The French And Indian War

Submitted By gingerphennel77
Words: 624
Pages: 3

Ginger Phennel 9/17/14 1st period
The French and Indian War altered the political, economical, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies. The English had a significant amount of debt from the war, and in an effort to fix their dilemma; they unfairly enforced taxation without representation. This led to rising tension between America and the Mother Country.

After the French and Indian War, the countries colonizing North America shifted. English colonies were now the main influence in the New World. This changed the political relationship between Britain and the American colonists. The war led to the Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonial settlement in the Ohio River Valley. The Proclamation was Britain's idea of preventing further conflict. It was created to help keep peace between the Native Americans, who believed they had no right or place to settle, and the American settlers. Nevertheless, the colonists were angry, and they thought they were being deprived of their freedom. They wanted more land to settle on for their growing population. Another political change included Britain's desertion of their salutary neglect policy. After the French and Indian War, England was left with the deep debt they had obtained during the previous years. As a result, they began to rigorously control trade, and impose taxes on commonly used items. Although Britain explained that somehow they had a right to enforcing these new taxes, the colonists were enraged. They felt this was undeserved taxation.

Though there were political changes, this sudden taxation and regulation took an effect on the economic relationship between the colonists and their mother country as well. Before the French and Indian War, there were acts such as, The Wool, Hat, and Iron Acts, which forced the Americans to ship their raw the material to Britain. Then they would later buy the finished products from Britain. That process was known as mercantilism. However, mercantilism was soon abandoned when the colonists decided to fight back, against the unjust taxation laws. Then when Britain established The Stamp Act, it enraged many of the influential colonists. Benjamin Franklin, and many others stated that they wanted this new act to be repealed as soon as possible. They strategically used boycotting as their weapon. They took part in non-importation and non-consumption, which injured the economic relationship between the two parties.

Colonial ideological values toward Britain began to change during the war. They went from feeling like they had to be loyal and wouldn’t be able to make it without the help of Britain, to