Document 1: The Results of the French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought primarily on the continent of North America, and when it ended in 1763, the colonists were the ones that benefited the most from it. Throughout the war, the English government continually supplied the colonies with British troops so that they might be protected from the French as well as the Indians who were assisting the French in this particular war. These troops were stationed in America even after the French had surrendered most of their lands to Great Britain.
By the end of the war, the English Crown incurred (developed) $2 million in debt while fighting against the French and protecting the colonies. Along with all of the money that was spent to protect these colonies, there were still ten thousand troops kept in the American colonies every year to protect the colonists. The colonies had, and still were, receiving the benefits of being citizens of the British Empire while Great Britain was taking care of all of the costs. George Grenville, the Prime Minister of Parliament in 1763, did not appreciate the fact that England was paying the bill for the protection of the American colonists while the colonists did not pay any money in taxes. In 1763, the time had come to contribute to the British Empire that kept them safe, and the most logical way to do this was to tax the colonies.
Professor Jason Buckweitz – “The Sensibility of Taxation”
Question 1: Based on the text above, explain whether or not the British were justified in taxing the colonies after the French and Indian War.
Document 2: History of the Colonies and Tax:
When the first American colonies were established in North America the colonists were on their own. England was not as powerful in the 1600’s as it was in the 1700’s. "The English government certainly had no money to spare to help the colonies. This introduced the general rule that English colonies had to cover their own costs. By not funding the colonies and taking only a minimal interest in their development, Great Britain allowed the colonies to govern themselves for more than one hundred years with little or even no interference. The old saying "out of sight, out of mind" tends to be very true in the relationship between England and her American colonies. The colonies were so "out of sight and out of mind" in England that neither a king, nor a queen, nor current Member of Parliament ever set foot on American soil. This was mainly because America was 3,000 miles away, and a visit there could take up to three weeks just to arrive in the colonies.
Had the English paid a bit more attention to the colonies in America, they would have realized that the colonists were losing the concept of who actually governed them. There was obviously not a monarch or Parliamentary system in America to rule them, so colonists developed their own governments to create laws and meet various needs. The colonists developed a small system of democracy, which they never experienced in England. Therefore the colonies were not a normal part of the British structure of government. The colonists were not included in any day-to-day discussions in Parliament and no representation in government. Many colonists had a feeling that they were separate from the English. If the colonies were ever to be taxed, the colonists had no say over it. On top of that, the colonists did not feel that England should be taxing them to begin with.
Kevin Tranchina – “The History of Taxation in the New World.”
Question 2: Based on the text above, explain whether or not the British were justified in taxing the colonies after the French and Indian War.