friend of America in Parliament --declared "to tax and to please, no more than to love and be wise, is not given to men"

Lord Dunmore

--royal governor of VA --November 1775: issued a proclamation declaring freedom for any enslaved blacks in VA who joined the british army

Colonist struggles with mercantilism

--settlers were restricted in what they could manufacture at home (forbidden to make woven cloth and beaver hats to export) --had no currency, but were constantly buying from Britain --gold and silver was always draining out of America --forced some to trade and barter and, eventually, colonists were forced to print paper money, which deprecated --British can "veto" any law the colonist pass if its conflicting

Crispus Attucks

--the "leader" of the mob in the Boston Massacre --a black former slave --one of the first to die --became a symbol of freedom (from slave, to freeman, to martyr who stood up to Britain for liberty)

Mercantilism Main Goals

--to encourage growth of native merchant ships (including colonial ships) --protect English manufacturers from foreign competition --protect English Agriculture, especially grain farmers --Increase the wealth of a nation (i.e. accumulate as much hard money as possible--colonial money was worthless in England; merchants wanted gold) --to become the wealthiest/most powerful nation --Develop a favorable balance on trade

Committees of Correspondence

--was set up by the colonies in order to spread propaganda and keep the rebellious moods --a network of letter-writers and forerunner of the Continental Congress --first committee started by Samuel Adams --they were key to keeping the revolution spirit rolling

Marquis de Lafayette

--wealthy young French nobleman --"french gamecock" --major general in the colonial army

Order of Acts and Taxes

1.) Navigation Acts (1651) 2.) Molasses Act (1733) 3.) Sugar Act (1764) 4.) Stamp Act (1765) 5.) Quartering Act (1765) 6.) Declaratory Act (1766) 7.) Townshend Act (1767) 8.) Tea Act (1733) 9.) Intolerable Acts (1774) ---> Boston Port Act (March 31, 1774) ---> Administration of Justice Act (May 20, 1774) ---> MA Government Act (May 20, 1774) ---> Quartering Act (June 2, 1774) ---> Quebec Act (1774)

Tarring and Feathering

A form of public humiliation and punishment in which hot tar was poured onto the "victim", burning him/her, then coated in feathers

Effects of Mercantilism

Build a formal empire: --acquire/protect markets (both resource/product) --establish colonies Develop strong military: --to defend empire (Navy especially important) --Navigation Acts (political aspects of mercantilism: 1660s-1700s)

Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and England

By war's end, 1400 blacks evacuated to here

English Benefits of Mercantilism

Colonies helped England grow rich --provided various raw materials --provided mines that produced gold and silver --served as markets for goods made in the home country --colonist were suppliers of only raw materials, so they could not compete wit English manufacturing --trade expansion enabled English manufacturing to grow and it necessitated an enlarged merchant fleet --additional bases for the royal navy Overall, with an extreme help from the colonies, Mercantilism allowed England to grow very strong, powerful, and wealthy