From The Glorious Cause (The American Revolution, 1763 - 1789), Revised and Expanded Edition - Robert Middlekauff - Oxford University Press - 2005- Chapter 3, The Beginnings: From the Top Down - p 53 => 73

The Origins of The American Revolution:

Little Awareness

Distance => sensitiveness toward American views decreased => English ministers had little awareness of American views + of their capacity of principled actions = English standpoint considered colonies as being meant to be subordinate = called them the Children of the English Parent

The Standing Army

Bute (The king’s adviser) => Permanent force of royal troops in America. Reasons = in peace time, it was essential to keep on giving jobs to the soldiers in order to prevent unrest (= George III’s Concerns) + important for the Indian question = protect + prevent conflict mainly caused by the encroachment of their land and by their being exploited (= Ministers’ concerns) Standing Army was no part of the English tradition but in America, it was necessary because of: French in Canada + Spaniards in Florida (both unreliable) + Indian (violent) + English Americans (trustful but impetuous = risk of conflict with neighbours) Standing Army did not solve problems = relation with Indians hard + Land acquired from France increased settler’s appetite for land => continued to encroach Indian land

Encroachment

Started at the beginning of the 7 Year War, especially the Virginians with the Ohio Company. This continued after the war => The Board of Trade was unsuccessful in its mission = felt necessary that the newly acquired West went to Indians through Royal proclamation Wars against Indians began => In the outburst of the conflict, Grenville’s ministry proclamation = closing the west between Appalachian and Mississippi River to white occupation => Some settlers - especially Virginians - were driven out of their farms = all got resentful + some did not respect the proclamation and therefore