America Gained in 100 Years, Lost in Thirteen?

Claire Giegerich

AP US-1

DiNardo-White

11/12/07

In colonial America during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s, the English empire had expanded extensively, now comprising of land as far north as New York and stretching south into the Carolinas. Under British rule, the colonies had developed into a society that would soon meet standards close to those of England itself. Although a common belief that England had ruled to colonies for over a century and lost them in a mere thirteen years can be proven technically, England’s rule over the colonies during that hundred-year span was merely virtual and not authentic, and the only true power England had was the period around the Seven Years’ War. With he ultimate failure of the Navigation Acts and the Dominion of New England, the results of the Proclamation of 1763, and the imposing of the Stamp and Intolerable Acts as a final attempt to regain colonial authority, it is shown how England’s control in the colonies was never very concrete(The Enduring Vision).

As the colonies depended less and less on the mother country, English authority in the colonies was threatened. The Navigation Acts, an attempt to utilize mercantilism, had been strongly opposed by the colonists, and James II became more and more weary of the lack of control he had. Uniting the colonies under the Dominion of New England in order to create a stronger defense and help England redeem power lasted only until James II’s was taken from the throne. English officials realized that it was in their best interest to avoid interfering with colonial self-governing, and give their attention to the conflicts surrounding the Glorious Revolution that were occurring on their own soil. This new attitude led to a long period of salutary neglect, in which the colonies were able to quietly develop into an independent and prosperous society. Although it can be said that England maintained its rule over the colonies during the next seventy years, this supremacy was nothing but a virtual stance as the colonies essentially held complete control over themselves(U-S-History.com).

The end of the Seven Years’ War and the manifestation of the Proclamation of 1763 marked an official turning point in England’s reign over the colonies. With the Seven Years’ War came the termination of salutary neglect and a new colonial reliance on the mother country that would give the colonies a chance of defeating the French. During these times of war, where the colonies depended greatly upon the defense and funding of the English government in order to defeat the French and Indian forces, England had the more control over its colonies than ever before. This control, however, would last only until the end of the war. When the fighting was finally over, the Proclamation of 1763 was put into effect by England in order to prevent future conflicts between the white settlers and the Indians. It was after this incidence that the colonies no longer relied on England for defense, and mounting tensions regarding the English presence in the colonies once again threatened English authority. England’s extensive war debt had left the country’s economy in a lull, and the majority of the colonies refused to offer any financial aid. England had gone from having concrete power in the colonies to none, and out of desperation would make any and every attempt to get this control