History 201 – A. Scotti
Test One – Essay
The colonies during the time of early America experienced many hardships from the British, and at multiple times were let down from what they estimated they were deserving of. The “J curve” is known as a diagram indicating the climbing up and the sudden down of any idea, or action. The “J curve” is an accurate representation of the colonist’s expectations at the time of the “oppressive” British. The “J curve” seems to center around two main points for the colonists. The first was the wars they fought, the outcomes, and the government and the economy. The second was the legislatures that were designed by or against the colonies. The expectations of the colonists in relation to the ”J curve” gives explanation of what exactly brought about the American Revolution. The “J curve” can be related to the colonist’s expectations in regard to the wars they fought and the difficulties about government and the economy that they dealt with on a daily basis. The wars that the colonists fought were small in comparison to the war they would have to fight to ultimately win their freedom from the British. There were five main colonial wars, the first being King William’s War from 1689 to 1697. This war started over in Europe and spread to the colonies when it started dealing with the border raids that were happening in the New England colonies. The second war was Queen Anne’s War from 1701-1713. This war started enlisting the citizen soldiers that ranged from age 16 to age 60 males. The third war was the war of Jenkins’ Ear that happened in the late 1730s. The English were warring with Spain about smuggling and one colonial smuggler named Robert Jenkins had his ear chopped off and so gathered an army against his enemies. That war led into King George’s War in the mid to late 1740’s. The colonists finally had a tremendous victory and captured Fortress Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island from the French in