Colonial Unity
Evolution of Colonial Unity
Thesis: Between 1754-1776, the colonies gradually became more unified due to the changes in British policy.
1. 1754:
a. Not very unified
b. Albany Plan of Union
i. Benjamin Franklin ii. Plan provided for an intercolonial government and a system of collecting taxes for the colonies’ defense. iii. Franklin’s efforts failed to gain the approval of a single colonial legislature. iv. Plan was rejected because the colonists did not want to relinquish control of their right to tax themselves, nor were they prepared to unite under a single colonial legislature.
v. “Join or Die” → snake broken into pieces.
2. 1754-1763:
a. French and Indian War
i. War between Britain and France, and the Americans got stuck in the middle. ii. As English settlers moved into the Ohio Valley, the French tried to stop them by building outposts to protect their fur trade and control of the region. iii. Native Americans allied with the French iv. English won and took control of Canada and everything east of the Mississippi Valley.
v. French only kept two sugar islands.
b. Treaty of Paris 1763
i. Major turning point in British-colonial relations because it marks the end of Britain’s policy of salutary neglect. ii. Sense of achievement by the colonies.
c. Proclamation of 1763
i. British government forbade settlement west of the rivers running through the Appalachians. ii. This agitated the colonial settlers who regarded it as unwarranted British interference in colonial affairs. iii. The colonists felt that England was “tightening the screws” which made them unable to unify.
3. 1764-1765:
a. Sugar Act
i. Parliament imposed new regulations and taxes on the colonists. ii. Established a number of new duties and which contained provisions aimed at deterring molasses smugglers. iii. New regulation was to be strictly enforced: duties were to be collected. iv. Parliament was overstepping its authority and violating their rights as
Thesis: Between 1754-1776, the colonies gradually became more unified due to the changes in British policy.
1. 1754:
a. Not very unified
b. Albany Plan of Union
i. Benjamin Franklin ii. Plan provided for an intercolonial government and a system of collecting taxes for the colonies’ defense. iii. Franklin’s efforts failed to gain the approval of a single colonial legislature. iv. Plan was rejected because the colonists did not want to relinquish control of their right to tax themselves, nor were they prepared to unite under a single colonial legislature.
v. “Join or Die” → snake broken into pieces.
2. 1754-1763:
a. French and Indian War
i. War between Britain and France, and the Americans got stuck in the middle. ii. As English settlers moved into the Ohio Valley, the French tried to stop them by building outposts to protect their fur trade and control of the region. iii. Native Americans allied with the French iv. English won and took control of Canada and everything east of the Mississippi Valley.
v. French only kept two sugar islands.
b. Treaty of Paris 1763
i. Major turning point in British-colonial relations because it marks the end of Britain’s policy of salutary neglect. ii. Sense of achievement by the colonies.
c. Proclamation of 1763
i. British government forbade settlement west of the rivers running through the Appalachians. ii. This agitated the colonial settlers who regarded it as unwarranted British interference in colonial affairs. iii. The colonists felt that England was “tightening the screws” which made them unable to unify.
3. 1764-1765:
a. Sugar Act
i. Parliament imposed new regulations and taxes on the colonists. ii. Established a number of new duties and which contained provisions aimed at deterring molasses smugglers. iii. New regulation was to be strictly enforced: duties were to be collected. iv. Parliament was overstepping its authority and violating their rights as