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The Loss of America - Coggle Diagram

- - - - British troops fired in a crowd of colonists in Boston
      - 5 are killed
      - The soldiers are quickly detained and arrested
    - - British soldiers in Boston to enforce the trade laws
      - Lots of colonial protests
    - - Used by the colonial leaders as an example of the tyranny of Britain
      - The soldiers were depicted as firing into a crowd of peaceful protestors (Not true) and as firing without provocation
      - Inflamed tensions due to the depiction and was used as propaganda
  - - - A group of colonists made up of some sons of Liberty boarded the ships in the Boston Harbour carrying tea and threw it overboard
      - The colonists were dressed as Native Americans to symbolise the native american resistance to British Rule and hide
    - - Anger at the Tea Act
    - - British Reponse
        
        Harsh
        
        Closing of the Boston Harbour
        
        Quartering act
        
        Coercive acts
      - Colonial response
        
        Anger
  - - - British Troops are sent to seize a weapons cache in Concord, outside of Boston
      - Met by Lexington Militia and shots are fired
      - British troops destroy the cache in Concord but are forced to flee and are shot at on the run
    - - The first shots of the war
- - - - The colonies had their independence recognised
      - Imperial possessions
        
        They were divided up
        
        British got: Bahamas and retained Negapatam in India
        
        Spain got: Florida and Minorca
        
        France got: St Lucia, Goree, Pondicherry and retained Tobago
  - - - 1783 national debt had hit £232 million
      - cost of the war was £80 million
      - Taxes were raised to make up for it
    - - Transatlantic trade had been heavily disrupted and there was less revenue from tobacco and sugar
  - - - After the loss of America greater focus on finding and exploiting more lands in the East
    - - Britain altered the mercantilist system in Ireland to allow for colonies to trade with ireland directly
      - 1782 Ireland was given to almost legislative independence
      - Inspiration for the Irish rebellion in 1798
    - - More pragmatic and less heavy handed approach to prevent more rebellion
      - E.g Canada and Australia
- - - - Colonists felt ignored
        
        No representation in parliament
        
        Colonial assemblies often bypassed
    - - Britain attempted to regain control over the colonies
      - Punishment
        
        Coercive Acts (1774)
        
        Response to the Boston Tea Party
        
        Closed the Boston harbour
        
        Gave Governor more power e.g. remove or appoint most officials
        
        Moved trials to England if needed (Remove the power of patriot Juries)
        
        triggered the First Continental Congress
        
        Closing of the New York Assembly
        
        Due to the refusal to pay for the quartering of the troops of the colony.
        
        Angered the colonists as they viewed as an attack on their rights and political institutions.
  - - - Colonial elites
        
        Often influenced the people
        
        Tobacco farmers and traders like George Washington
      - Legislative assemblies
        
        Political systems that people were used to using
        
        Seen as the protectors of laws and determiners of rights
      - The colonies had evolved their own independent systems of government
    - - British control over the colonies was too weak for too long
      - The Board of Trade
        
        Very small and only advisory powers
        
        Given the job of minding the colonies
        
        Ineffectual and largely ignored so allowed for the colonies to manage themselves.
      - Governors
        
        Had few resources to be able to support their rule.
        
        Forced to graft onto the existing power structure and mostly just around for appearances.
        
        Often men without any patronage and resources and so ineffectual.
    - - Line of Proclamation
        
        The Proclamation of 1763
        
        This royal proclomation forced the colonist to halt any expansion which meant that the colonists felt that they were being held in and prevented
      - Lack of Rivalry in North America
        
        There was now no threat in North America so the colonists don't need the protection of Britain
- - - - Forced to use the coast for supplies and then strike inwards to attack the colonial army
      - Stretched supply lines
      - No central strategy from London so disorganised and uncoordinated
      - Allowed for the British to be eliminated one by one
  - - - The Americans knew the territory of the land
    - - The colonists were ideologically motivated and so had the edge over the soldiers of Britain
    - - Washington was a good commander and so could consistently regroup and motivate his troops
    - - France
        
        The entrance of France changed the war to a global conflict, helping to distract Britain
        
        Disrupted the British Supply boats to undermine the British in the region
        
        Serious impact
        
        Until 1778 65% of British Army was in North America, by 1780 just 20%
        
        For 1778 41% of the navy, 1780 13%
    - - Guerrilla Tactics
        
        The Colonists used the terrain to their advantage
        
        Disrupted the supply lines of the colonies
      - Local Support
        
        There was significant support from the local people
        
        They supplied information of troops advantage
  - - - Context
        
        Led by General Burgoyne
        
        Struck down from Canada
        
        Generally overconfident
      - Events
        
        He believed that he was strong enough to defeat them
        
        He could have retreated but believed that the other generals would reach him in time
        
        Failed as the lack of coordination between the generals
      - Impact
        
        Persuaded the French to get involved in the war
    - - Events
        
        The french took control of the seaboard and prevented resupplying of the British Armies
        
        Cornwallis was surrounded and starved out
        
        The forces of the British had been split to deal with the southern and northern campaign but failed
        
        British could no longer support the war
- - - - New England colonies
        
        Fishers
        
        Traders
        
        Shipbuilders
      - Middle colonies
        
        Farmers
        
        Wheat and flour
      - Southern colonies
        
        Tobacco
    - - Mostly Protestant
    - - The colonies each had a governor appointed by the crown and a legistlative assembly
      - The legislative assemblies were elected by at least 50% of the adult male population and sometimes up to 80% so they were often involved
      - The legislative assembly was in charge of the money bills and controlling expenditure
      - It is arguable that the governors were weak and ineffectual with a weak board of trade that was not large enough to deal with the colonies
    - - Results of the War
        
        The British took the French Land in North America
        
        The war ended in 1763 with a British Victory
      - The Problem
        
        The empire was much larger and the colonies would need protection so a standing army would be needed.
        
        Britain was also in debt from the war and was making annual repayments of 4.4 million from income of 8 million
        
        Colonial administrations had also increased by a significant amount.