Essay About Lords Of Trade And Board Of Trade

The Imperial Perspective
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Chapter4: The Imperial Perspective
– No imperial control over colonies, too expensive
– Americans were used to self-government
– Non-sensical policies: Considered citizens but no citizenship, no representation, etc.
English Administration of the Colonies
– All colonies except Georgia had pre-glorious rev. charters; they were “dependencies of the
crown”
– Privy Council
o Body of 30-40 advisers appointed & responsible to the king only (1st line of colonial ctrl)
o 1634 King Charles I colonial affairs to 11: Lords Commissioners for Plantations in General
– Mercantile System
o Navigation Act 1651
– No foreign shipping to/from colonies
– All goods must be imported to England or arrive on English ships & English crew
– European goods must come direct from origin
– Assumes fixed amount of silver & gold; direct all economic activities; limit imports
– Navigation Act of 1660
– Crew must be ¾ English
– Certain goods only shipped to England or colonies
– Tobacco, cotton, indigo, ginger, dyewoods, sugar
– ↑ called enumerated list
– Also, masts, copper ore, fur
– Navi Act 1663
– England funnel for all colonial imports
– Aka Staple Act
– Navi Act 1673 (Plantation Duty Act)
– Captain must give bond to land the enumerated articles in England
– Enforcement of Navi Acts spotty
– 1676 Massachusetts took property rights in New Hampshire & Maine
– Lords of Trade – made from privy council
– Dominion of New England
– All colonies south through NJ
– Sir Edmund Andros (tactless, efficient soldier)
– Extended rule over Conn., RI, NY, E & W NJ
– Resented: taxation w/o representation, took over Puritan church for Anglican
– After Glorious Revolution, arrested & former govt reinstated
– New governor to replace Jacob Leisler (New York)
– Resisted & hanged for treason
– 4 yrs later parliament declared not guilty
– Maryland (1715) & Penn. (1694) Became proprietorships again
– John Locke
– Two Treatises on Govt (1690)
– 1st- refused divine right of kings
– 2nd- contract theory of govnerment
– People had natural rights to life, liberty & property
– Board of Trade – (Lords of Trade and Plantation) colonial officials reported to them, investigated the -enforcement of the Navigation Acts
– Salutary Neglect
– Board of Trade under George I & II became interested in their salaries mainly Habit of Self-Government
– Maryland, Penn, & Delaware governor was choice of proprietor
– Conn. & RI elected governor until the end of the colonial period
– Governors Powers:
– Absolute Veto
– Decide when/where assembly meets
– Adjourn & dissolve assembly
– Postpone elections
– Appoint/remove officials
– Command militia/navy
– Grant pardons
– Governor & council were highest court
– Assemblies Powers
– Elected body
– Populate vote in counties/towns
– Religious tests abandoned after Toleration Act of 1689