The Crisis of Empire 1763-1776

1. The Crisis of Empire 1763-1776

2. Benjamin Franklin asked by the House of Commons about (the temper of America towards Great Britain before the year 1763). • Answered that it was the • “best in the world”. • The colonists, he told the Commons • “Submitted willingly to the government of the Crown, and paid, in all their courts, obedience to acts of Parliament . . . had not only a respect, but an affection, for Great Britain, for its laws, its customs and manners, and even a fondness for its fashions, that greatly increased the commerce.”

3. What happened to the respect, affection and fondness ? • Most historians begin answering these questions by citing England’s new economic policies of 1763 as the beginning of the estrangement between England and the thirteen colonies.

4. By 1750, for example, most of the colonies had virtually all the requisites of self-governing states. • In each colony an effective local elite dominated political and social life. • Each of the colonies possessed autonomous local center of administration and political authority.

5. Particularly important in this sphere were the popularly elected lower houses of assembly in each colony. • Indeed in the century before the Revolution colonial Americans participated in the political process much more extensively than did their British cousins.

6. Colonies thus played a critical part in English trade • 1772-3 • 36 per cent of the total volume of English imports • 37 per cent of the total volume of English exports. • Far from the colonies being weak and dependent subsidiaries of Britain • the British economy was fast becoming dependent on the colonies.

7. English officials saw on the one hand • rapid growth and development of colonial economic and political institutions • on the other the importance of these colonies for the prosperity and power of England. • Fearful of the disastrous consequences to Britain of a loss of control over the colonies • British government sought not only to maintain but to intensify its economic and political hegemony.

8. One part of this attempt to increase control was the implementation of the proclamation line

9. Problems in 1763 • War and aftermath brings problems • huge national debt for Britain • increases from £75m to £150m • Vast territory to police from Indian and Spanish threats. • Removal of French threat makes colonies less dependent on Britain • no longer a common enemy to fight • Solutions seem to be • stationing regular army in colonies • limiting white settlement so more defensible • raising revenue through taxation in colonies. • Very controversial

10. Americans? • Growing sense of difference from Britain • Most Americans not born in Britain by 1760s. • Virginia and New England were on 6th/7th generation of Americans • Significant proportion not ethnically British • French, German, African, Dutch • Departure because something ‘missing’ • left to seek new life, new start, one unavailable in GB • Unique colonial events e.g. Great Awakening fostered sense of common identity. • Life of average American very different from life of average Englishman.

11. Video • War that changed America from 1763 on

12. April 19, 1775 • Shot heard round the world • Battle between British Redcoats and Colonial Militia • War is beginning to creep forward and appears to be unavoidable • (particularly in hindsight) • But was this really the case

13. Olive Branch Petition, • John Dickinson drafted the Olive Branch Petition • adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 5 submitted to King George on July 8, 1775. • Attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while maintaining their loyalty to the British crown.

14. Thomas Pain • The Early Life • Pain took and ‘e’ when he arrived in America

15. Difficult to track • 1790s - 1800s Biographers • really hatchet men for Government • needed to attack the upstart nation • but we can put together a general outline

16. Born January 29 1737 • Thetford, Norfolk • 70 miles north of London • a long history • around 5th Century • 11th Century one of largest in Britain

17. By time Pain born Thetford was a relative backwater • both politically and economically • Plenty of open spaces and animal life to interest and entertain young Pain • but also signs of social dissension • ruined monasteries, priories, and chapels • sign of religious turmoil over the years

18. Family • Joseph Pain - Father • Devout Quaker • Well established tradesman • corset maker • Frances Cocke - Mother • 11 years older than Joseph • Daughter of attorney • Devout C of E • Frances married “below her station”

19. Parents had high hopes for their son • enrolled in grammar school at the age of 6 • remained in school until the age of 13 • had to leave due to inability to master Latin • nevertheless this was a good foundation • found himself to be a good writer • Two school incidents had major influence in later life

20. 1st - one teacher talked incessantly about his adventures aboard a man-o-war when younger • 2nd later reported by Pain • “I happened, when a school boy, to pick up a pleasing natural history of Virginia, and my influence from that day of seeing the western side of the Atlantic never left me.”

21. Age 13 • Left – or was asked to leave – school • Became bound in his fathers shop as apprentice stay maker • Looking back later Pain was to look back at this time with fondness • Also gave him a skill that supported on and off for the next 20 years

22. Pain spent a great deal of time with Father • As a Quaker – his father had refused to accept the articles of Faith demanded by the C of E • Pain’s first exposure to rebellion and independence of ideology? • Also exposed him to scripture which he would later in his writings • Appeal to the working population of America

23. Despite this near death experience Pain was not put off • Less than one year later he tried again • This time more successfully • Onboard the King of Prussia • Two years “before the mast” • Several victorious battles

24. Problem with his position • Thetford only had work for one stay-maker • Father still young, what will Pain do? • At age 19, in 1756, Pain ran away from home • Beginning of French and Indian war • Pain joined a Privateer • Experience, in retrospect, seemed a moment that fate was protecting Pain

25. Pain agreed to sail on a Privateer called the • Terrible • And believe it or not the Captain’s name was • Captain Death • The Terrible engaged the French ship Vengeance • Full scale battle, Terriblelost 150 crew, including all officers • However, Pain not aboard – father had hurried to London and persuaded him not to go

26. Walked away with £30.00 • Amount his father would have earned in a year • Also exposed Pain to Death, Destruction, and the common fighting man

27. After leaving the ship Worked as a journeyman stay-maker In London and then Dover Eventually got enough money to set up shop Coastal town of Sandwich

28. Pain married Mary Lambert • Pain’s business failed – he was a good stay-maker but bad business man • Couple left town running from debts • Moved to Margate a little up coast • Tragedy struck, his wife died • Left the stay-maker trade

29. Late wife’s father was an officer in excise service • Persuaded Pain to try for a position • Returned to Thetford • Passed entrance exam in December 1 1762 • First position in Alford Lincolnshire began in 1764 • Fired for not doing job in

30. Then worked for a while as a Stay-maker again • Before spending a couple of years as a teacher • July 1767 reinstated as excise officer • Accepted a post in Lewes, Sussex • Like his ship born adventure this second attempt was more successful

31. Pain took lodgings with Samuel Ollive and family • Owner of general store • Former constable • Onetime owner of White Hart Tavern • Ollive died in 1769, Pain offered to help with the store • March 26,1771 married his second wife • Elizabeth Ollive, daughter of Samuel • Marriage of convenience

32. During his time in Lewes Pain’s political development continued • As an excise officer (tax collector) he had opportunity to see • “the numerous and various distresses which the weight of taxes…occasioned” • (George III was passing the cost of French and Indian war to the British Population) • Also became involved in local political scene

33. The White Hart was the centre of local intelligentsia • Also the location for seat of town council • Pain served on the council • Also wrote several well received poems and articles • Was also invited to a campaign song for a local politician • Rumbold, a Whig

34. As the economic position of the country dropped • Excise officers also suffered • Decided to press their situation in front of Parliament • Pain was elected to write the official petition • “Case of the Officers of Excise” • The petition sought to work within the system for change.

35. 1772 Pain left for London to promote the petition and the cause • The petition would fail to win support • Lack of influential backers • Pain dismissed from his post due to dereliction of duty • In London he was introduced to several groups of intellectuals • People who supported Newton process of hypothesis and experimentation • To whom nothing was beyond the reach of reason and scientific inquiry

36. “Club of Honest Whigs” • Joseph Priestly • Clergyman and political commentator • Also one of the worlds most well known scientists and politicians of the time • Benjamin Franklin