Road to Revolution Colonial Background l Population growth

Road to Revolution

Colonial Background l Population growth in the Colonies: ¡ 1700: 250, 000 Europeans ¡ 1770: 2, 100, 000 Europeans ¡ 840% increase in just 70 years ¡ Problems ? ? ?

Colonial Background l Isolated ¡ Easier to ship goods to England than to go overland from Boston to Savanna ¡ Ethnic/cultural groups were separated Dislike/Resentment (historical backgrounds) l Disputed territory l

Colonial Background

Colonial Background l Economy ¡ Colonist had a higher standard of living than people in England, France and much of Europe ¡ Most colonists were living a middle class existence ¡ Why Tobacco: 105 million lbs sold to England in 1770 l Rice l Sugar l Land l

Colonial Background l Trying to Unite the colonies ¡ Albany Plan of Union 1754 ¡ Proposed by Benjamin Franklin

Colonial Background l The French and Indian War ¡ AKA: l Seven Years War Lasted 9 years ¡ Who l fought? French, Huron and other Native Americans v. English, colonists and Iroquois ¡ What l were they fighting over? Ohio River Valley and Appalachian Mountains ¡ British win Treaty of Paris (1763) l French lose most of Canada and disputed territory l

Colonial Background

Colonial Background l Post-War ¡ More l Fallout land = more troops to protect it and its people Colonists’ Viewpoint: • We can protect ourselves (militias) • British regulars are thugs (4 w’s) l Britain’s: Viewpoints • Colonist will pay taxes for protection (keep army around) • Militias are unreliable, unpredictable and untrainable) ¡ Colonist l = British citizens? ? ? Were forced to: • Quarter troops outside of war • Pay taxes without representation • Colonies used to tax themselves

Colonial Background l Post-War ¡ British: l After the French and Indian War and keeping troops in America, the British had a huge debt ¡ The l Fallout American Colonists: Better off after the War than before it • Increased the prices on their goods British $ going straight into the colonists pockets • Colonist were trading with the French during the War (Without the French and Indian War in the 1750 s, there probably would have been no Revolution in the 1770’s…but still probably would have happened)

Colonial Background l Why did the British want to stay involved in the colonies anyway? ¡ Mercantilism