Relations Between England and It's Colonies After the French/indian War

In the early years of colonial settlement in the Americas, the struggle for land ownership between European countries seemed everlasting. One feud between Great Britain and France led to the French and Indian War during the mid 18th century. After the war was over in 1763, the political, economic and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies were altered. Although altered, not all would agree that they were altered for the worse.

Soldiers on Britain's side during the French and Indian War were mostly colonists from England who wished simply to keep their claims to North American land. Even famous revolutionary war heroes such as George Washington were found defending the side of Britain. Although there were many like George Washington who found that military service under the Crown was "laudable," there were many soldiers who felt that they had been stripped of their English liberties. This loss of freedom that so many felt had a direct impact on relations with the colonists and Britain after the war. It was one of the first instances where colonial effort seemed unnecessary to the English.

Ideologically the relationship between Great Britain and its American colonies seemed very strong at first. This being because of the colonial relations between their mother country and her colonies, and also because some colonists believed that they owed their liberties and land to the British. Although anyone who studies American history will find that relations between the colonists and Great Britain changed drastically after Parliament passed tax laws to increase revenue.

Before the war started in 1754, France owned a large portion of land in North America between two portions of land belonging to England. After the war was over, most of France's claims to North America were given to England, allowing for greater English colonization in the region. With a larger amount of settled land, England needed a larger revenue to support the colonies. In order to attain this much needed revenue, Parliament put the Stamp Act into effect in 1765. This act put a tax on all paper materials imported into the colonies and the money collected from this tax was sent to England. The colonists quickly cried foul arguing that there should be "no taxation without representation." After a long, drawn out series of rebellions and stubbornness from the colonists, Parliament finally repealed the Stamp Act in