FREE ESSAY ON BRITISH AND CONTROL OF NEW WORLD

BRITISH AND CONTROL OF NEW WORLD

Control
The British new there was riches to be had in the new world. They weren't happy with
everyone getting a piece of the action. They wanted it all for themselves. In order to
ensure that no one else was getting rich they put many rules and regulations on how
things were to be done in the colonies.
The British wanted to be in control of all trade that was going on though out the world.
They started with the Navigation Acts saying at first the ships and crewmembers needed to
be either English or Colonial. They later changed that to make it only the English. They
set rules such as the Manufacturing Acts on wool and Hats they could not manufacture
finish goods. All raw materials had to be shipped to England, and then back to the
colonies in finished goods. In 1776 the British imposed the Currency Act, colonies were
no longer allowed to have paper money. All because British merchants didn't like the
idea. 
As if that wasn't enough the British were adding one tax after another. The Sugar Act was
designed to make sure the sugar went only to England. Ships needed to carry prove of
where the sugar came from. The Stamp Act really pissed the colonist off. It was the first
internal tax directed right at the colonist. This tax meant that any documents of
importance such as newspapers, playing cards, and legal documents needed to have a stamp
on them, of course this cost the colonist money. The colonist where very angry, the
believed they had helped the British in the French and Indian war, and this was unfair.
They revolted in many ways, one being people where tar and feathered. The Townshend
Duties Act was another way of getting more for their money out of the colonist. Because
they didn't want to pay internal tax, England figured they could get them on external tax
on things such as tea, paper, paint, lead, and glass. The colonist decided it was time to
stop buying from Great Britain, and only buy goods made in the colonies. The Tea Act of
1773 was another way to get money out of the colonist. They took the duties off the
British ships transporting tea in order to get equal with the price of the Dutch.
Thinking the colonist would buy the tea and pay the Tounshend Duties. The colonist
disgusted with the way the British where handling things, dressed as Indians and dumped
342 chest of tea in the harbor.
The British where getting scared and new they needed troops to control the colonist. They
put together acts in order to keep them under control. The Intolerable Acts such as the
Boston Port Act was a way of getting back at the colonist. England shut down the Boston
port from all incoming and outgoing ships. The colonies stuck together and sent goods to
the people of Boston. Massachusetts Act restricted the number of meetings that could be
held without the governor's approval. The Quartering Act said that troops could be
anywhere, ever in the homes of colonist. As if they didn't think they had enough control
over the colonist, they imposed the Declaratory Act. This acts meant parliament could
establish any set of rules on the colonies.
The colonist could only put up with so much crap from Britain. They had to fight back,
and they did. Because of the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and the Townshend Duties, came
Non-Importation a ploy to put stress on Britain's economy. In 1772 the Committee of
Correspondence was formed, this enabled the colonies to communicate up and down the
coast. In 1774 the first continental congress was created fifty-six delegates from twelve
colonies all but Georgia. 
I believe the colonist had every right to feel and act the way they did. Things may have
been different if they would not have been so greedy. I personally am glad things
happened the way they did. I love my free country.