Summary
When the French and Indian War, and its
European counterpart, the Seven Years War, officially came to a close with the
Treaty of Paris in 1763, North America was divided territorially between the
British and Spanish. Britain had driven the French from the continent, and
extended its land claims west to the Mississippi River. It seemed that British
holdings in North America and all over the world were more secure than ever, but
there were signs of trouble brewing in the American colonies. The French had
been driven from the continent by a coalition of Britons, colonists, and Native
Americans. However, once peace was restored, this three-pronged alliance showed
signs of crumbling.
One source of conflict arose between the colonial and British soldiers. In
Britain, it was widely assumed that the professional troops sent to the colonies
deserved full credit for British victory in the war. In reality, about 40
percent of the regular soldiers who served in the war enlisted in America.
American soldiers complained constantly during and after the war that British
public opinion drastically underestimated America's part.
British soldiers, for their part, bemoaned the ineptitude of the colonial
troops. They claimed the colonials were useless in battle and had no real sense
of duty, tending to return home, even in the midst of a campaign, when their
terms were up or they were not paid on time. Colonial troops denied these
charges, and complained of British arrogance and contemptuousness in dealings
with the colonials.
British troops also quarreled with colonial civilians, who were often reluctant
to provide food and shelter to the British, and consistently complained of the
troops' poor behavior. Pennsylvania Quakers, as pacifists, voted against
appropriating funds for the war effort, and Massachusetts and New York also took
a stand against the quartering of British troops in their colonies. British
Parliament, and King George III, viewed these actions as antagonistic to the
British effort to defend imperial territories.
Another major area of contention was taxation. The colonies had profited
greatly form the war. Military contracts and expenditures by British troops had
meant a large inflow of British currency. Trade flourished, and many American's
traded with the French West Indies. This trade was illegal in peace time, and
seen as morally reprehensible during a war against the French, but it proved
very profitable. Meanwhile, the British national debt had climbed from 72
million pounds before the war to 132 million at its end. To pay down this debt,
Britain instituted a land tax at home, and imposed excise tax on many commonly
traded goods.
However, the colonists felt burdened as well. During the war, prosperous
colonists had developed a taste for imported goods. In fact, the annual value
of British imports to the colonies had doubled. Once the wartime economic boom
ended, many Americans went into debt trying to maintain their middle-class
lifestyle. Colonial debts to Britain grew rapidly, and many began to suspect
that the British were intentionally plotting to enslave the colonists
economically.
