History Chapter 4 From Colonies States This Begins Contrasting French And British Colonial

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CHAPTER 4

From Colonies to States

1607–1776

This chapter begins by contrasting French and British colonial policies. The focus then shifts to the changes

in British colonial policy in the aftermath of the French and Indian War, primarily as Britain tried to

strengthen its control over the colonies and the colonies resisted, ultimately declaring their independence.

CORE OBJECTIVES

1. Compare how the British and French Empires administered their colonies before 1763.

2. Analyze how the French and Indian War changed relations among the European powers in North

America.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1. Troubled Neighbors

A. New France

B. The British System

i. Mercantilism

ii. Navigation Acts

iii. Resentment in the British Colonies

iv. The Glorious Revolution

2. Warfare in the Colonies

A. The French and Indian War

i. Albany Plan

ii. War in North America

iii. A World War

iv. A New British King

v. The Treaty of Paris (1763)

vi. Managing a New Empire

vii. Pontiac’s Rebellion

viii. The Proclamation Line

3. Tightening Control over the Colonies

A. Greenville’s Colonial Policy

i. The Sugar Act (1764)

ii. The Currency Act (1764)

iii. The Quartering Act (1765)

iv. The Stamp Act (1765)

B. The Whig Point of View

C. Protests in the Colonies

i. The Nonimportation Movement

ii. Colonial Unity

iii. Repeal of the Stamp Act

iv. The Townshend Acts Fan the Flames

4. The Crisis Grows

A. American Patriots

i. The Boston Massacre (1770)

ii. The Gaspée Incident (1772)

iii. The Boston Tea Party (1773)

B. The Coercive Acts

C. The First Continental Congress

i. Last-Minute Compromise

ii. Bold Talk of War

iii. Lexington and Concord

iv. Outright Rebellion

D. The Spreading Conflict

i. The Battle of Bunker Hill

ii. “Open and Avowed Enemies”

iii. Independence

iv. Jefferson’s Declaration

v. The Contradictions of Slavery

vi. “We Always Had Governed Ourselves”

LECTURE IDEAS

1. George Grenville’s policies certainly merit a lecture on his style and the impact he had on the colonies.

Discuss in the lecture his concept of government and what role he thought the colonies should play in

the British Empire. See Rory T. Cornish’s George Grenville, 1712–1770: A Bibliography

(Bibliographies of British Statesmen) (1992) and Allen S. Johnson’s A Prologue to Revolution: The

Political Career of George Grenville (1712–1770) (1997).

2. A lecture concerning the colonial policies in relation to economic needs is essential. In order to have

the students fully appreciate this issue, trace the economic factors driving political decisions within the

British Empire. Issues such as the Navigation Acts, Privy Council, and the Board of Trade should be

covered. See the following books:

3. Give a lecture on the life and times of John Locke, with the emphasis on his Second Treatise of Civil

Government and its ongoing relevance for the political theory of the United States. See Roger

Woolhouse’s Locke: A Biography (2007), but focus especially on the text of the Second Treatise itself

4. A lecture on the governmental structure of the colonies could serve as a strong foundation for a critical

comparison to today’s structure. Break down the role of the governor and assemblies. Highlight both

the process of governing and the relationship of colonial governments to that of the British at home.

5. The most important colonial war was the French and Indian War. A lecture on the causes, fighting,

strategies, results, and aftermath would serve to set up the final phase of conflict before the American

Revolution. See Fred Anderson’s The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and

Indian War (2005) and William M. Fowler’s Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the

Struggle for North America, 1754–1763 (2005).

6. Lecture on the leaders involved in the colonial rebellion that ultimately led to the American

Revolution. Discuss the Sons of Liberty and key individuals such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock.

Helpful references include:

7. One of the most important radical writers is Thomas Paine. A lecture could focus on him and his book

Common Sense. Other leaders that should be discussed are Thomas Dickinson, Thomas Jefferson, and

Samuel Adams. See the following books:

• Gordon S. Wood’s The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1992)

• Bernard Bailyn’s The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (1967)

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES / FLIPPED CLASSROOM SUGGESTIONS

1. Assign a specific event that led to the American Revolution—for example, the French and Indian War

or the Stamp Act—and have groups of students investigate the impact each had on the Revolution.

Each group should present its topic in class and see if the class can determine any common elements

2. A wonderful vehicle for studying the French colonial effort in Canada and the encounter of native and

European cultures throughout the New World is the 1991 film Black Robe. It depicts the journey of a

zealous young Jesuit up the St. Lawrence River in the 1630s to convert the Hurons. The first half of the

3. Break up your class into groups and have each group research a colonial war. Ask them to look into the

causes, details, and results of their particular war. Then have them give presentations on each. Using a

graphic organizer or concept map, generate a list of the differences and similarities of each. See Fred

Anderson’s The Crucible of War (2000) and John Ferling’s Struggle for a Continent: The Wars of

Early America (1993).

4. Write a lecture on the battles of Lexington and Concord and their place in the history and mythology of

the American Revolution. Excellent sources include David Hackett Fischer’s Paul Revere’s Ride

5. Ask students to research political propaganda. They could discuss how advances in both technology

and society led to the growth of this medium. Furthermore, they could explore its effectiveness both

then and now. Relevant websites include:

• “What Are the Tools of Propaganda?”: https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/

aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/what-is-propaganda/

what-are-the-tools-of-propaganda

6. A lecture on the writing and meaning of the Declaration of Independence is essential. You might give a

supplemental reading assignment concerning the Declaration, then read it out loud and follow with a

discussion. A good reading to assign is Gary Wills’s Inventing America (1994). Also see Pauline

Maier’s American Scripture (1997).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways did the French and Indian War help pave the way for the American Revolution?

2. Summarize the argument for independence presented in the Declaration of Independence. How did this

compare with earlier colonial arguments concerning the relationship between Britain and the colonies?

3. Describe the Proclamation of 1763 and the impact it had on the relationship between Britain and the

American colonies.

4. Discuss the background, details, and results of the Boston Massacre. What impact did this conflict

have on the impending Revolution?

5. Explain the need and function of Minutemen. How has the role of the citizen soldier evolved?

6. Discuss the grassroots boycotts. Are boycotts an effective economic and political tool for consumers

and merchants to employ?

PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP

When the British expelled the Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755, they engaged in an eighteenth-century

example of what would now be termed “ethnic cleansing.” Do some research in which you look for other

such episodes, focusing especially on instances that have occurred in your own lifetime or that may be

ongoing today involving racially based violence. Zlata’s Diary (1993) could be a provocative primary

source to use; the book details events around Sarajevo during the Bosnia War. Discuss with classmates

whether the United States should intervene for humanitarian purposes in such episodes and whether such