The American Colonies and England

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the relationship of the American colonies to England prior to the Revolutionary War. The author attempts to do this from both the American perspective and that of the British, showing that the relationship between the colonies and England benefitted both sides. The author believes, however, that the main reason for the breakup that occurred between the American colonies and the Empire was the increase of taxes and contributions to the royal Reserve. Additionally, the author shows how the political thought of the time and various acts of legislation also contributed to the break-up.

From the Paper:

"The Seven Years War represented a trying moment in the history of the relations between the American colonies and the British. Every colony, throughout the war was forced to offer assistance to the fighting troops; consequently, the US did back Britain in its quest for victory against the French but at the same time gave rise to a serious conflict between them. The British genera opinion was that the colonies should, in their turn contribute to the increase in revenue seeing that they benefited from the protection of the empire."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Locke, John. Two Treaties of Government. Ed. Peter Laslett. London: Cambridge University Press, 1967.
• Morison, Samuel Eliot. Sources and documents illustrating the American Revolution 1764-1788 and the formation of the Federal Constitution . New York: Oxford University Press, 1975.
• The Stamp Act, Great Britain: Parliament, 1765. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. 2005. 4 October 2006 <http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerrev/parliament/stamp_act_1765.htm>
• The Townshend Act, Great Britain: Parliament, 1767. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. 2005. 4 October 2006 <http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerrev/parliament/townsend_act_1767.htm>

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