Chapter 1:



American History

Chapter 4 p.98-126

The Empire in Transition

1754-1776

Chapter Summary

Despite a number of disagreements, by 1763 Anglo-American ties seemed stronger than ever. The colonies had prospered under British rule, had developed local institutions through which they seemed to govern themselves, and with the defeat of France, appeared ready to expand into the heart of the continent. No sooner was the war ended, however, than the British began to alter the pre-1763 system in an effort to make it more efficient and more responsive to control from London. The means chosen to do so(enforced regulations to end the illegal trade that had flourished under salutary neglect, plus taxation to pay for the colonial administration(were seen by the colonists as threats to the way of life they had come to accept as rightfully theirs. Rising in protest, the colonies faced a British government determined to assert its authority, and with neither side willing to give in, the cycle of action and reaction continued. Finally, spurred by a propaganda campaign that characterized the mother country as a tyrant determined to bring America to its knees, the colonies acted. The Intolerance Acts proved the final straw, and in September 1774, twelve British provinces met in a Continental Congress in hopes that a united front would cause London to reconsider and that conflict would be avoided. But it did not work. In the spring, fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord. Although independence was not yet declared, the American Revolution had begun.

Chapter Four Main Themes

➢ The growing enmity between the British and French in North America, culminating in the Seven Years' War.

➢ The consequences of the Seven Years' War in driving further wedges between England and the people of the colonies.

➢ The policies taken by Parliament in the 1760's and 1770's that served to incite resistance and rebellion in British North America.

➢ The varied responses to English policies made by colonial leaders, and the growing cooperation among the thirteen colonies.

➢ The outbreak of military hostilities between England and the colonies in Lexington and Concord, and the start of America's War of Independence.

Analytical Journal

Albany Plan Benjamin Franklin Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party Charles Townshend Coercive Acts

Committees of correspondence Creoles Currency Act

Daughters of Liberty First Continental Congress George Grenville

Impressment Iroquois Confederacy Lord North

Mutiny Act Patrick Henry Proclamation of 1763

Quebec Act Samuel Adams Sons of Liberty

Stamp Act Stamp Act Congress Sugar Act

Tea Act Townshend Duties Virginia Resolves

William Pitt proclamation 1763 pontiac’s rebellion

paxton boys seven year’s war

Defining the chapter terms in your journals will help you better understand:

• The primary reasons for the differences between colonial Americans and the British government.

• The causes of the French and Indian War, and the reasons for the French defeat.

• The effects of the war on the American colonists and on the status of the colonies within the British Empire.

• The options available to the British for dealing with the colonies in 1763, and the reasons for adopting the policies that they chose to implement.

• The importance of the series of crises from the Sugar Act through the Coercive Acts, and how each crisis changed colonial attitudes toward the mother country.

• The change in American attitudes toward Parliament, the English constitution, and the king.

Long Essay Questions

1. Until the 1750s, Britain’s tradition of neglect influenced the way in which American society developed as well as the way relationships evolved with its French and Indian neighbors in the North American interior. Explain how this tradition of neglect specifically influenced the growth of legislative assemblies, commerce with foreign nations, and the spread of religion in North America.

Possible thesis statement: Because the English government largely left the colonies alone until the 1750s, few Americans objected to their membership in the British Empire. Consequently, colonial legislation, commerce, and religion developed a distinctly American flavor by the 1750s.

Discuss

• Legislative assemblies

• Commerce

Possible conclusion: By the 1750s, the British tradition of neglect in regard to the American colonies had encouraged the colonists to make independent political, commercial, and religious decisions that greatly influenced colonial North America’s relations with its French and Indian neighbors. Within a few decades, this spirit of independence would lead to colonial disillusionment with the British Empire.

2. Dr. Brinkley states, “The French and Indian War had profound effects on the British Empire and the

American colonies.” Provide specific examples to support this statement.

Possible thesis statement: The consequences of the French and Indian War not only permanently altered relations between the British and its American colonies, but it also destroyed the power of the Indian nations of the Ohio River Valley.

Discuss

• Effects on the British

• Effects on the American colonists

• Effects on the Indian

Possible conclusion: The consequences of the war encouraged colonial resentment of English policies that they believed infringed upon their sovereignty. Such resentment greatly increased as the British sought to tighten control over and to seek new revenues from its American colonies.

Long Essay and SAQ Tips

It is important to keep in mind that even though protest was violent in this period, most Americans were loyal subjects of the king until just before Independence was declared in 1776.

A good knowledge of economic and political structure of the British Empire is important in answering questions in this period.

AP Exam Tip

This is an important chapter because the events after the French and Indian war leading to independence often find their way into exam questions. Pay particular attention to political ideology and its evolution as America moved toward independence

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