What was the basic British attitude towards the American colonies in 1760?
They were subordinate possessions.
British politicians saw the colonies as part of an empire directed for the benefit of Britain.
What was the main imperial issue shaping British policy in North America in 1760?
Rivalry with France
Competition with France for land, trade and influence dominated imperial strategy.
How many colonies made up British North America on the Atlantic seaboard in 1760?
Thirteen
These colonies varied greatly in economy, religion and political culture.
What was a key political characteristic of the Thirteen Colonies before 1763?
Strong traditions of self-government
Colonial assemblies had experience of managing local taxation and legislation.
What was a key social characteristic of the colonies in the mid-eighteenth century?
Population, religion and patterns of settlement differed widely across the colonies.
What was a key economic characteristic of the Thirteen Colonies?
Regional variety
New England, the middle colonies and the southern colonies had different economic bases.
Why were the colonies not a completely united bloc before 1763?
They had internal divisions and rivalries.
Differences between colonies often mattered more than shared identity.
True or False:
By 1760 the Thirteen Colonies already operated as a single politically united state.
False
They remained separate colonies with distinct interests and institutions.
What did many colonists expect from membership of the British Empire before 1763?
Protection and opportunity
Empire brought military defence, trade links and room for settlement.
What was the French and Indian War part of on a wider scale?
The Seven Years War
The North American conflict formed one theatre of a broader global war.
What was the main result of British victory in 1763 in North America?
French power was removed from Canada.
Britain emerged dominant in eastern North America after defeating France.
Why did British victory in 1763 create new tensions with the colonists?
Britain expected greater colonial obedience.
The British government wanted tighter control and more colonial contribution after the war.
Why did the price of victory matter for imperial relations after 1763?
War had been expensive.
British ministers looked for ways to reduce debt and defend new territories.
Fill in the blank:
After 1763, Britain expected the colonies to bear more of the imperial _____.
burden
Many colonists disliked the idea of paying more for imperial defence.
What dream did many colonists have after the defeat of France?
Westward expansion
Colonists expected to move into lands beyond the Appalachians.
Why did colonists expect westward expansion after 1763?
France no longer blocked settlement.
The removal of French Canada seemed to open vast new opportunities.
What acquired territory encouraged colonial hopes of expansion after 1763?
Lands taken from French Canada.
Colonists expected to exploit territory won in war.
Why did westward expansion create problems for Britain?
It risked conflict and disorder.
Expansion threatened relations with Native Americans and increased the cost of control.
What was the purpose of the Proclamation of 1763?
To restrict westward settlement.
It created a boundary intended to stabilise the frontier.
Why did many colonists resent the Proclamation of 1763?
Colonists felt they were being denied the fruits of victory.
True or False:
The Proclamation of 1763 was welcomed by most colonists as a reward for wartime loyalty.
False
Many saw it as a frustrating limit on settlement and opportunity.
What did the Proclamation of 1763 suggest about British imperial priorities?
Order over colonial expansion
Ministers preferred a manageable empire to uncontrolled settlement.
What was the Stamp Act?
A tax on printed materials.
It applied to legal papers, newspapers and other documents in the colonies.
Why did the Stamp Act provoke such strong opposition?
It was seen as internal taxation.
Colonists argued that such taxation without their consent was unconstitutional.