MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
This summer, our nation will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Over the next four months we plan to sift back through the layers of what occurred before July 4, 1776.
Influenced by economic, religious, and geopolitical motivations, the idea of starting colonies in the New World, and earlier in Ireland, was to plant English culture. The term plantation originally referred to the idea that the colonists - many of whom were of limited means back home - were “planting” England in new soil (not be confused with the later development of slave plantations).
Promoters sought to develop colonies as an outlet for England's "overpopulated" poor, converting them into productive workers who could provide essential, non-domestic raw materials (fur, timber, iron, tobacco, rice) and consume English goods. Rivals Holland, Spain and Portugal had already used the method to increase their power and economic dominance, creating a "closed system" where colonial trade that only benefited the mother country. England wanted more than trade.
They desired to expand opportunity for England and its people by establishing settlements to develop and support their civilization and replicate their society. They brought English legal systems and created agricultural practices similar to those at home. They sought to recreate a "better" version of their homeland, replicating English structures while expanding the Protestant faith.
Supporters of cultural and religious expansion believed colonization would glorify God and Protestantism by bringing Christian civilization to the "New World" and countering the influence of Catholic Spain. Groups like the Puritans, Separatists and Quakers created a "purer" religious society away from the corruption and persecution of the Church of England. So, for many, the move across the ocean was liberty of conscience, not freedom from the English way of life.
From the beginning of English settlement in North America, colonies experienced freedom that went beyond even what was experienced in England. The stance of salutary or benign neglect had been an unofficial, unwritten, and long-standing policy of the British government in the New World colonies. From the mid-1600s to 1763, Britain observed lax enforcement of parliamentary laws - especially trade regulations - in the American colonies. This policy allowed colonists to develop their own economic systems, local governments, and a sense of independence which fostered a distinct American identity.
By the end of the French and Indian War (1754-1763), American colonists felt immense pride in being British, and intense loyalty to the English Crown, as they celebrated their shared victory over France. The successful conflict eliminated French presence and influence in the New World, fueling a strong, newfound sense of identity. Colonists emerged feeling they were equal members of the leading, global empire.
The agreement with France opened up the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys for potential expansion, and increased confidence. Affection for the "mother country" was higher than ever before, with many feeling that England had fought the war on the behalf of them. However, this peak pride was short-lived, as the British government began imposing taxes to pay for the war and issued the Proclamation of 1763 which restricted westward expansion. These and other ensuing events convinced the colonists that England's interest in them was self-serving.
A rapid shift in sentimen occurred as Britain tightened control, attempting to manage and defend new lands. They ended "salutary neglect" by imposing taxes (Sugar/Stamp Acts); they restricted westward expansion (Proclamation of 1763); enforced trade laws; and stationed standing armies. During the war with France, Britain's national debt had doubled, and English leaders felt the colonists should pay for their own defense and share the financial burden. Also, they needed to protect the vast, mostly uncharted and volatile land that Britain was granted by the treaty of 1763.
This proclamation restricted westward expansion to prevent further, costly conflict with Native Americans. Colonists were prohibited from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, creating a boundary designed to separate colonists from Native Americans and forestall movement to the west that the colonists felt they had earned, and in fact viewed as a goal and outcome of the war.
Additionally, Britain aimed to enforce navigation laws that colonists had previously evaded by smuggling.
Anti-smuggling laws were enacted to support stricter enforcement of trade regulations which would ensure goods flowed through Britain. Parliament passed the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), and later the Townshend Acts (1765) to generate revenue. Britian could not afford to bring the troops home. So, they maintained a military presence officially to "protect" the colonies. Colonists viewed them as unnecessary and intimidating.
In an effort to further economic regulation, England passed the Currency Act (1764), which prohibited colonial governments from issuing their own money and sought to enforce a “hard money" system. There was a chronic shortage of British sterling in the colonies. Before that, colonial paper "bills of credit" and Spanish silver dollars (pieces of eight) served as the main monetary exchange. Inflation was rampant. Though standardization seemed necessary here was another freedom being taken away.
All of these actions - though intended to centralize the empire - ultimately alienated the colonies, leading to widespread resistance, boycotts, and the push for independence. The tightening of control after the French and Indian War served as a catalyst for the American Declaration of Independence. In many ways, American colonies had been independent from British control. That seemed to be changing.
