DIVYA APPASAMY MEGANA SEKAR VIJAY SRIVASTAVA HELEN ZHANG CHAPTER

Chapter 4: THE EMPIRE IN TRANSITION

Divya Appasamy, Megana Sekar, Vijay Srivastava, Helen Zhang

Chapter 4: The Empire in Transition

Q #1DQ #1: To what extent were the major actions taken by the British against the colonists from 1763 to 1770 justified?

I. English Monopoly was Forced on Colonists.

A. Sugar Act of 1764

Increased duty on sugar and decreased duty on molasses
Established vice-admiralty courts to try accused smugglers

Damaged colonial commerce and sugar trade
Forced mercantilism » Less trade opportunities/w other countries » Smaller market » Less profit for colonists

B. British Customs Commission Established in Boston

Townshend creates board of customs commissioners to keep colonial customs houses in line
Customs commission outlawed trade with foreigners

Lucrative smuggling trade in Boston(Commission Headquarters) is diminished » poverty in Boston and discontent merchants » forced onto colonists trade regulations that only benefitted the British
Commission didn’t succeed much in anything but overbearingly enforcing unconstitutional laws » reminder of British control and oppression

II. Asserted Legitimacy of English Colonies.

A. Stamp Act of 1765

British imposed taxes on most printed documents- newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, wills, deeds, etc.
Affected people of all classes and profession

Stamps on all documents » Prevented forgery/ illegitimate copies » Protected documents while giving colonial documents more credit
Taxed all colonists » Brought in more revenue » Boosted economy and made English a more impressive empire

B. Mutiny Act of 1965

Part of the Townshend program that required colonists to provide supplies and shelter for British soldiers wealth by hurting workers and underselling the competition
Colonists did this voluntarily during French and Indian War, so they were accustomed to this practice

Necessary to protect borders from Indians and enforce British supremacy
Reduced housing costs for English » Better collective economy

III. Rowdy Colonists Needed to be Controlled

Sons of Liberty

In reaction to the Stamp Act, men part of the “Sons of Liberty” organization burned stamps and terrorized stamps agents. They’ve acted on other occasions, too.
Tended to targeted the rich(Thomas Hutchinson is an example)
Intimidated moderate colonists to actively oppose the British as well

Reckless, violent action was taken against British when more peaceful alternatives were available » Colonies need to be leashed since they cannot handle themselves » English actions to reform government are thereby justified
Sons of Liberty swept up normal citizens in their affairs » proved to English that the colonies could easily gang up against them for trivial matters, so the colonies needed restraint

Boston Massacre - 1770

Colonists harassed and egged on British soldiers simply on duty by throwing rocks and snowballs at them
Captain Thomas Preston and troops came to soldiers’ aid. Shots were fired in the confusion, six colonists were killed
Radicals spread the name “Boston Massacre” around, unfitting for a minor accident. British soldiers were tried for manslaughter but were acquitted

Close-to-terrorism behavior from colonists in retaliation to a nonexistent threat from British » Demonstrates colonist incompetence with maintaining order themselves » Justifies British taking control of colonial affairs

CONCLUSION: The British began enforcing a series of laws on the colonists after the French and Indian War from 1763-1770. As a result, England’s forced monopoly compromised colonial profit. However, other British efforts affirmed their legitimacy as an English colony. Additionally, England’s new procedures kept the colonies in line, which was necessary since the colonies have proven to be dangerous on their own. Although their mercantile pursuits jeopardized the colonial market, by affirming America’s influence as an English colony, and through witnessing unscrupulous colonists at work, Britain’s actions against the colonists were justified.

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