The British Empire and the Colonial Crisis

Seven Years’ War

George Washington Royal Governor Dinwiddie

First Battle of French and Indian War  Tanaghrisson, or “Half King”

Fort Necessity

Albany Congress, 1754 Benjamin FranklinThomas Hutchinson

Timeline of The War  1754 French build Fort Duquesne  May, Washington attacks French  July, French and Indians defeat Washington at Fort Necessity  1755 General Edward Braddock defeated at Monongahela  1756 William Pitt becomes Prime Minister  1758 British capture Fort Duquesne  1760 British capture Montreal  1763 Treaty of Paris is signed

Consequences of the War  Pitt and others believed American traders were actually traitors for participating in colonial smuggling; blamed the colonists for prolonging the war by engaging in illegal trade with the French  colonists were angry that arrogant British commanders had relegated them to grunt work and subjected them to harsh discipline;  the war was very expensive in money and human toll, and costs continued to mount once British leaders decided to maintain a force of ten thousand soldiers in North America;  British national debt had doubled since Pitt took office.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

Proclamation of 1763  Issued by the British to minimize violence  Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachians  Only licensed traders could trade with Indians  Forbade the private sale of Indian lands

First Continental Congress  Gathering of Colonial Representatives in Philadelphia in 1774— Every colony except Georgia sent representatives; delegates sought to articulate their authorities as British subjects.  Debated Possible Responses to Coercive Acts—Some wanted a total ban with trade on Britain; southerners dependent on tobacco and rice exports opposed halting trade.  Produced Declaration of Rights—The declaration was couched in traditional language: “We ask only for peace, liberty, and security. Wish no diminution of royal prerogatives, we demand no new rights”; from England’s perspective, the existing rights were too radical;  Non-Recognition of Colonial Political Bodies—The British did not recognize as legitimate the Continental Congress;  colonists now believed that the problems of British rule went beyond taxation and involved infringement of liberty and denial of self-government.