Did Britain Really Win The War?

Did Britain Really Win the War?

The French and Indian War affected North America. The war started in 1689 and did not end until 1763. Now the main question is "Did Britain really win?" There were many factors ranging from political to economical that prevented Britain from experiencing full success of winning the war. In addition, this war is what ultimately started the separation of the colonies from Britain.

Britain faced many political problems after the French and Indian War that prevented her from experiencing full success of winning the war. The problems ranged from acts and just plain fights or riot that went on after the war ended.

During the French and Indian War, the British government recognized the desperate need for coordinating colonial defense. To come up with a solution to this problem the British government called for representatives from several colonies to meet and come up with a plan. There several representatives adopted a plan - The Albany Plan of Union- that provided for an intercolonial government and a system for recruiting

troops and collecting taxes from the various colonies for their common defense. Even

though Benjamin Franklin had developed the plan, it did not coincide well with the colonies. The reason this plan did not work was that the colonies were too jealous of their own taxation powers to accept the idea of intercolonial government. Even though the Albany Plan of Union was not accepted, it would later set an example for a more revolutionary congress in the 1700s. (Newman and Schmalbach 61)

Pontiac's Rebellion would be the first major test of the new British imperial policy after salutary neglect. In 1763, Chief Pontiac would lead a major attack against colonial settlements on the western frontier. The Ottawa Indians were so angered that Europeans settlers kept on their westward movement. The British also angered them with the refusal to offer gifts as the French had done. During the attack, forts from New York to Virginia had been destroyed by Pontiac's alliance of Native Americans. In order for the British government to not rely on colonial forces to retaliate, they sent regular to deal with the rebellion. Although the British were able to defeat the Indians at Bushy Run they had only stung the Indians, they did not destroy their power. This attack resulted in 2,000 casualties. (Newman and Schmalbach 62) (Conlin 116 )

After Pontiac's Rebellion took place, the government came up with an idea that would prevent any further attacks from the Indians. The idea that parliament came up with was that Proclamation Act of 1763.

The Proclamation Act of 1763 was created to let tempers cool down after

Pontiac's Rebellion. This proclamation stated that prohibited colonists to settle west pf the Appalachian Mountains. This proclamation was also made to prevent future hostilities between colonists and Native Americans. The only problem with this act was that to many Virginian planters and inflectional British politicos dreamed of the riches from the Ohio valley real estate to even consider abiding by this act. In the end, the American's just pretty much just ignored this act. (Conlin 116 )

Another political problem that occurred took place was when the Stamp Act was repealed. Parliament saw that they needed to somehow prove they still had some control over the colonists.

Parliament passed the Declaratory Act in 1766 after the Stamp Act had been repealed. This act granted them the power to tax and make laws for the colonies in all cases. This act denied the Americans' claims for their own assemblies, but the wording was also lifted from a law that made Ireland completely subject to Great Britain. The Declaratory Act was pretty much a way for parliament to save their power. (Conlin 126)

Another major political problem would happen just a few years after the Declaratory Act had been passed. Although this problem was completely different from the passing of the Declaratory Act, it still had a major impact.

On March 5, 1770, the unthinkable happened. A bloody situation that would later

be called The Boston Massacre took place on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts. On the day that the Townshend Duties were repealed a riot broke out. There was a deadly confrontation between colonists and red coats. The riot ended with the Red Coats firing their guns and killing five people, including an African American, Crispus Attucks. Later on, the soldiers would be represented in court by John Adams and acquitted of the crimes they were charged with. Samuel Adams, cousin, of John Adams would later on call the shooting incident a "massacre". (Newman and Schmalbach 66) ( Conlin 130)

When the colonists saw the chance to get back at the British government for capturing smugglers they took it.

The Gaspee was a British ship that had great success in catching numerous smugglers. In June 1772, colonists spotted the boat off the shore of Rhode Island. They figured this was their opportunity to destroy the hated boat so they took it. Eight men dressed up as Native Americans boarded the boat and pushed all crewmembers roughly to shore. Once all the crewmembers were off the boat the colonists set the British ship on fire and let it burn right to the water. Considering the Gaspee was a royal ship, this was

considered an act of rebellion. Since no positive ids could be made, no colonists were charged with the crime. (Conlin 133)

After the British government found out about the Boston Tea Party, they were furious. They decided that they needed a way to punish the colonists for what they had

done. Their perfect idea just so happened to be the Coercive Acts.

The Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) of 1774 was a response to the Boston Tea Party. This act affected the colonies in many ways. The first way it affected the colonies was when it closed down the port of Boston until the colony paid for all the tea that had been poured into the Boston harbor. This act also reduced the power of the Massachusetts legislature while increasing the power of the royal governor. Another stipulation was that officials accused of a crime could be tried in England instead of in the colonies. The fourth part of this act was the extinction of the Quarting Act, which required colonists to house troops in their private homes. This act was just a way to anger the colonists