Lecture: from British to American, from Comfort to Conflict

Lecture: From British to American, from Comfort to Conflict

Peale v. Gainsborough Hook: Compare these two pictures. The one on the left is done by British Painter, Thomas Gainsborough is mid 1700s, but is typical of British painting at the time. The one on the write is done by American painter Charles Wilson Peale of George Washington slightly later in the 1700s, but modeled off the British style of portraiture.

These two paintings provide an example of life in the colonies in the 1700s—a life that revolved around Britain and strong desire to be British. One way they showed this desire was by having similar paintings/portraits done by American painters but in the British style, and some like Peale, who had gone to England to be trained.

Question: How did the relationship between Britain and the colonies change in the 1700s? Why did the colonies go from loving Britain to hating Britain.

Thesis Thesis: Although throughout the 1700s the colonies view and pride themselves on being more and more British, it is the realization that they are in fact not British, but American, that ultimately leads the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain to change from one of comfort to one of conflict.

Relationships between Colony and Imperial Country/Mother Country  What is a colony? o Territory owned and overseen by a larger country usually to gain economic benefits  What is the relationship between a colony and the mother country?  Why would people want to move to a colony from a home country? Why not move to another country? o More space, wealth, opportunity o Whole new identity Slide 4: Maintaining British Roots (Population Chart) What is happening? Why is this happening? What impact does this have?

1. Throughout the 1700s there is a growing population of immigrants (Dutch, Scots-Irish, African), but much of the growth in population is actually the result of natural birth. Despite being born in the colonies, that doesn’t mean the colonists have disposed of their British ties.  Like today, how many of you are Italian? Irish? Russian? What makes you part of that culture? Were you born there? How do you preserve that culture? Why?  Even though the population of American born is growing the colonists still want to be considered “British” So they work to maintain that British identity culturally, economically, politically

Cultural Connections to Britain (Paintings/Home) What do you notice about these two houses?  Both show Georgian style of architecture, which shows symmetry in the house, a chimney at one end. For example, if you walk around Alexandria today you see a lot of these kinds of houses. Just like the paintings we saw, this shows the colonists desire to build homes like British.

 Throughout the colonies in the 1700s, you see the ideas of Britain infusing into colonial society. Where else have we seen the infusing of British ideas into colonial society?

 For example, the Enlightenment’s emphasis on logic and reason with British thinkers like John Locke, seep their way into the colonies and influence views on self-government and facilitate the thinking of Americans like Ben Franklin, who pushes for reform and further pursuit of education.

 The colonists honor British heroes, such as Jeffrey Amherst, who attacked Louisburg in the Seven Years War, by naming towns, after them. Slide 6: Economic connections to Britain (Port)  The colonies also want to follow the lead of Britain economically by becoming more prosperous beyond the level of subsistence that had existed particularly in New England thus far.  Therefore following the lead of Britain, the colonies became increasingly commercial.  The colonies increase commerce as a result of Britain’s mercantilist policies—policies that allow a country to become increasingly wealthy by becoming economically self-sufficient through no imports, but high levels of export.  What does that look like? Means everything from food, clothing, shelter and all the products need to be produced in the mother country or colonies. Is that possible today? o An example of this was Navigation Acts, which did several things: . Limited trade to ships made in Britian or America . Required certain goods (tobacco, sugar, cotton, indigo dye) to be sent to Britain before other countries . Paid bounties on certain item-silk dyes, lumber . Allowed to import goods cheaply  As a result the colonies began to develop shipbuilding industries and there was a heavy demand for colonial goods that allowed the production of goods to be profitable, and the emergence of a middle class.  The cheap imports allowed colonists to truly be “British” by importing fashion, china, books, and other consumer goods. Even the importation of tea and goods allowed them to maintain a social connection to the social custom.  While the colonists might see this relationship as beneficial in allowing them to maintain ties to Britain, through what lens are the British watching. Why do they keep the colonies around?

British Political Institutions in Britain  Colonies model their governments off of the British model. In Britain you have the Monarch and Parliament, made up of the House of Lords, which are the nobility, and the House of Commons, elected from the people—but only those who meet requirements.  Colonies were run by Governor who is appointed by the King if it is a royal charter or a proprietor if a proprietary colony. The legislature is composed of two houses—the Council, who are elite appointed by the governor, and the Assembly, who are elected from the people. However because of property owning requirements, it is often the colonial elite who compose the assembly.  In 1688, when the English Bill of Rights limits the role of the monarch in favor of the Parliament and the rights of the people, the colonists, who still view themselves as British, believe that they maintain these same rights.  They also believe that they can maintain the power in the legislatures and not in the governor. One example is that Assemblies held the purse strings, and therefore it was up to them to pay the salaries of the governors. They demonstrated their power by often refusing to pay governors, for example in the case of Governor Clinton of NY.  However, from the perspective of the British, this is considered the period of Salutary Neglect, as long as the colonies remained prosperous for England, Prime Minister Walpole, believed there was no need to enforce Parliamentary law—just worry about protecting them. As we will see this will change  And the colonies were economically profitable. Between 1740-1770, English exports to the colonies increased 360%

Turning Point: French and Indian War (1756-1763)  Because of the profitability of the colonies, protecting and making them sustainable was essential. For decades, European conflicts between France and Britain spilled into the colonies through : i. King Williams War ii. Queen Anne’s War iii. King George’s War  None of these was able to resolve disputed land claims in North America.  In early1750s, France took dispute into its own hands by moving into the Ohio River valley and setting up forts in modern day Pennsylvania area (Ft. Duquesne), and with their Indian allies were prepared to defend themselves.  Virginia sent Washington and troops to expel them—but they were quickly defeated—a loss for Washington—which makes you wonder why he is later chosen to command the continental army  Ben Franklin made an attempt at unifying the colonies in the Albany Convention, but colonies weren’t willing to give up authority.  Seems likely that this will be the end for the British in North America  British, led by William Pitt, however was able to change the story by leading troops mostly made up of colonists. As many NA abandoned their support of the French, seeing them get too greedy, Pitt captured Ft. Duquesne and later Quebec on the Plains of Abraham  Treaty of Paris 1763, expelled France from North America, and left it divided between Spain and Britain

Effects of the French and Indian War  For the colonists being British has paid off. They are on the side of the winning team, and now have more land on which to expand—with the exception of looming continued conflicts with Native Americans like Pontiac. They begin to see themselves as equals, partners with the British  For Britain, however, they have amassed a huge debt that needs paying, and therefore believe the colonies need to be the ones to help since it was for their protection. Also the British need to make sure the colonies continue to be profitable and not a burden.  For Britain, the colonies now are an administrative dilemma. They are no longer a mom and pop shop—but are now a growing enterprise. How do you maintain this growingly valuable colony? i. One way they begin to do that is through the Proclamation of 1763, which limits colonists settlements to east of the Mississippi, to avoid conflicts with the Native Americans.  The colonists begin to realize that they are not in fact British equals, but from the British point of view they really are just colonies filled with 2nd class citizens who may not deserve the Rights of Englishmen that they will end up fight for in the American Revolution.

Questions To whom should colonists be loyal, the colonies or the country? Why did they change from loving to hating Britain?