登陆注册
5730300000024

第24章 THE COLONIAL PERIOD(23)

The Trade Laws.-The third group of restrictive measures passed by the British Parliament related to the sale of colonial produce.An act of 1663re-quired the colonies to export certain articles to Great Britain or to her do-minions alone;while sugar,tobacco,and ginger consigned to the continent of Europe had to pass through a British port paying custom duties and through a British merchant's hands paying the usual commission.At first tobacco was the only one of the "enumerated articles"which seriously concerned the American colonies,the rest coming mainly from the British West Indies.In the course of time,however,other commodities were added to the list of enumerated articles,until by 1764it embraced rice,naval stores,copper,furs,hides,iron,lumber,and pearl ashes.This was not all.The colonies were compelled to bring their European purchases back through English ports,paying duties to the govern-ment and commissions to merchants again.

The Molasses Act.-Not content with laws enacted in the interest of Eng-lish merchants and manufacturers,Parliament sought to protect the British West Indies against competition from their French and Dutch neighbors.New England merchants had long carried on a lucrative trade with the French is-lands in the West Indies and Dutch Guiana,where sugar and molasses could be obtained in large quantities at low prices.Acting on the protests of English planters in the Barbadoes and Jamaica,Parliament,in 1733,passed the famous Molasses Act imposing duties on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies from foreign countries-rates which would have destroyed the American trade with the French and Dutch if the law had been enforced.The duties,however,were not collected.The molasses and sugar trade with the foreigners went on merrily,smuggling taking the place of lawful traffic.

Effect of the Laws in America.-As compared with the strict monopoly of her colonial trade which Spain consistently sought to maintain,the policy of England was both moderate and liberal.Furthermore,the restrictive laws were supplemented by many measures intended to be favorable to colonial prosper-ity.The Navigation Acts,for example,redounded to the advantage of American shipbuilders and the producers of hemp,tar,lumber,and ship stores in general.Favors in British ports were granted to colonial producers as against foreign competitors and in some instances bounties were paid by England to encourage colonial enterprise.Taken all in all,there is much justification in the argument advanced by some modern scholars to the effect that the colonists gained more than they lost by British trade and industrial legislation.Certainly after the es-tablishment of independence,when free from these old restrictions,the Ameri-cans found themselves handicapped by being treated as foreigners rather than favored traders and the recipients of bounties in English markets.

Be that as it may,it appears that the colonists felt little irritation against the mother country on account of the trade and navigation laws enacted previous to the close of the French and Indian war.Relatively few were engaged in the hat and iron industries as compared with those in farming and planting,so that England's policy of restricting America to agriculture did not conflict with the interests of the majority of the inhabitants.The woolen industry was largely in the hands of women and carried on in connection with their domestic duties,so that it was not the sole support of any considerable number of people.

As a matter of fact,moreover,the restrictive laws,especially those relating to trade,were not rigidly enforced.Cargoes of tobacco were boldly sent to continental ports without even so much as a bow to the English government,to which duties should have been paid.Sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch colonies were shipped into New England in spite of the law.Royal officers sometimes protested against smuggling and sometimes connived at it;but at no time did they succeed in stopping it.Taken all in all,very little was heard of "the galling restraints of trade"until after the French war,when the British government suddenly entered upon a new course.

Summary of the Colonial Period

In the period between the landing of the English at Jamestown,Virginia,in 1607,and the close of the French and Indian war in 1763-a period of a century and a half-a new nation was being prepared on this continent to take its place among the powers of the earth.It was an epoch of migration.Western Europe contributed emigrants of many races and nationalities.The English led the way.Next to them in numerical importance were the Scotch-Irish and the Germans.Into the melting pot were also cast Dutch,Swedes,French,Jews,Welsh,and Irish.Thousands of negroes were brought from Africa to till Southern fields or labor as domestic servants in the North.

同类推荐
  • 商务英语实用大全

    商务英语实用大全

    《商务英语实用大全》专为正要踏入职场和努力在职场打拼的读者设计,从商务口语篇和商务写作篇两大方面入手,既能够帮助读者提升口语方面的交际能力,又能增加书面的业务知识。
  • 那些温暖而美好的小事

    那些温暖而美好的小事

    或许你在经历一段美好的感情,或许你有好多珍藏的回忆。或许无关爱情无关友情无关亲情,只是来自陌生的霎时温柔。但那些事情,都曾触动你的心弦,在流年碎影里,让你嘴角上扬,相信美好。生活是一场又一场对美好事物的追逐。趁着年轻,制造比夏天还要温暖的事。本书汇集大量经典感人故事、哲理小文,感情纯真,内容温暖动人。用中英文对照的形式,呈现出人类最柔美的情感、最深刻的思考。内容积极健康,很适合青少年学习阅读。
  • 飘(上)(纯爱·英文馆)

    飘(上)(纯爱·英文馆)

    《飘》是美国女作家玛格丽特·米切尔(1900—1949)十年磨一剑的作品,也是惟一的作品。小说以亚特兰大以及附近的一个种植园为故事场景,描绘了内战前后美国南方人的生活。作品刻画了那个时代的许多南方人的形象,占中心位置的斯佳丽、瑞德、艾希礼、梅勒妮等人是其中的典型代表。他们的习俗礼仪、言行举止、精神观念、政治态度,通过对斯佳丽与白瑞德的爱情纠缠为主线,成功地再现了林肯领导的南北战争,美国南方地区的社会生活。
  • The Book of Life 生命册

    The Book of Life 生命册

    生我养我的无梁村,有着吴志鹏极力摆脱却终挥之不去的记忆。哺育我十多年的老姑父为了爱情放弃了军人的身份,却在之后的几十年生活中深陷家庭矛盾无法自拔;为了拉扯大三个孩子,如草芥般的虫嫂沦为小偷,陷入人人可唾的悲剧命运;村里的能手春才,在青春期性的诱惑和村人的闲言碎语中自宫……在时代与土地的变迁中,人物的精神产生裂变,都走向了自己的反面。在这些无奈和悲凉中,在各种异化的人生轨迹中,又蕴藏着一个个生命的真谛。
  • 谜语绕口令英语

    谜语绕口令英语

    谜语和绕口令是英语文学中两种比较独特的语言艺术形式。前者既饶有情趣,又可以启发心智,增进思考和想像能力;后者结构巧妙,诙谐风趣,富有音乐性,最适合口头背诵,深受广大英语读者的喜爱。
热门推荐
  • 锣鼓铿锵

    锣鼓铿锵

    年过半百,总是回头看人生的足迹,从儿时到现在,从自己到亲人、同学、朋友,亲情与友情在童年的游戏玩耍中、在青少年的求学奋斗时、在中年的工作事业里,不断地增长、积淀,在思乡念旧的情感催生下,渐渐地开始发酵,慢慢地酝酿出了酒香。 倒一杯这思乡念旧的酒,细细地品味。 庆幸自己有过快乐的童年,无忧无虑,天真率性,彻底地玩耍过。庆幸自己有贫寒而温暖的家庭,贫寒的是物质生活,温暖的是父母的慈爱、养育。
  • 泰戈尔诗集

    泰戈尔诗集

    《泰戈尔诗集》收录了泰戈尔流传最广、最具代表性的四部诗集《吉檀迦利》《园丁集》《爱的馈赠》和《新月集》。全文以清新的诗歌,深邃的笔触,揭示了“一代诗圣”泰戈尔独有的灵性哲理。阅读这些诗篇,将为我们开启淤塞的智慧源泉,慰藉我们身心的孤寂。
  • 阎连科文论

    阎连科文论

    本书内容涉及文学理论和创作方方面面的内容,有作家的个人简介,有不同时代,不同地域作家作品的阐释和解读,有对文学潮流,文学现象的分析和展望。与一般的文艺理论不同的是,本书没有理论著作的晦涩,语言通俗易懂,娓娓道来,说理透彻生动,极富有艺术感染力。尤其是一部分演讲词,如同与人聊天和谈心,读之有如沐春风的感觉。
  • 注意雷区

    注意雷区

    此教材以祛除郁闷、PIA飞无聊、踢走压力为宗旨,精选若干雷人笑话,总有一款雷到你!
  • 江湖大义

    江湖大义

    有人的地方,便有江湖。所谓正义,不过是强势一方的一切行为,并非绝对。
  • 重生之世家名媛

    重生之世家名媛

    身为药膳世家的长女,上辈子钟凡琳被家族放弃丢了性命,这辈子她掌控人生,颠覆世家。
  • 血旗袍之蚀骨迷情

    血旗袍之蚀骨迷情

    一幢古老诡异的西式洋房,一段玄乎其玄的诅咒传说,一场骇人听闻的离奇凶案,一首摄人心魄的恐怖歌谣,一袭染血的华美旗袍,一段被尘封的陈年往事。原来这世上最爱你的人,自始至终都在护着你。哪怕她怨念深重,却也不会伤你分毫。
  • 速效说服术

    速效说服术

    说服高手绝不公开的心理秘笈,让人无法说NO的顶级攻心话术!人生就是一连串的说服,说话未必要口沫横飞,无需滔滔不绝,只要掌握对方的心理,一针见血便有办法说服他人,如何看时机说话?如何做好说话的心理建设?你知道吗?史上最强的说服术,尽在本书。
  • 遥若今昔

    遥若今昔

    ●●●●黑夜,无尽的黑夜。窗口坐着一个火一样的女子,抬头看向无尽远处,微红色的眼眸流露出无奈与渴望,黑色的发包裹着一层红色的光晕直垂到底,火红的衣服更显出脸色的苍白。她用双手环住腿,雪白的脚踩在冰凉的窗台上。她低头把头靠在膝盖上。眉心的凤凰印记也随之黯淡下来。"你究竟是谁?"她慢慢抬起头。看到对面的她惊愕的神情,还略微抖动的身躯。四目相对。“我,就是你”。
  • 青门书引之耳语

    青门书引之耳语

    高才医学生沈晨在一次严重感冒痊愈后,留下了一个可怕的病根,从那以后,他可以听到来自冥界的声音,却又仅仅只是能够听到。正因如此,他被无端卷入一场谋杀案,自此以后,他的生活再也不能太平……