Apush Chap. 6-8

Road to the American Revolution and Independence 1750-1783 1. The French virtually lost all of their land in North America although they were allowed to keep a count of small sugar islands in the West Indies. The Spanish still controlled much of west America from Texas to California even though Florida was surrendered to the British colonies. The British colonies owned almost all of eastern North America and eastern Canada. 2. The political Cartoon drawn by Albany Congress’ Benjamin Franklin explains the importance of colonial unity as a force against outside intruders. With the colonies not unified, they pose no threat on their own. The importance of colonial unity was not only geared towards possible European attacks or threats but also the possible outbreaks of Indian violence such as Pontiac’s uprisings. 3. With France eliminated as a colonial power in North America, the colonists had no significant reason to be defended by their mother country. Arrogant British officers regarded colonial soldiers as scum while colonists saw themselves in a lighter view. 4. The proclamation line (although originally intended to deal with Indian uprisings rather than suppress colonial expansion) threatened the colonists supposed “birth right”. They felt that it was unfair for Britain to keep them away from the land that they had fought seven years for with their own strength. 5. 6. New ways of thinking were able to grow in the colonies because they were not held back by recycled European traditional ways of thinking. Whigs also rose wary feelings towards official corruption and criticized conspiracies against labor. 7. Through mercantilism, America attained a stable source of income (you make it, we buy it idea) and got protection from a mighty naval power for pennies (significantly less than what British denizens were paying in their taxes). On the other hand, the colonies felt used and were subject to annoying liabilities and British dependencies such as treatment as if they were still in economic adolescence. *Don’t think that the colonists are being unreasonable. The British may be paying more than the colonists, but isn’t that why many left in the first place? You can’t compare what they should be feeling to what they left for. 8. Navigation laws made colonies susceptible to the middleman’s distortion with prices for goods (with Britain as the middleman, British traders could manipulate prices whether fairly or not to the extent of their desired profit) and limitations with what they could produce or sell through enumerated lists for goods.

9. With need for paper currency in order to fill the production/profit gap (Americans were importing more than they were exporting because of the Navigation Laws), money shortages appeared as cash was considered virtually useless. Colonists sometimes turned to bartering goods in exchange for whatever they needed instead of using cash currency. 10. Americans would let Parliament pass legislation dealing with the colonists affairs including trade, but they saw it unfair for Parliament to pass laws including taxes on the colonists, who had no “formal” representation in British Parliament. (Greenville suggested virtual representation as the members of British Parliament were of the same people, but this idea was rejected by American colonists). Even if members from America were placed as representatives, there would not be enough members to call a majority vote, therefore rendering partial representation equal to no representation at all. 11.