Dbq: Relationship Between Britain and the Colonies

The French and Indian War, or The Seven Year's War, as it was called across the pond, was a very influential event. It affected both the American colonies and their motherland, Great Britain. In the aftermath of the French and Indian War, political tension increased between the colonies and England, both sides' were feeling the economic impact of such an expensive war, and each coast of the Atlantic seemed to have different sets of values and ideas.

As can be inferred from Document A, the British took over all French territory in North America after the French and Indian War. Therefore, the British had control of the majority of the continent. The political ties between the British and the Indians were much different than those between the French and the Indians. The Indians who were used to receiving gifts in exchanges with the Europeans became angry and insulted when suddenly, the colonists didn't want to repay them for anything. Also, the Native Americans who were used to dealing with the British colonists were getting fed up, as stated in Document B. Because of the size of the enlarged British territory, the King felt it necessary to send more soldiers over to America, as protection. However, the Americans deem this unimportant. They thought that they could take care of themselves, especially since the threat of the French in the north was now gone. However, British troops were forced upon them.

The French and Indian War started a massive decline in British economics. The war had been so expensive, that the British had lost a significant amount of their wealth. In Document F, it is shown that the British think the colonists need to pay higher taxes. England needed a way to pay for the British regulars who had been sent over to protect the colonies, and they thought that the best way to do this was to generate money in America by regulating trade and raising taxes on colonists. On the other hand, the colonists, unused to having any regulations placed on them by the motherland, were appalled at the idea of being taxed for things they had never been taxed for before. Document D gives the impression that the colonists are so poor that they cannot afford good liquors nor clothes for the winter. The taxation