M&D rambulatory yammerings

[Becky Lindroos]

I think the English grab at money from the colonies was to recoup their losses from all their wars - not just those in the Colonies.   The Navigation and other Acts were just overstepping what the colonies could/would take. They’d been doing just fine without all that English interference and money-grubbing.   The Stamp Act (1765) was so bad that New York English businessmen asked for repeal.  The other taxes, tea, sugar, molasses (rum), and of course,  export-import taxes (and shipping via London on British ships was mandated - no exporting to or importing from of via other sources). 

All this didn’t really have much overall economic effect (far worse for business folks in the port cities),   but it had great political effect - political leverage for those who favored independence. The stuff of coffee-shop debates. (heh)

And in  1760 (just toward the end of the 7-year war), England had a new king, George III, who was only 25 years old at the time.  With his German background,  he had to prove to Parliament that he was patriotic and he wanted to refresh the coffers which were horrendously depleted.  Parliament provided the bucks. And he had more wars to fight - 

Britain fought 14! wars between 1700 and 1776,  11 of which had nothing to do with the Colonies or the Natives in North America.   

Bekah-
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