Mercantilist Relationship Between the American Colonies and the British Government

The purpose of mercantilism was to increase power, wealth and self sufficiency for the mother countries. England, Spain and france would often compete with each other to gain colonies in regions such as North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Raw materials such as lumber, wool, iron, cotton, tobacco, rice, and indigo were what England needed to be able to create manufactured goods. However, mercantilism in the American colonies were more dependent on the manufactured products of England. The Navigation Acts that were a series of laws were enforced by England so that they could make the American colonies more dependent on the manufactured goods of England.The American colonists were expected to buy manufactured goods like cloth, furniture,knives,

Another event that shows that the separation was more than economic, was the Continental Congress of 1774. This was not aimed towards a total rebellion and revolution, but towards an attempt to seal the cracks that had begun to spread between England and the American colonies. This group of twelve of the thirteen colonies wanted to make a point and get the taxation laws repealed at the same time. They created The Association document, which called for a complete boycott of British goods in the colonies. Those who resisted the Association were tarred

The effects after the French and Indian War created an unbalanced relationship between Britain and the British colonies. The victory allowed Britain to expand their territory, but also brought Britain in great debt. Britain believed that Parliament should have more authority over the colonists and so they put in Acts to enforce their rules. The many different Acts created resentment throughout the colonies towards their mother country. The French and Indian War also had the effect on the colonies and the colonists because they all fought together and were unified. Before the war, the colonies were very untrustful of each other, but the war helped them fight against a common enemy. The French and Indian War caused Britain to enforce

During the time period of 1600 to 1776, the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies changed massively. The relationship between Great Britain and the colonies changed greatly because of three main reasons: the relationships that the colonies and Great Britain were built on, the struggles that the colonists faced because of their relationships with Great Britain, and the anger that the colonists expressed because of the ridiculous taxes that they had to pay. Once the colonists realized that they were suffering under British rule, most of the colonists became eager to be independent from Great Britain. The colonists’ Second Continental Congress believed that the acts and taxes created by the British Parliament were unconstitutional, unjust, and unfair towards the colonists and because of that belief, the Declaration signers forever changed our country.

To begin with, the French and Indian War created political changes between Britain and the colonies. After the war, Britain saw they needed to have a stronger relationship with the Native Americans in the colonies (Doc B). The Natives didn’t always have a stable relationship with the British during the war and Britain wanted to ensure the Natives would not become aggressive and attack them. The war and gaining of new land in North America, also showed England

Additionally, Britain began imposing different taxes on the colonies after the war, which greatly changed the relations between

So first off, let's talk about Mercantilism. What is bad about it you may ask? Well lets see from a coloniest point of view. So the mother country gets rich, as the colonies do not. The colonists must sell basically all of their raw materials to the mother country for whatever price the Mother country decides (a cheap price). They must buy manufactured goods from the Mother country (at a high prices) so do you see what I mean.

Though both are independent nations, the United Kingdom and the United States now share a close bond, and have even been allies during WWI and WWII in the 20th century. But when the colonies of the United States were under British rule, the relations between the Colonies and Britain were not so friendly. The views on government and taxation between the two became radically different and created a large disagreement between the American Patriots and those loyal to Britain. Cracks began to form in the relationship between Britain and the Colonies, and the differences between the two would inevitably result in the American Revolution.

- A political and economic policy adapted by most European monarchs. A mercantile system exist when the government controlled all economic activities to strengthen national power.

Navigation acts: laws that restricted the use of foreign ships for the use of trade trade between Britain and its colonies

Relationships between the colonists and the British Empire dwindled more after the seven years war in ended in 1763. The taxes of certain cargo and acts developed more occurrent with both the British citizens in England and the colonists in America. The colonists grew towards the idea of independence during the time period of 1763 to 1783, due to the British taxes and tariffs placed upon the colonists and the political influence from both legislatures on the people.

The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American

The colonies did NOT wish to part with the British, they merely wished for a return of their autonomy.

Many events led up to the split between the colonies and England. When England claimed a portion of the new world for its own they had to inhabit it to enforce its claim. The easies way to do so was to allow groups searching for

Changes in British policies toward the colonies between 1750 and 1776 played paramount in the evolution of relations between British North America and Mother England. Tension between England and the colonies mounted from the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War to the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a result of the several implemented changes imposed by Parliament for the purpose of increasing income and tightening the grip on America.