At the peak of Britain’s rule, it was thought that the sun never set on the British Empire, Many were trapped under its wing of protection and dared a country to stand up to Britain and face the consequences, In 1755 the last of the great conflicts between the British and France broke out Although proving its superior, one of the main facets of the British Empire headed for a major transformation. So that is why the British triumph over France in the French and Indian War opened the door to the American Revolution.
The magnitude of this war was on a scale like no man had ever seen before. The numbers of oops assembled were in numbers larger than ever seen. The territory that was fought over was more than the Rhineland. I was a broad expanse of territory that not only engulfed North America but also the world. Quarrels over the Ohio River Valley were the forerunning and immediate cause of the French and Indian war, The underlying cause of the war was more than 100 years of rivalry, The rivalry in which a scratch or poke can easily turn into an all-out brawl eventually leading to a severe break in relations between French and Britain, The strengths of Britain over France might
have been thought to be overwhelming but they are not.
Although the British resources of money and men (military speaking) were seemingly endless, the Brish did not have a great image. The French were outnumbered severely in population size, but the networks of fots that they had built up, as well as the small army that was already in place, did move the French to earlier easy victories.
French troops received orders easily from a central government and little confusion provided for great efficiency. Many times British orders were delayed or outdated by the long travel across the Atlantic from Britain. The lack of a government contributed to some of the anarchy during the French and Indian War. While the Albany Plan of Union was promising, its disapproval by the colonies for being o0 strong quickly made an easy solution to some governmental problems vitally Impossible, The success of Both Brain and the colonies was depending on a very poor plan of war. The assumption on anyone’s part that this victory would be one-sided was simply refuted in the first months of the war. The defeat of Washington at Fort Necessity shows that the French were progressing. The belts of the colonials that as long as the Redcoats were here that they were sal vas, not rue. Colonials welcomed the Redcoats with open arms but soon realized that they weren’t as magnificent and noteworthy as they were played up to be. The disappointment of the colonials was due to the simple fact that the Redcoats fought a European war not a new style war that limited success and sometimes determined failure
The cost of the war in both men and dollars was great to England. About 10,000 British troops were needed for the defense of North America after the war, costing approximately 350,000 pounds per year (Hastadter 76). Many colonials were not welcoming the change and voiced their opinions as Such, Officials in New Jersey stated that America could fend for itself, In Massachusetts, one man declared “sending troops to defend America… has the great appearance of care over but is 4s absurd as itis needless (Jennings 463).” Multitudes of people became unhappy and were subordinated by soldiers scourging their tongues at the colonials (Jennings 464). There was also the exorbitant cost of the war which was estimated at two and a half million pounds (Hafstacter 76) Although the war was fought on many fronts, a large portion of it was fought in America, and therefore the British government thought that the colonials should pay their fair share of the cost, The sever debt though was of little concern compared to the 350,000 pounds it would cost to supply and train 10,000 troops for the protection of the colonies. “Facing heavy costs of supporting a standing army in the North American colonies, Britain hoped to shit some of the fiscal burdens onto the colonists by imposing a series of taxes without consulting colonial governments .” The debt of war was mostly paid for by taxes from England.
It is obvious that the colonials not only attempted to stall payments on what Britain considered long overdue taxes but succeeded at costing the British Empire more than three hundred thousand pounds a year. The colonials resisted many changes since they felt secure without the French to the north, Many colonists lost respect for Britain due to poor performance in battles throughout the war, The English felt quite differently they had a notion that the colonists had been illegally trading with Canada during the war. The English felt that the burden of debt must be shared, Ultimately most of the war was footed by the English back home.
Britain surmised that the best way to raise funds for their arrearage would be to exact taxes. Few taxes raised substantial sums of money. Taxes were imposed both internally and externally to accumulate funds to pay for the war. The stamp tax was levied for just those reasons. Passed in 11765, it marked the beginnings of colonial resistance to taxation. The tax included a payment on many legal items, such as marriage papers, loans, and playing cards, that would help to make a sizable dent in the British deficit. The wide dislike of these taxes in the colonies showed a sure
hatred for British rule. Many times tax collectors were tarred and feathered or hung in protest. The ineffectiveness of these taxes forced the British to realize that losing money wasn’t the way to pay off debt. After much argumentation amongst parliament, the taxes were repealed. The significance in America was immense, The use of a boycott proved to be effective in eliminating the problems of the colonies. The Townshend Acts which went into effect in 1765 and 1766 were external taxes. The duties were extra payments on such goods as lead, paints, glass, paper, and tea. The Townshend acts also extended the rights of the officials in the colonials with the Wits of Assistance, Providing for search and seizure under any circumstances. He also transferred some of the cash flow to pay royal salaries, especially governors in America. The actions of Townshend angered the colonists vastly they were completely unresponsive to the taxes. They “cheerfully ignored the taxes, as the colonist would say. The ineffectiveness of both the taxes and Townshend’s growth of excessive pride in his power led to bad feelings among the colonials. The Townshend Acts were eventually repealed. againwithh a reluctance on Britain’s par. The damage had been done though, with every day the British seemed to make themselves look more despicable for thew actions, The same actons which in the minds of British were completely justified to help recover the huge loss from the war.
NThe ile only a gray point between the French and Indian War, the repeal of taxes, and the Revolutionary War, the Proclamation of 1763 had a significant effect on the attitudes of the colonials toward the British. After the French and Indian War and the treaty of Paris, the Proclamation of 1763 was one of the first documents issued to govern the colonies. This proclamation simply stated that no further settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains was allowed (Jennings 464). To the colonists, was a direct blow to their confidence. The colonists interpreted this proclamation as putting an off-limits sign on the Ohio River Valley where the whole war had started over. The proclamations. and misinterpretation was big to the view of the colonists. With some convincing, a colonial could be shown that since the French and Indian War the acts, taxes, and proclamations have been directed to repress the colonial growth and extend a firmer grip over North America, The real purpose forth!
The proclamation of 1763 was to temporarily solve the Indiandian problem. The Indian’s rights and property were being violated and the British government realized this and took action. They had just ended a costly war and couldn’t afford small skirmishes and conflicts three thousand miles from home. The effects of the proclamation were small, but the connotation of them resonated its way through te the evolution, With Britain’s failure to identify its intentions to the colonials, simply began a chain of events that would lead to a revolution. Mighty Britain was not a force that one would want to reckon with within the 1700s. Their demise was partially brought upon them when they developed a flaw. Their strength in numbers or magnitude caused this flaw which would lead them to their downfall. This flaw made the waves of the splash much larger than the actual splash. The grand scale of a big war caused a multitude of repercussions that sacrificed Britain to its colonies.
History of French an Indian War. (2022, Jun 13). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/history-of-french-an-indian-war/