Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Response to colonial resistance prompt
After completing our discussion about colonial dissent today, it's important that you focus on the initial do now question from two days ago: to what extent did social class and geography affect one's feelings towards Britain during the 1760's/70's? If you were to add gender to that question, what would you say? Post two comments, one a good solid answer to the question, and a second that is in response to your classmates.
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in colonists, the wealthier people would be more against Britain becuse the taxes affected them more. if a person lived in a big city, Especially Boston, would dislike endland even more, because after the Boston Tea Party, England closed down Boston harbor along with several other things. As for gender, Men would probably hate Britain more since they, at that time, were the ones who made the money for their houshold and paying taxes.
ReplyDeleteThe colonists lost a little bit of respect for the British because Parliament was forming these duties but could not enforce them because they were miles and miles away from Britain and this led to the colonists feeling like they could be disobedient and would not get caught. Also, the British looked at the colonists as inferior and not as equals and this really angered the colonists. In the colonies, the wealthier people hated the British more because the taxes had the most affect on them. As for gender, males would most likely be against the British because they were the ones paying the taxes and having to deal with the restrictions on trade and navigation. However, women too had reasons to hate the British because women were the biggest tea drinkers and the Tea Act really infuriated them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ricky on the fact that the bostonians really hated British because they were such radicals and were very angry by the harsh restrictions put onto the Boston Harbor and Massachussetts after the Boston Tea Party.
ReplyDeleteAs time progressed, more and more colonists were becoming angered with the British. Wealthier colonists were affected more when it came to taxing yet, the poorer class had a harder time keeping up with the strict demands of the British. Along with that, because men were considered the head of the household and the main 'breadwinners' of the family, the pressure of paying the steep taxes rested heavily on their shoulders. Geography also affected the views on the British, those living in Boston were greatly affected when the entire harbor was shut down. However, those on the frontier were also angry because they wanted more protection from Native American attacks.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Grant in that the colonists were angered when a more strict rule was implemented. The colonists were used to a somewhat lax self rule and when Britian interfered, they were upset because they did not recieve equal representation in the government.
ReplyDeleteThe wealthier people were very mad at the English because they had to pay he most taxes and they had owned the land past the Ohio River and wanted to expand at first and then had to give it back after Britain made the Proclamation Line. But then the British gave the land to the French from Canada who were seen as below the colonists since they were Catholic. The wealthier people were upset with the British because they had been there longer then the French and they had been loyal the whole time. People in Boston were very outspoken and because of the Boston Tea Party the port of Boston was closed and it constricted trade and people's livelyhoods were at stake. For gender men would probably be the most upset with the British because they were the ones working and had to obey made of the acts and taxes on trade. But like Grant said women would also be mad at the English because they were the biggest tea drinkers and after the Tea Act was passed their tea was now even more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tyler because as she said the wealthier people had to keep up with the strict taxes constantly so it put a burden on them. I also agree with the colonists wanting more protection from the Native Americans because while they were living out there they were prone to Indian attacks.
ReplyDeleteGeography affected the colonists feeling toward Britain in two key areas. One of those areas would be the major cities, especially Boston. Major cities is where the majority of the higher class lived, and those were the people that caught the brunt of the major taxes imposed by the British. Boston, was especially affected because they were the main trading city in America so they were without a doubt hit hardest by the trade regulation instituted by the British, and the closing of their own port, Boston Harbor. The other are that was most affected by geography was those involved with a border dispute with the Native Americans. As for social class, like I said previously, the upper classes caught the brunt of the taxes, and the higher classes were usually the ones who were targeted when protests took place in America. The lower classes were also affected by the taxes because they already had a tough time surviving, so paying extra taxes was extremely difficult.Finally, men, and widowed women had it the hardest when it came to taxes. Men had to work all day just to see that a large portion of their profit would go to benefit some far away country (Great Britain). Widows had it twice as tough they had to do the same work as the men, pay the taxes, and take care of the family.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt's position about geography and the points he raised in regards to it's importance. Like we talked about in class, many of the duties and acts were specifically targeted towards Boston.
ReplyDeleteSocial class was a factor shaping one's opinion about the British. If one was a wealthy governess appointed by the king, obviously they would remain loyal to the throne. However, those that were slightly lower in the social system, still wealthy however, were angered with such policies as it affected them financially. Furthermore, the poorer and middle classes followed in the unhappiness as the taxes also hurt them.
ReplyDeleteIn location was key in terms of one's response to the British. As mentioned in previous posts, those that lived in Massachusetts, specifically Boston were notorious for being activists. The British directed the Intolerable Acts towards those in Boston. Additionally, those living near the Proclamation Line opposed the British as they housed troops in that area in order to protect the Native American land. Colonists were angered that the British would have to stay in their houses and in a way it was "spying."
As seen in the political activist groups, many were composed of men. Such groups, including the Sons of Liberty and the Paxton Boys, led protests and were instrumental in havacking the British. This is not to say, however, that the women were not opposed to British policy, however many of the patriotic "terrorist" groups were male dominated.
The English always had more authority and control than the colonies. This made the colonies, especially the wealthy people, angry because they were forced to pay the highest taxes. The lower classes also suffered from the taxing because they had less money so now paying taxes made their lives even more difficult. Any extra money they could have used for survival was now being used to pay for a war many people didnt even want to happen. Geography also affected the colonist's feelings towards the British in many ways. First if you lived in Boston you would no longer be allowed to export good because the Boston harbor was closed as a punishment for the Boston Tea Party. People in Boston were also punished by the Intolerable Acts, allowing British troops to stay in colonists houses and restricting town meetings. As for the role of gender they each had different reasons for their angry feelings towards the British. Most of the merchants and workers were men at the time and they were the ones who were making the money and selling goods so this aggravated them because they would work and sell to get less money out of their hard work. Women also probably began to develop hatred towards the British when they passed the Tea Act because as Grant said, they were the biggest tea drinkers. The Tea Act also killed competition for merchants selling tea, so this was another reason for them to be angry.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt about the geography and social classes making a difference to the way people felt about the British. I also like the way he made a point of widowed women having the most difficult time paying taxes because during this time men were mainly the only source of income for the family.
ReplyDeleteIn a sense the geographical seperation of Great Britain from their American colonies is the only difference they needed in that respect during the 1760s/70s because by that time the colonies had set up a very much local government fueled by local sentiment on which political success drew on a popular base.
ReplyDeleteSo when Britain started a trend of taking more of the reigns of imperial rule from the center of power back in England and pushed through acts that "infringed" and stepped in on this very insular and self-sufficient means of functioning, be it the Stamp Act, the Declatory Act, the Townshend Acts, the Coercive Acts, the Tea Act, and so forth the result was mounting displeasure and protest. The ball really gets rolling though when the Merchants and Wealthy (land-owning) class decides to exert their influence against duties that would cut into their profits, they had a (dis)proportionately louder voice in England and simply more weight to throw around. So if popular dissent was what began to emerge, it was the upper classes that begun the lobbying and hemming and hawing in ernest and fueling that spread.
The one thing that truely wound up throwing a wrench in Britain's plans to really discipline their American colonies was economic boycott. Imposing restrictive measures usually relied on Parliament appropriating back some of the "power of the purse" but that only worked if people would purchase the goods amended with these new duties. It's here where organized protest comes in and where the female influence can obviously be seen, e.g. the Daughters of Liberty, women being principle drinkers of tea were instrumental in the success of boycotts against the Tea Act. Similarly "homespun" or textile crafts as well aided in boycotting of more manufactured goods, the textbook mentions various statements of colonial pride in "home-made" clothing in a sense there.
To really get their message across and what lead to the repeal of many of the Acts during the decade was that it merely wound up costing the British many folds more to keep the Acts in place than the money they wound up making from it. To that extent contributions made by men and women and people across the colonies needed a level of cooperation that could overcome their numerous other squabbles and differences with each other, common ground amidst all that had to be found, and it was and they capitalized on it.
Around the 1760s, the vast majority of the colonists felt some sort unrest towards their British rulers, whether it be because of new taxes or maybe property restrictions. If the first, these colonists were probably from the upper-middle class and so were more affected by the increased taxation. Even so, lower classes had their share of taxes to deal with, which was probably even harder for them to deal with, since being poor entails having little money. Geographically, larger cities probably had more rebellious citizens, since ideas were spread so easily and most of the issues against the British where found in such close quarters. Backwoods farmers, on the other hand, would mostly be concerned about their own land and maintaining their livelihoods. And taking gender into account also, the men would probably be the most riled up since they had far more opportunities to be politically active. Whereas I'm sure women were capable of having opinions on political affairs, they were less likely to act on them, since men held all the power. After all, voters, taxpayers, delegates, and assembly representatives were all men so the policies affected them directly.
ReplyDeleteI liked how Melinh talked about the political concerns of the men, when taking the gender issue into account. I also liked how Brianna took into account the fact that women were the more avid tea drinkers, so the taxes did affect them more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ricky in that the colonists living closer to Boston would feel more passionate about protesting the British policies, since the Bostonians were so active in fighting them.
ReplyDeleteBrianna, I don't know if "England always had more authority and control in the colonies." I thought it was more along the lines of salutary neglect - relatively light British hand in oversight in America that took a rather abrupt turn towards active British control post French Indian War. If Pitt hadn't decided to make the Americas the main theatre then, perhaps it would have taken a different catalyst to get Britain to tighten its reign on the American colonies. The colonial mindset seems more along the lines of being largely left alone to fend for themselves the past 150 odd years up to that point and then a shift in policies makes Britain decide to return and dictate everything, the independent child receives a newly overzealous helicopter parent.
ReplyDeleteThough all the colonists were in some way discontented with the policies of the British, it was the higher classes that took action first. The lower classes followed the lead of a few radical men. In this way social class played a role in the colonial dissent of the 1770s. Geography played a key role in stirring up the desire of the colonists to be independent and self-ruling. Because Britain was located on the other side of the ocean, it was difficult for the Parliament to enforce absolute control over the colonies. What ensued was a period of self-rule in the colonies pre-French and Indian War. However, the Britain came back to reestablish a more direct control during and following the war. Parliament issued several taxes in the form of the Intolerable Acts,which angered many of the colonists of all classes. The British should have eased their transition if they wanted the colonists to subordinate to their rule. In the colonies, it was primarily the men who were the most devoted and active protesters. The women didn't have as many rights as men and didn't hold political positions. Consequently, they played a more "behind the scenes" role such as being the key components behind the boycott of tea in resistance to the Tea Act.
ReplyDeleteMost colonists during the 1760s were displeased to some extent with the British extent, regardless of class or gender. The upper class, which owned the lands west of the Ohio river valley, were restricted from extending and settling their lands to include this area. However, the British angered them by allowing Catholic Canadians to settle there. The poorer class faced the hardships of paying the taxes set by the Parliament. Both felt that these tazes and other restrictions were unfair, because they saw themselves as part of Britain, not a separate entity for taxing. They were not even represented in Parlaiment, which brought about a sense of self-rule in the colonies. The colonists had actual representation, where local officials represented the needs and wants of the local citizens. In Britain, however, virtual representation was practiced by a government that represented the country as a whole, not taking into account the specific needs of smaller areas. In the case of gender, both were affected, but in different ways. Men, who generally made a family's income, had to consider the costs of the taxes. It was mostly men that held political positions and contributed most to the revolution as political activists. Women, however, had to deal with many of the restrictions on certain items and making homes. The majority of tea was consumed by women, and the heavy taxes caused them to play an important role in boycotting tea along with other British goods. I'm falling asleep and don't know what I'm talking about anymore.
ReplyDeleteI like how Tracy explained why self-rule developed in the colonies in relation to the geographic locations of the colonies versus Britain. Matt also brought up a good point about how most of the rebellious action took place in large cities like Boston, where the ports were impacted most by trade regulations and taxes.
ReplyDeleteSocial class and geography both had an impact on colonists' views of the British. As for social class, the upper class had a lot strain because they were burdened with the most taxes. This probably led them to dislike the British more. However, even though the poor paid fewer taxes, it was probably even more straining on them due to their low income.
ReplyDeleteAs for geography, Britain's control over the colonies differed depending on location. The British were not nearly as harsh on rural areas than they were in large cities (where Britain faced a lot of protest and rebellion). Specifically, Britain was especially harsh to Boston when they passed the Intolerable Acts against them as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. Most significantly, the Boston Harbor was closed down, affecting many Bostonians whose livelihoods depended on the harbor. This surely made Boston resent Britain more than other areas.
Gender also played a role in colonists' feelings towards the British. While Britain's actions affected women, men were the ones who earned the money most of the time. For that reason they were most burdened with the taxes and they hated the British, probably more than the women did.
i agree with Melinh, especially about the geography of the area affecting the way people viewed England. i liked her example about the backwoods farmer and the Bostonian
ReplyDeleteI agree with Grant. While I forgot to mention it, he is right about how women are the biggest tea drinkers. That certainly affected their attitudes towards the British, and it is definitely a good point to bring up since many people's responses focused on how life was worse for men than for women.
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ReplyDeleteThe higher classes were very influential in the way everyone in the lower classes formed their opinion. Usually, the wealthier men were the ones who stepped out against the British, as they were the ones being taxed the most. With the addition of each tax, the wealthier men lost more and more money. Therefore, the men in the higher class were the ones who initiated the rebellious actions. When the lower classes saw what the rich people were doing, they realized that they felt the same way and wanted to help the resistance.
ReplyDeleteIf you were a colonist living in Boston, you may find yourself more involved in the rebellion than say a colonist living in New Jersey. The British took drastic measures when they decided to close Boston Harbor after the Boston Tea Party. The British also forced soldiers to live in homes with the colonists and "keep an eye out" or simply spy to make sure the Bostonians aren't planning another attack similar to the Tea Party. After the colonies say what Boston did, they too began to have their own tea parties, shoving tea overboard and even trying to restrain boats from docking in their ports. New York forbid the East India Trading Company from unloading cargo. South Carolina took it a step farther and decided the cargo can be taken off the boat, but it will be kept in a warehouse and it won't be sold. So geography-wise, living near any major trading port probably contributes to the level of anger. After the Intolerable Acts, majority of the colonists were fed up with the British.
I am sure women had many political opinions on the matter, however, men were usually the ones who acted upon those opinions and let the anger surface. Though some women were involved, it was usually men that stepped up to defend the colonies against the British taxes. But the women were the primary consumers of tea and therefore were very eager in boycotting the tea tax along with the men. More often than not, the men were involved in the primary aspects of the resistance involving violence. The women also didn't have many rights back then; they wouldn't understand why having an assembly full of elected officials would differ from a British governor, as they could not vote for either. The men were definitely more active than the women colonists when it came to rebelling against the British.
I think that the wealthy people were the most angry at the British being as they were taxed most heavily and it did not matter where they were located. But people in major cities like Boston and New York were affected most because of the docks for importing and exporting. The rural areas were affected less, but wherever the wealthy class was located they were affected by the taxes. In the view points of gender the men would be the most affected because they were the ones paying the taxes and working in the economy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brittany and she brought up a very good point about the land in the OHio River Valley.
ReplyDeleteI like how Carly brought up the colonists who lived near the Proclamation line and how they were affected. I never considered that aspect. I also thought Gallagher made an interesting point about how the men had to consider the taxes as they were the ones who really say the effects of the various acts established by the British
ReplyDeleteI think that geography was important in this because if you lived beyond the Promclamation line, then you had to leave the land you owned just because Britain said so. Colonists definitely were not happy about this.
ReplyDeleteAlso, geography comes into play in that Boston was particularly targeted, mostly because of their extrememe protests (ex the Boston Tea Party, harassing stamp men etc)
In terms of gender, I agree with what Grant said and what Mr. O mentioned in class; women were the main tea drinkers. Therefore, they were especially furious with the Tea Act. But of course, things affected men as well, as they were the main breadwinners and therefore, the tax payers.
I agree with what Taylor said pertaining to the social classes during this time. She mentioned that while the rich were paying the most taxes, it was probably just as hard for the poor people because they were giving up everything they had. It was just really a difficult time for all the colonists, of all social classes. No one was unaffected by the British policies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carlee's point that the magnitude of colonists' anger in an area was determined by their proximity to any trading ports, as trade was the most significant aspect of colonial life to be affected by Britain's unjust policies. Also, it seems that most of the violent protests occurred in New England, namely Boston, while few occurred in the south. I think that this may be because although the South produced a great amount of goods that were later exported from the colonies, the British ports were subject to mainly imports, which contained the goods that were unfairly taxed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, at the time of these colonial uprisings, the Age of Enlightenment was underway in Europe, which led to significant increases in women's rights around the globe. As the philosophies of this time spread across the Atlantic, colonial women began to gain a larger role in society outside of the family and household. I think this played a great part in the rebellion against the British as women relished their new role in society and served the domestic roles in protestation, while men provided the strength, violence, and determination that built up the revolutionary spirit.
ReplyDeletegeography played a huge role in the issues between the british and the colonies in terms of their relationship. first off, after the britsh made the proclamation line and limited where the colonists could settle they got angry. Especially the richer colonists because on the other side of the line they owned land and they got no compensation for losing this land it was just taken away from them. Another issue was because they were over seas and the British implimented a virtual representation they had no one truly fighting for them and their needs and issues in Parliament because no one from the colonies represented them in England. And the third reason is because they were overseas this gave England the power to manipulate their own rules and regulations. although this was not the right thing to do, the put the colonies under a double standard of being able to rule over them as part of the empire and also tax them as an external country. this was their excuse to the colonies for the stamp act and raising a tax for the pure reason of raising revenue.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christina said on how the colonists were very angry with the proclamation line being put up and a lot of people losing land they owned
ReplyDeleteMany of the colonists were upset with Great Britain, but the difference in social classes allowed the wealthier class to express their grievances more easily. As we said in class, the wealthy class started movements and the lower classes followed. The effect of geography was mainly between the people living in port towns like Boston, and people living along the Proclamation line. Britain closed the Boston port as a punishment, and prevented settlers from moving west of the line.
ReplyDeleteGeography and social status played a huge role in colonial views on the British. The colonists living in Boston definitely had the most resentment, especially after the Townshend Acts, which were aimed at them. Also colonists living past the proclamation line were angry with their loss of land. The wealthy colonist were especially angry when the Canadians were allowed to move beyond the line.
ReplyDeleteAs for the issue of gender, men would primarily be the ones affected since they generally earned the family money and handled finances. However, women were the biggest consumers of tea, so they would definitely feel the repercussions from the Tea Act.
Alexis made a clear connection between the proclamation line and how it incited the wealth colonists which set off larger public disapproval.
ReplyDeleteI like how Carly pointed out that the revolutionary groups were headed mostly by men. The men dominated the political aspect of the American revolution.
ReplyDeleteI think that all classes disliked the British, if not especially the poorer people, as they could not afford the extra taxes they were forced to comply with no matter how minimial they actually were in the grand scheme of things. Geography was a major issue, especially when the British shut down the ports and forced the colonies to trade through land. Anyone who was unable to communicate except by sea was at a disadvantage economically and probably had more issues with the British than those who experienced only minor inconvenience by the land trade. I feel that women would not be as involved as men in the struggle, as they were not allowed rights to voice political opinions in the colonies themselves and could therefore not have a problem with lack of representation in Parliament. Though this may be an underestimation of the role of women in the revolution, the men were the people fighting and up front. The women suffered at home, as they had to house the soldiers and fend for themselves if their husbands died, but they were not the front of the battle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexis on her point on the Proclamation line; wealthy landowners who either lost their land or had plans of moving westward were unhappy with the new restriction. Geography affected the colonies' reaction to the British in this way as well.
Most of the colonists, of all classes and genders, were angry towards the British for the taxes that were put on them. However, it was the higher, wealthier classes and the people who lived in big cities who showed this anger because the wealthier you were, the higher the taxes you had to pay and ideas spread quicker within a city. The colonists of Boston were really the ones who got involved however. Not only was their harbor shut down after the Boston Tea Party, but they were also punished through the Intolerable Acts. This meant that the colonists would no longer be able to export goods nor have privacy as they were forced to be hospitable to the British soldiers and offer them their home. Lastly, taking gender into account, I think it would have been the men who were truly frustrated toward the British as they were the breadwinners and were the ones who working and had to pay the taxes. Women had a lack of rights back then and were subordinate to men which is probably why they weren't as active or involved as the men were.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexis as she brings up a very good point about the importance of geography. I especially liked how she mentioned the Proclamation line and the issues it brought up such as how the wealthier colonists who owned land on the other side of the line unjustly got their land taken away.
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