The Boston Tea Party
Fighting the French and the Indians
By 1755, there were nearly two million British living in the thirteen colonies. The colonies were: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, South Carolina, and Virginia. But the British colonists weren’t the only Europeans who had claimed land in the New World. There were also sixty thousand French colonists.
The French controlled a lot of land. They formed important friendships with the Ottawa, Shawnee, and other Native American tribes, who would trade North American furs, such as beaver, bear, fox, and mink, with the French. Then, the French could sell the furs back to Europe for a nice profit.
As the fur trade grew, the French started to claim more land in North America. But the British wanted the land, too, and small skirmishes would break out between the two nations. In 1754, war was declared.
At first, it seemed the French would win the war. They had a bigger army, and many Native Americans fought on their side. For four years, the French and Indians won battle after battle. The members of the British government weren’t concerned, though. Their attitude was “Let Americans fight Americans.”
But one British statesman, William Pitt, saw the importance of winning the war. He convinced Parliament to put him in charge of the war and to give him all the money he needed. This became the turning point in the war. Britain was richer than France, and the British Royal Navy was superior to France’s. Soon, the tides began to turn in the British colonists’ favor. Some Shawnee Native Americans even decided to switch sides.
On September 8, 1760, the French soldiers and their remaining Native American allies surrendered. It took three years for Britain and France to work out the terms of their surrender, but on September 3, 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed. France had to give up almost all of the land it had claimed in North America.
Although this was a major victory for Britain, it left enormous debts. Parliament came up with a solution: they would tax the colonists to make up the debt. After all, if not for the British military, the colonists would all be under French rule now. But the colonists didn’t see it this way. They fought hard and bravely to defend their own lives and liberty. Many believed they wouldn’t need the support of the mother country. These taxes were more than they could bear.
November 28, 1773
Outside Uncle George’s house is a handbill nailed to a tree trunk. It writes angry things about the King of England and the tea tax and announces a public meeting to discuss what to do about the shipload of tea in the harbor. It seems like the Bostonians are itching to stir up trouble.
It reminds Felicity about her grandfather. Grandfather was born in England, and came to the Virginia colony as a young man. He loves the King of England and is loyal to him. He says that although they live in America, England is their mother country, so they are all British subjects and should feel proud to be so. Grandfather wouldn’t like the critical things the people of Boston say about the mother country.
Charles tells Felicity that people have even started to secretly say they should break free and declare independence from Britain. Grandfather would call this treason. Felicity is confused. Grandfather loves and respects the King, and she loves and respects Grandfather. But she’s not sure if she can agree with him.