Losing and Gaining an Empire; the loss of the American colonies 1770-83

Residence of customs officials in American after 1763

Custom officials had to live in America + Trials of smugglers moved to naval courts and held under judges

Sugar Act 1764

Lowered duty to 3d per gallon on molasses and sugar from non-colonies (reduced from 6d, set in 1733)

Mutiny Act 1765

Required colonial assemblies to make provisions for providing accommodation for British troops

New York Restraining Act 1765

Passed in response to NY refusal to follow Mutiny Act due to army headquarters - prevented them taking legislative action

Stamp Act 1765

Required stamps to be fixed on almost all documents and a broader tax

Repeal of the Stamp Act 1765

Accompanied by declaratory act stating colonial subservience 

Sons of Liberty

Created in response to Stamp Act by Sam Adams - basis of paramilitary resistance

Townshend Duties 1767

Introduces light duties on imports of glass, wine, china, lead, paint, paper and tea

Statutory neglect

Light-touch approach by the British to American tax collection - e.g. navigation acts not strictly enforced

Governors

Appointed by the British crown to each colony

Legislative assemblies

Role was to raise revenue for provision of local services and control local expenditure

Wide enfranchisement

50-80%

Increased population

In 1700 the American population had bene only 1/20 of the British – by 1770 it was nearly 1/5 - Between 1764 and 1776 125,000 people left the British isles for the America colonies

Increasing poverty rates

1773 Philadelphia; percentage of poor was eight times greater than it had been twenty years earlier

Seven Years War 1756-63

Anglo-French Conflict ended by the peace of Paris

Peace of Paris 1763

Cemented British victory in driving the French out of Canada and ceding all land east of Mississippi

Consequences of Peace of Paris

1763; British takeover of former French forts in the West caused a rebellion

Increased military control in America 1763-

1768; increased British presence in Boston - 600 troops

Boston Massacre

Clash between patriots and the British on March 5th 1770

Consequences of the Boston Massacre

Resulted in repeal of Townshend duties apart from the one on tea leading to ‘years of peace’

Repeal of Townshend Duties

Boston resistance led by Sons of Liberty - 1/5 of population were active rebels

Committees of Correspondence

Network of communication throughout the colonies publishing widespread grievances to all towns

1773 Tea Act 

Allowed EIC to trade directly with America rather than having to go through British ports

Consequences of the Tea Act

Widespread active resistance; ships of tea turned away in new York and Philadelphia

Boston Tea Party - 16th December 1773

Organised Boarding of the ‘Dartmouth’ and three other ships by 60 Sons of Liberty throwing over £10,000 worth of cargo into the sea

1774 Coercive Act

• Closed ports of Boston from 1st June until price of tea was paid back

• Allowed governor to remove officials. 

• Arranged for transfer of murder trials to England

• Gave more powers to military commanders

• Followed by Quebec Act

Continental Congress - September 1774

Colonial assemblies continued to met in defiance of Coercive acts joining 13 assemblies into a de facto government which supported the view of radicals

Results of First Continental Congress

• Called upon Massachusetts to arm for defence

• Proclaimed right of each colony to determine its own need for troops

• Introduced idea of deceleration of independence 

Committees of Safety

Day-to-day running of America assigned into hands of committees or correspondence - not in Boston where General Gage maintained control of troops

Second Continental Congress - summer 1776

Made itself a full force capable of war by issuing paper money and appointing George Washington

Publication of Common Sense - January 1776

Sold 12,000 copies; cementing opinion of public that reconciliation was not possible

Delay of declaration of independence 1775

• Congress had open communication with all committees ingrained in every step of the process

• Attempted reconciliation through ‘Taking up arms declaration’ (6th July) and ‘Olive Branch petition; (8th July)

Congressional response to Declaration of Independence

Unanimously supported by all delegates - two Pensylvanians who opposed did not attend session

Articles of Confederation

Appointed a committee of thirteen to draw up a constitution which allowed states to work together without sacrificing power to central executive - government as unlike the British as possible

Main articles of the ‘AoC”

• All powers not specifically granted to congress were reserved for the states

• All states had to agree amendments 

• Each state had one vote regardless of size

British declaration of a state of rebellion in Massachusetts – February 1775

Pitt the Elder proposed removal of all duties from America recognising power of continental congress - rejected in House of Lords, 2 to 1

Lexington and Concord background

Britain only had 4000 troops in America, General Gage attempted a seize of colonists munitions from Salem (February 1775)

Lexington and Concord events

Gage attempted to seize military store in Concord (18th April 1775), British troops met by 75 volunteers at Lexington firing upon British soldiers 

Lexington and Concord consequences

273 British casualties, 73 deaths - Boston surrounded by 20,000 militia

Bunker Hill -17th June

Reinforced British troops attempted full front assault agains the colonists

Consequences of Bunker Hill

1000/2500 of the British were injured compared to under 500 Americans - British besieged by new colonial army

23rd August 1775

George III issued proclamation declaring all colonies had to be in state of rebellion

British troops

1775; only 36,000 soldiers in the army, only 8000 in America

British Navy

340 ships and ability to use Newfoundland, Canada and the West Indies as bases but needed to be re-equipped

Population difference

8 million British compared to 2.4 million Americans

British focus of presence

Mainly around financial centres of ports, when troops had to go inland they weakened supply lines, delaying relief

Weakness of American economy

Reliant on issuing paper money for currency

American military

Continental army never exceeded 20,000 men – most of the time had under 5000

American Navy

Continental navy had only 50 vessels all of which were converted merchantships not battleships

American ideological strength

Inspired and motivated by a dream of developing a reality based on democratic principles

Washington’s ability to motivate

Promoted idea that war was based on a glorious cause

Washington’s tactics

Guerilla warfare to undermine, ‘War of Posts’ to wear down the enemy, constant acknowledgement of congressional supremacy

Battle of Long Island

August 1776; Washington managed to withdraw his army under cover of dense fog ensuring its survival after loss to General Howe

Change of tactics - Winter 1776-7

Washington charged tactics to become defensive to ensure survival of continental army

Causes of Saratoga 1777

Burgoyne set on expedition south without consulting generals Clinton and Howe for help, encumbering himself with a baggage train of 300 vehicles

Results of Saratoga

Surrounded by double the amount of American troops, 6000 British troops made prisoners of war, French encouraged to join war

Appointment of General Nathanial Greene - 1780

Took command of south through hit-and-run attacks meaning by mid-1781 only Charleston, Savannah and For Ninety-Six were in British hands

Pennsylvania Line

January 1781; mutiny of regiment in New Jersey and Pennsylvania causing Washington to execute several ringleaders - evidence of poor supplies of continental army

Loss at Yorktown 1781

Washington led 16,000 American and French troops in a three-week siege to the British - British had moved focus to south in hopes of making a base there

Reasons for French involvement - June 1778

Benjamin Franklin’s persuasion, general rivalry with Britain and desire to regain land lost in seven-years war

Reduction of British army

Until 1778 65% of British army was in north America – by 178- this had dropped to 20%

French involvement in Yorktown

Intervention of French fleet at Chesapeake Bay under De Grasse contributed to British defeat

Spanish involvement in the south

1781; Spanish troops cleared British from Mississippi

Overall impact of international involvement

Managed to diverge British resources able to the mainland through threat of home attack or to other colonies

Loss of British morale

City of London and Westminster pressured George III to withdraw having lost all political motivation for war

Division of imperial possessions in Peace of Paris - 3rd September 1783

·       Spain regained Florica and Minorca

·       Britain regained the Bahamas and Nepatgam (India) returning Trincomalee to Holland

·       France regained St Lucia, Goree, Pondicherry and Tobago

Impact of War on British economy

By 1783 national debt was £232 million