美国革命史课件.ppt

Ⅰ.Preconditions for the War 1. Population: Rapid population growth: In 1700: 250,000; a tenfold increase 75 years later. Population composition: -- English colonists steadily declined during the 1700s. --Migrants from Germany, Scotland, and Ireland ---- at least 30% of the white population. --the black population totaling 567,000 (slave trade, natural increase) This racial and ethnical diversity made the American colonies more difficult for Britain to rule. The Seven Year’s War /French and Indian War (1756-1763) The war was fought between the colonies of British America and New France, with both sides supported by military units from their parent countries of Great Britain and France, as well as Native American allies. The name French and Indian War is used mainly in the United States and in English-speaking Canada, and refers to the two main enemies of the British colonists: the royal French forces and the various indigenous forces allied with them. British and European historians use the term the Seven Years War, as do many Canadians. Before the war: Britain had practiced a policy of salutary neglect (有益的忽视), not insisting on strict enforcement of laws. During this period, the colonists developed a nearly independent political and economic system. After the war: The war had left Great Britain deeply in debt. British leaders viewed American prosperity as a resource and taxing the colonies as a means to relieve British debt. So British leaders ended that policy and proposed reforms and new taxes. But colonists viewed Great Britain’s attempts to tax them as interference into internal matters. Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty was an organization of dissidents that originated in the North American British colonies. The secret society was formed to protect the rights of the colonists and to take to the streets against the abuses of the British government. Background Information Many of the colonists still think of themselves