Everything up to the end of the 7-years war

Population of British colonies 1620-1700-1763?

Following the 'starving times', the population grew from 1,000 to 250,000 to 2 million

Why do the British colonies grow so quickly early on?

An increase in slavery not only increases the number, but also allowed for more efficient farming.

What was the Economic Activity of the British colonies in 1740?

Britain had a diverse economy
- Mainly focused on Tobacco, Fish, Agriculture
- Tobacco made up the vast majority of revenue

What was migration like in the 1740s British colonies?

400,000 people had migrated in
- 150,000 Ulster
- 65,000 Germans
- 30,000 'undesirables'
- 350,000 slaves (90% in South)

What was the religion of the British colonies?

Predominantly Protestant - puritans were prominent early on

What was the political makeup of the British colonies in 1740?

All colonies had a governor who could only be removed by the king, except Proprietary and Corporate colonies
- Most colonies were bicameral
> Upper house appointed by hte governor, chosen from elite, were advisory
> Lower house elected. More could be summoned and dismissed by the governor - legislation could be vetoed, were responsible for initiating money bills and controlling spending

Why were the colonies considered more democratic than Britain in 1740?

Larger proportion of people could vote - 80%, compared to just 15% in England
- However, women and slaves couldn't.
- Higher property qualifications were in place for positions of power

How was the relationship between the British colonies and mainland controlled?

The King was in charge, despite the Glorius revolution putting Parliament in charge of the King

How many colonial measures were disallowed from 1691-1775?

5% or 425/8500

Who really ran the British colonies in 1740?

The Board of Trade - answered to the Parliamentary committee of Plantation Affairs.
- Sec. of State for the southern department, and Treasury, War office, and admiralty had a role

How did British policy of governance change?

From the early 18th century, they realised it was easier to let the colonies run themselves.

How much had France's colonies frown from 1670-1740?

It was slower than the British, going from 5,000 to 40,000

How did the French colonies economies work?

They attempted an agricultural base, but with lesser slavery
- Predominantly focused on furs

What was the religious outlook of the French colonies?

Had religious difficulties, with protestants helping found Canada
- They were later excluded in line with rising French absolutism
- Colonies were controlled by the Catholic church

What was the political makeup of both the French and Spanish colonies?

King was absolute ruler, no representation, King appointed governors, settlers had to obey their laws

How were the French and Spanish colonies governed?

The government attempted to oversee the day-to-day running

How did Spain's colonies grow prior to 1740?

The Spanish had much lower emphasis on colonisation in North America
- Failed to establish permanent colonies, with the largest around Texas ad Florida

What were the economies of the Spanish colonies based on?

Trade, largely centred around trade with British and French
- Limited attempts to far in the west
- Most of their activity was regulated by the military

What was the religious outlook of the Spanish colonies?

Catholic, with protestants being persecuted and driven out

How did Mercantilism (assumption the colonies existed to trade with Britain) effect British relations with its colonies?

Very few Americans complained about the lack of enforcement of the regulations (salutory neglect)
- Navigation Act had high duties that weren't collected
- ill-paid deputies could be bribed
Many acts didn't effect the colonies
- Molasses act was easily evaded
- Iron Act was disregarded
Protected market, government subsidies, and foreign-ship exclusion benefitted colonists.

How much did the colonies grow from 1650-1770? and why?

3.2% a year
- Expanding Trade
- Availability of Credit from Britain
- Rapid population growth
- Availability of Land
- Increasing demand
- Diversification

How did the colonies develop their trade?

Made money off trading dried fishes for molasses in the West indies
- Middle colonies were a source of wheat and flour
- Tobacco was the largest export
- Rice, Indigo, and Grain exported

How much did the Tobacco exporting industry grow from 1670-1770?

Grew from £14m in 1670 to £100m by 1770

How religious were the British Colonists?

74% were church-goers
- Whilst most were Protestant, not as dominant as Europe

How did education increase in the colonies? and what did it lead to?

By 1763, 75% of white-males were literate compared to 60% on mainland
- Harvard found in 1636 and by 1730 there were 8 universities
- Led to an increase in newspapers with over 30 in circulation by 1763

How were British relations with the natives?

Started out well, but slowly descended as the natives held the land as sacred and more colonists started to arrive
- High trade to start, with Natives helping British to settle, and the colonists exchanging help for gold and jewels
- Arrival of puritans ruins it, as they try to convert the natives
> Those who didn't convert were sent to reserves
- Introduction of European diseases decimated their populations - puritans use it as justification to settle land

How were French relations with the Natives?

Were positive, due to high volume of trade, and no attempts to occupy their land
- Led to them forming a military alliance

How were Spanish relations with the Natives?

Very bad, as they attempted to convert them to Catholicism

What was the name of the Native confederacy who established early resistance in New England?

The Powhatan Confederacy

What was the name of the Native confederacy who overthrew the Virginian government? and was the rebellion called?

The Chesapeake Indians who led the Bacon Rebellion

What was King William's War? and why did it happen?

It was a power struggle between Louis XIV and William III
- It took place as France had wanted to create a strip from Canada to the gulf of Mexico and there was conflict in the Hudson bay area which was a point of dispute

Who was King William's War between?

The English and the Iroquois Confederacy v. France and the Wabanaki Confederacy

How did King William's War pan out?

The English suffered a series of successes due to better French organisation and their native allies
- French further antagonised the British by sending a number of raids in the 1680s and 1690s, and imposing themselves on the Iroquois
- English tried to retaliate by trying to send troops in May 1690 to invade French Canada but were defeated at Quebec

How did King William's War end? and what were the after-effects?

It ended on the 30th October 1690 with the Treaty of Ryswick
- It designated the borders of New England, New York, and New France remain unchanged
- However, this led to more unrest and the outbreak of Queen Anne's War

What was Queen Anne's War?

It was a war that attempted to resolve the conflicts left in the long-standing rivalry between England and France following King William's War
- It was a conflict over the Spanish succession after William III's death

Who did Queen Anne's War take place between?

England and the Iroquois Confederacy v. France, Spain, and Wabanaki Confederacy

Where did Queen Anne's War take place?

Spanish Florida, New France, South Carolina, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire

How did Queen Anne's War end? and what was the outcome?

Ended with England, France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic signing the Treaty of Utrecht
- This made Philip King of Spain

What was King George's War?

It was the 3rd in the series of conflicts and an extension of the War of the Austrian Succession in Europe

How was King George's War characterised?

By the violent border raids from both Factions

In the build up to the 7-years war, how did France and Britain compare in North America?

France had 20x the amount of territory, stretching from the gulf of Mexico all the way to Canada
- However, Britain had a 15x larger population allowing them to employ a larger army

Who had the strong navy? and why did this matter?

Britain did, allowed for more reinforcements and supplies to be sent over

What had happened at the battle of Quiberon Bay? and why was it significant?

6 French ships were destroyed and it reinforced the idea that Britain had the superior navy
- Allowed Britain to send 25,000 additional troops, whilst stopping France from sending reinforcements (which they attempted to do in 1759)

What happened at the battle of Quebec? and why was it significant?

The French did not defend the St Lawrence River (too big), allowing hte British to sail up it
- This allows the capture of Quebec giving them a foothold in French Canada for the first time

What was the impact of Washington in the Seven-Years War

He was a British commander, but was rubbish
- He was in charge of the first battle in Pennsylvania in summer 1754
- He sends his troops into a load of ambushes and skirmishes and gets a lot killed
- This show of incompetence leads to the British underestimating him later on

How much help did America get from Britain in the Seven-Years War?

As the war escalated, in 1758, Pitt pledged to provide additional funds to the war - large sums of money was used to buy resources and pay new recruits
- Sent across 25,000 soldiers

What was the Treaty of Easton?

It allied Indian tribes to the British in return for land in Pennsylvania and Virginia

Which battles did the British win in 1759?

Quebec, and Montreal the following year

How did Britain and France do out the Seven-Years war?

Britain emerged victorious, doubling the size of its empire
- France was ejected from NA in 1763 with their territory being split evenly between Spain and France

Which Treaty ended the Seven-Years War?

Treaty of Paris

What happened at Fort Duquesne?

General Braddock and 2000 men marched into an ambush set by the French and natives

How many Americans fought with British militias in the 7-years war? and what did this show?

75,000 and it demonstrated close relations and the feeling of being British being felt by colonists.

How much did the 7-years war cost Britain?

£140,000,000