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... colony was begun by a group of Puritans under the leadership of John Winthrop. The Puritans, also called the Pilgrims, established a colony on the Massachusetts Bay. They shipped lumber, built and outfitted ships, and carried on a good amount of foreign trade.
There were eleven other British colonies: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The British also had other colonies besides the thirteen on the North American mainland. Barbados was the chief of these. Barbados produced more income than all thirteen mainland colonies put together. The British viewed the colonies as part of the British Empire. They saw the colonies as an important economic tool.
The sole purpose of these colonies was to contribute to the success of the British economy. The British Parliament passed a series of laws called the Navigation Acts. This was an attempt to put into action the mercantile system by keeping all the cash within its own borders so England could gain more wealth. The Navigation Acts limited the colonists in many ways. The colonists were not allowed to export anything unless it was in an English vessel.
The colonists also had to buy all their goods only from British merchants. During the late 1600 's and early 1700 's, a series of wars broke out in Europe as countries began to establish themselves as the major powers of the world. The first of these was the Glorious Revolution of 1689. In this war the English Parliament established itself as the supreme power. From 1689 - 1697, there was King William's War, followed by Queen Anne's War from 1702 - 1713, and the War of Jenkins' Ear from 1743 - 1748.
This shows how volatile the relationships were between the countries during this time. The most important of the wars during this period was the Seven Years War, or the French and Indian War. This war, between Britain and France, lasted from 1754 - 1763. The French had established a profitable fur trade with the Indians, and they did not want the English encroaching on their monopoly in this trade. The English wanted to expand westward, but the French were blocking their efforts. This was a critical factor for the fighting of this war.
The Native Americans played a critical role in the outcome of the war as well. The Indians were convinced to side primarily with the French because the French wanted a trade relationship with the Indians; the English only wanted the Indian's land. Because of the untraditional warfare of the Native Americans, the English were forced to send many British Regulars to North America to fight the war. As a result, the war was a costly one - adding to the economic misery of Great Britain because of the already accumulated debt from previous wars. The English finally won in 1763.
The treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 in Paris, France. The treaty gave all the rights of French land to the English. As a result of all the wars that were going on with England during this time, the English lost interest in the American colonies. They were in a state of salutary neglect. This was a positive action in an attempt to stay out of colonists' affairs so they could develop in a positive manner. When the English finally realized the amount of debt they had incurred because of their numerous military campaigns, they began to look differently at the American colonies.
The English felt that the colonists had not contributed their fair share to the British cause. After all, the colonies were only there for the betterment of the British economy. But the colonists were not there only for Great Britain as a whole; they were there for themselves. Britain then began to send over troops and establish military discipline in the colonies. The English began to pass laws in an attempt to make the Americans pay for the war.
Some of the laws that were passed included the Sugar Act in 1764, The Stamp Act in 1765, and the Quartering Act in 1765. The most ill-received of these laws was the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act imposed a tax on all written material. This included letters, deeds, newspapers, and all other written transactions or documents. Needless to say, the colonists were not happy. This caused the famous cry to be raised, "No taxation without representation. " The colonists wanted a voice in the laws that were passed for them.
As a result of the passing of these unfair taxes, the famous Boston Tea Party was held. The British then decided to quarter troops in Boston for the first time. The colonists resented the troops living in their towns. The two societies were moving towards war. In 1775, fighting broke out between the two countries. As a result of the war between England and the Colonies, the Continental Congress was formed.
The purpose of this body was not to govern, but to help make decisions, oversee, and finance the war. Continental Congress appointed George Washington as general of the Continental Line. The Continental Line was an army raised and funded by the Continental Congress. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was passed and signed by the Continental Congress.
On October 17, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. He had retreated to Yorktown in hopes of receiving much-needed supplies from the British fleet. But, as he was soon to discover, the British had control of the seas no longer. The French had allied themselves with American forces in 1778. By the time Cornwallis had retreated back to the coast, the French had gained control of the seas. The British formally surrendered in 1785.
The two countries met again in Paris, France to sign a treaty. In 1787, the Constitution, again written by Thomas Jefferson, was framed. But all the articles could not be agreed upon by all the states. In 1781, however, the states did ratify the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution was later ratified by all thirteen colonies in 1789. A new nation had officially been born. The changing definition of mercantilism, stemming from increased trade, wrought many new things from the early 1400 's to the late 1700 's. Trade increased, an economic revolution took place, countries began to expand to new lands, and people began to call these new lands home. The thirteen original British colonies had started as individual, independent colonies who each worked for the economic good of Great Britain - but they ended up a unified nation, under God, with liberty, justice, and freedom for all.
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Research essay sample on Continental Congress Native Americans
