Brutal British No Better Than Barbarians in The American Revolution.

Essay by funn_aliHigh School, 10th gradeA, February 2008

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The Treaty of Paris, February 10, 1763 ended the French-Indian War, giving all of North America east of the Mississippi, other than New Orleans, to the British. Though the European-based war ceased, the Native Americans in the west remained hostile to the British. The Pontiac Rebellion and other Indian hostilities lasted until the end of 1764, at which time peace finally reigned in North America. This peace, however, would last only a decade until a new war, the Revolution, began a new episode in the history of the continent. Although some other influences existed, the American Revolution was primarily an economic rebellion. The spark of the American Revolution was ignited by the oppressive and ineffective nature of the imperial system; especially its taxation.

Even before the French and Indian Wars, Britain had passed two major laws known as Mercantilism and Navigation Acts. "Mercantilism was the theory of trade adopted by the major European powers from roughly 1500 to 1800" (Mercantilism, Us-History, Online).

It advocated that a country should import more than it exported. "Trade laws ensured that manufactured exports to North America would have greater value than colonial primary products imported to Britain." (Krawczynski). This was a theory used to raise money for the mother country. "If one nation hoped to grow richer, it had to do so at the expense of some other nation" (Mercantilism, Us-History, Online). The concept of mercantilism affirmed that the sole purpose of the colonies was to provide for Britain and by this theory Americans were restricted economically.

…but in the process of mercantilism, colonial manufacturing was prohibited; colonial currency was manipulated; colonial trade was regulated; colonial expansion was prevented; and colonial markets were threatened by British monopolies. (Historian C, O'Reilly).

Equally important, the Navigation Acts were efforts to put the theory of mercantilism...