But victory was very costly; the London government struggled after 1763 to make the American colonists to accept some of the financial costs of the empire
What began as a disagreement about economic policies soon exposed clashing differences between Americans and Britons over valued political principles
The ensuing clash between the Americans and the Britons gave birth to a new nation
The Deep Roots of Revolution:
The New World nurtured new ideas about the nature of society, citizens, and government
Two ideas in particular had taken root in American colonists by the mid-18th century
One was republicanism; models of the ancient Greek and Roman republics …show more content…
They feared the threat to liberty posed by the subjective power of the monarchy and his ministers relative to elected representatives in Parliament
They warned citizens to be on guard against corruption and to be eternally watchful against possible conspiracies and to uncover them of their hard-won liberties
The circumstances of colonial life had done much to encourage alert attitudes. The Americans grew accustomed to running their won affairs; distance weakens authority and it came as a shock when Britain after 1763 tried to strengthen grip on the colonists
Mercantilism and Colonial Grievances:
The British authorities embraced a theory, called mercantilism that justified their control over the colonies
The Possessing colonies discussed distinct advantages, since the colonies could both supply raw materials to the mother country and provide a market for exports
The London government looked on the American colonists more or less as tenants. They were expected to provide products such as tobacco, sugar, and ships’ masts.
Parliament passed laws to regulate the mercantilist system; the first of these, the Navigation Law of 1650 was aimed at rival Dutch shippers trying to elbow their way into the American carrying