The%20American%20Mosaic

1
The American Mosaic

• And
• The
• Imperial Crisis

2

• The 1700s reassured England that America would
  truly be the most beneficial of its colonies in
  terms of mercantilism and colonial imperialism,
  political, social, and economic dynamics changed.
  (Triangular TradeTechnology from Liverpool to
  West AfricaSlaves to West Indies pick up
  sugarto New England and pick up Rum back to
  Liverpool)

3
American Mosaic

• By 1763, No one drunk or sober was talking of
  Independence from Great Britain.
• There were issues such as the Navigational Acts,
  Sugar Tax, Molasses Tax etc
• Americans, however, considered themselves very
  Britishtook pride in their British Heritage
  They were part of an empire.

4
American Importance

• Until mid 18th century, the only significance of
  America had been its provincial immigration.
• It was neither rich enough nor populace enough to
  give much thought.
• Intensive exploitation was done in the West
  Indies with its large Sugar and Slave economy.

5
American Importance

• Because the British ignored us, we had by the
  French and Indian war been self governing
  ourselves in some rudimentary form.
• There were Royal governors and Royal councils,
  but they were paid and levied taxes according to
  the wishes of the local legislatures and
  Burgesses.
• This gave them some control over the executive
  and a more liberal form of government than in
  England.

6
Population Diversity

• Immigration and Natural Increase
• Enormous ethnic diversity
• 250,000 enslaved African immigrants
• 250,000 Scots-Irish
• 135,000 Germans
• Some Swiss, Swedes, Highland Scots, and Spanish
  Jews
• Tremendous birthrate three times higher than
  today
• Diversity added to the more liberal form of
  government.

7
Older Communities and Backcountry

• With the increase in population, the original
  settlements overflowed.
• Most of the new arrivals headed inland to settle
  the backcountry.
• This backcountry served as a source of concern
  for the more established communities.

8
Backcountry

• The backcountry settlements were regions of
  lawlessness and chaos.
• Isolated from one another, settlers had no strong
  community ties.
• Settlers moved many times before settling for
  good - adding to the lack of stability and family
  isolation.

9
Backcountry

• The established rural communities refused the
  backcountry judicial or political
  representation.
• Often to combat the lawlessness, vigilante groups
  formed.
• Regulators of S.C. doled out their own brand of
  justice in the 1760s (also a change in how
  England viewed the colonists)

10
English Economic and Social Development

• Large financial institutions and textile
  factories dominated Englands economy colonies
  were predominantly rural
• Londons population in 1750 675,000
• 90 percent of all colonists lived in towns of
  fewer than 2,000
• England became an Industrial nation and saw the
  Americas as a raw material and consumer market
  for British goods.

11
American Society

• Because of this Pax Britannia attitude embraced
  by many Americans, it altered how Americans
  viewed themselves as Englishmen.
• The top wrung was dominated by the merchants.
• The middle wrung of the ladder were the skilled
  artisans - ship builders, ropemakers,
  blacksmiths.
• The lower wrung was composed of free unskilled
  laborers - sailors, domestics, and prostitutes.
• At the very bottom were Slaves and Indians and
  Poor Scots-Irish.

12
Demographics of the Colonies

• New England was imbibed with this Moral
  capitalism and Shipping and Fishing Industry.
• There were growing Infant Industry, but mostly
  cottage at this timegreat deal of skilled labor.
• Middle Colonies were the Bread-basket to the
  coloniesmuch skilled labor and still many
  indenturesIt was mostly an artisan middle class
  economy.

13
South

• From 1700 to 1750, there was a large increase of
  African Slave importation. If the math is correct
  roughly around 100 to 200,000 Africans made the
  journey. There also was a large increase of
  natural born slavesby the time of the
  Revolution approximately 600,000 blacks almost
  all located in the South and bound in slavery.

14
South

• The South was greatly defined by the institution
  of plantation slavery.
• Although the number of slaves varied, cash crops
  (rice and cotton) were always grown.
• Slaves created a world of their own in the slave
  cabins through family ties and community
  activities.

15
South

• After working sunup to sundown, the slaves sang,
  danced, told folk-tales, and held religious
  services.
• To resist, the slaves challenged orders, damaged
  furniture, played dumb, stole liquor, or broke
  tools.
• Open rebellions, like 1739s Stono Rebellion,
  were uncommon.

16
Anglo-American World

• The colonies felt a strong sense of tradition
  with their British heritage.
• The colonists came to realize they had little in
  common with Britain.
• These differences laid the groundwork for the
  American Revolution.

17
Anglo-American World

• The Colonies
• All citizens owned land and farmed.
• 75 were middle class.
• 90 of Americans lived in rural towns of 2,000 or
  less.
• Agriculture ruled.

• England
• Many landless citizens.
• 2 of the pop. owned 70 of land.
• London, a city of 675,000, was the urban center
  of life.
• Industries rose.

18
Imperial Crisis

• By the turn of the 18th century, England became
  embroiled in Empirical wars with France and
  Spain.
• For the first time, America would become a
  battlefield or the reason the war was ignited.
• Spanish colonies in the South, West Indies, and
  Canada in the North also kept the British and
  France engaged in slippery slope diplomacy.

19
French and Indian War

• The first true global World War Participants
  were Britain, France, Spain, America, India and
  the Pacific Rim.
• By 1750, the major advantages rested with the
  French they had strong interior positions
  (rivers) and many interior forts and strong
  alliances with the Indians.
• Britain controlled the coastal regions, a better
  Navy, could blockade if necessaryOne advantage
  for British was population.

20
French and Indian War

• Unfortunately, though there were roughly 1
  million British subjects along the coasts and
  some interior peoples, the big issue was that
  there was a great deal of strifelike one another
  less than they did the French.
• Each colony had more in common with Britain or
  Europe than they did with one another.
• For instance Benjamin Franklin tried to initiate
  a colonial alliance for protection and security
  against the Indians and the French on the
  frontier The Albany Plan of Union Failed
  because colonists distrusted one another. Many
  preferred to wage war against themselves than
  against the French or the Indians for that matter.

21
British Issues

• How to convince traditional and historical
  enemies to fight with and for you against a
  traditional ally?
• Would the New York Dutch remain loyal to the
  British?
• Would German Quakers fight against the French?
• How to persuade the Catholics and Anabaptists to
  ally with one who has traditionally persecuted
  you?
• What would the African Slaves do, how would they
  react to fighting for a master rather than
  joining the foe to maybe gain freedom?

22
British Fear

• Alliances would fragmentend result would be a
  total collapse of the British North American
  colony. Total war would be risky.
• After the Fort defiant debacle, the colonists
  recognized they needed the protection of the
  British armyagainst the French and the Indians.
• Sent message to EnglandHELP! England responder
  with General Sir Edward Braddock

23
Braddock

• Vain, Stubborn, Pompous, honest, prodigal,
• Easy to Love (mistresses), easy to savagery
  (regarded anything less than British as
  expendable, including Americans)
• Dull of wit, unread, unsophisticatedGood
  officerjust unsuited for a Wilderness campaign

24
Braddock

• Benjamin Franklin, he was a good European
  officer, however, he refused to recognize this
  was not a European war.
• Many of the colonists watching Braddock assembly
  his forces and wagon trainsthought this was
  doomed for disaster.
• Logistically and geographically he erredshould
  have disembarked from Pennsylvania not Virginia.

25
Braddock

• He refused any advice from the colonials, who had
  been fighting frontier and wilderness war for
  over 100 years.
• He looked at a map and saw a direct route between
  Virginia to the Ohio fort Duquesne on the Ohio
  Riverdidnt consider the terrain or difficulty.
• Take Fort Duquesne, then turn and assault Fort
  Niagara essentially blockading the French from
  New England and the coast.

26
Braddock

• Franklin and an emissary group of colonial
  diplomats raised the question of ambush along
  such a long and toilsome march.
• Braddock greeted their concern with scorn My
  dear fellows, they all retreat in the face of the
  British bayonet.
• From Virginia to Ohio was pure wildernessgo by
  way of Pennsylvaniamiles and miles of Quaker and
  German farmland before encountering the
  wilderness.

27
Braddock

• Departure date, again warned that the wilderness
  journey may end in disaster..
• Braddock dismissed this concern suggesting that
  to you raw untrained and undisciplined militias
  this may be true, but to a highly trained and
  disciplined armythese fears were nothing more
  than nuisances and mosquitoes
• He even refused scouting assistance from friendly
  Indianshe placed the colonial militia to the
  rear.

28
Braddocks Defeat

• French planned to ambush Braddock at the
  MonongahelaBritish got there first.
• French had to negotiate with the Indians to get
  assistance, they feared British artillerydid not
  know artillery was in the rearper George
  Washingtons insistence to make the strike force
  more mobilebad choice.
• As the French approached they saw the
  BritishFrencg Captain motioned for Indians to
  take to the high ground in the forestthey would
  stand their ground.

29
Braddocks defeat

• British saw this as a retreatfired off two
  volleys and chargedbayonets at the ready.
• Unfortunately for Braddock and the British, the
  French did not run from the bayonetstood their
  ground.
• Something was wrongtoo many men were being hit
  considering the small advance guard of French
  troops in front of them.

30
Braddocks Defeat

• Bullets were from many directions
• They were in the middle of an ambush British
  fought bravely but a small panic began to ensue
• British panicked, only the colonial militia used
  to Indian fighting took to the woods and fought
  back

31
Braddocks Defeat

• British military is formidable as long as it
  stays cohesive
• The British cursed and threatened the Militia as
  they thought they were running awaythey forced
  them back by the point of the swordAmericans
  were angry that the British wanted to stand still
  and die
• Wilderness training had taught them run to the
  woods and fight backa fight broke out between
  the Americans and the British.

32
Braddocks Defeat

• Reinforcements were rushed to the front, but too
  late, they too were decimated
• Braddock lay mortally wounded bury him in
  unmarked grave and run wagons over the sire so
  Indians would not know where to dig him up and
  defile his body
• British troops now running for Virginiamany ran
  all the wayCould have been worse, but Indians
  stopped to scalp and finish off the wounded and
  loot the bodies.

33
Results of Braddocks Defeat

• Colonists living on frontier feared marauding
  Indians more than French troops
• Virginia was mortified that the British lost
• Somewhat pridefulColonial Militia gave a good
  accounting of itself still the defeat was
  unexpected frontier lay open to savage and
  brutal Indian attacks
• Also disgusted at the stupidity of the British
  after being warnedangry at Braddocks stupidity.

34
Lessons Learned

• Quantitative changes (things they saw)
• British army not that invincible European
  tactics ill-suited for frontier warfare American
  Militia could fight as efficient as the British
  Regulars also that pompous British arrogance
  refused to accept they could be defeated

35
Lessons Learned

• Qualitative Changes (things inferred)
• Local politicalmilitary advice proved more
  valuable than European doctrine and a distant
  Parliament or King
• Local government more in tuned and has more
  immediate influence and provocative perception on
  the local communities than a distant idealistic
  Parliamentrepresentative government was better
  suited for the colonials than edicts from a King.

36
Stage is Set

• The question is what common factors among the
  continental American colonies at mid-century made
  possible the political union of the 1770s?
• America was expanding agriculturally
  (landowners), Industry was growing, large
  Merchant class, financial growththrough
  commerce, customs, traditions and politics there
  was a commonality growing.
• Big contempt for Royal politics and King.

37
Stage is Set

• Transportation was creating a geographic
  propinquity between the colonies
• A common English/European heritage
• principle of self-government, white male
  suffrage
• Voice/control over taxation autonomy of local
  government, cheap land no real aristocracy land
  of opportunityslowly becoming American rather
  than remaining British.

38
Revolutionary Era now Begins

• Treaty of Paris is signed 1763 also the
  Proclamation of 1763 is passed and is to be
  enforced by British troops now in control of the
  abandoned French Forts
• Most troops go homecannot protect American land
  speculatorsBritish do not care want to honor the
  Indian treatiesno more westward expansionalso
  demanded that America help pay off the large war
  debt incurred on their behalf.