The Revolutionary war fought from 1775-1783 was the War for Independence from the British Empire leaving the 13 colonies to be an independent nation and become the United States. ... Although Britain had won the war, King George II decided to undertake a new colonial policy intended to tighten political control over its rather autonomous colonies. ... The first of several laws to achieve this was the Proclamation of 1763. ... "That shift in imperial policy," writes historian Alan Taylor, "shocked the colonial leaders of the Atlantic seaboard into recognizing and defending their distinctive wa...

• Word Count: 2404
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The British government of the time favored a policy of mercantilism, although laws such as the Navigation Act were only loosely enforced to regulate commerce in the British interest. This all changed abruptly in 1763. The Treaty of Paris removed a long-standing threat to the colonies (from the French) while at the same time Great Britain, under George Grenville undertook a new colonial policy intended to tighten political control over the colonies and to make them effectively pay for their defense and return income to England. ... However before the Congress could meet again, on the morning...

• Word Count: 2128
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate