Beginnings of Rebellion
Politically
• Before Glorious
Revolution
• Royal government
held power
• After Glorious
Revolution
• More power to
colonial assemblies
• BUT
• Assemblies =
wealthy elite
• Voting qualifications
(property)
• Mob rule
Salutary Neglect
• King George I and II: British relaxed
supervision of colonies
• Mild rule known as “Salutary Neglect”
Salutary Neglect
• Sir Robert Walpole
• King’s Chief Minister
• Set up system
• Gifts for members of
Parliament
• Got votes he wanted
• Basically ran government
Salutary Neglect
• Real Whigs felt
Walpole
• betrayed goals of
Glorious Revolution
• too cozy with
merchant class
Salutary Neglect
• American Real Whigs
felt
• governors had too
much power
• Appointments not on
merit but connection
• Results in America
• More resistance
• Stronger colonial
assemblies
• felt threatened by king
• Royal appointees weak
What do you think the
colonial attitude will be
toward Salutary Neglect?
Mercantilism again
How did it impact the colonies?
How did it impact Britain?
Molasses Act 1733
• Colonies traded
surplus goods
with French for
sugar
• Killed British
sugar industry
Molasses Act 1733
• British imposed high
tax on non-British
sugar
• Americans protested
• Problem resolved
itself (industry
grows)
Currency Issues
• Americans had to
use hard currency
(gold, silver) to pay
British merchants
• Left little for trade
Currency Issues
• Set up land banks
• Issued currency
• Currency backed
against value of land
• Allowed for trade and
investment
Currency Issues
• Unbacked currency • Rhode Island got
depreciated
away with it (not a
royal colony)
• Paid British with
devalued currency • Massachusetts
didn’t get away
with it (royal
colony)
Currency Issues
• Currency Act of
1751
• Colonies couldn’t
establish any more
land banks
• Colonies couldn’t
pay private debt
with public currency
(no more paying
British with land
bank currency)
What are the financial
issues from both the
British and American
perspectives?
Is there an “American”
identity?