Britain and the Colonies

Whatever their private wishes, the King and his ministers could maintain only minimal control over their far-off possessions, separated from them by some 3,000 miles of open sea.

Only in matters of trade did England have a consistent imperial policy. The Colonies were expected to supply the mother country with raw and semi-finished materials, including furs, fish, rice, tobacco and timber. In exchange they received a lot of manufactured goods from the homeland. Both sides profited handsomely. Special Acts of the British Parliament required that all American goods should be carried in British or colonial vessels and sold only to British buyers. Those Acts discouraged American manufacturing so as to protect British firms from competition. American trade with other nations or their colonies was officially forbidden. And even hi this situation, favorable for itself, the Crown decided to tighten the grip on the Colonies.

Since Britain's treasury was almost empty after different wars, Parliament asked the colonists to contribute towards the cost of maintaining the British army through centrally-raised taxes. But there was serious opposition to this "taxation without representation" (the British Parliament did not contain any American-elected members).

Gradually, the daring word "independence" was on everyone^ lips, and a cause, thought radical only a few months earlier, had achieved an astounding degree of respectability.

In early June 1776, representatives of American Colonies met in Philadelphia in the Second Continental Congress to formalize their rebellion by adopting a Declaration of Independence. They chose Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration. On July 4, 1776, after having made several revisions in Jefferson's text, the Congress adopted the Declaration. One delegation, New York, abstained. No man among those present at the Congress could, on that day, foresee the outcome; yet each well knew that before peace was restored, he and his countrymen would have to endure a long period of privation and strife.

The United States of America was born, but its survival remained to be determined by the uncertain fortunes of war.

1. The Colonies were not expected to supply Britain with

A. raw materials

B. manufactured goods

C. furs

D. fish

2. According to the Acts of the British Parliament

A. American manufactured goods could be sold only to British buyers.

B. British manufacturing production was protected from competition.

C. British manufactured goods should be sold only to colonial buyers.

D. the trade between British and American firms was forbidden.

3. It follows from the text that Britain raised taxes in order to

A. empty the Crown's treasury.

B. encourage trade.

C. wage war with colonies.

D. support its army.

4. The Declaration of Independence was

A. adopted unanimously.

B. adopted in 1776.

C. agreed with Britain.

D. drafted in New York.

5. Which of the following is contrary to the text?

A. It was difficult for Britain to control its colonies.

B. At first the trade relations between Britain and the Colonies were mutually profitable.

C. The British Parliament wanted to contribute to the independence of colonies.

D. Americans were not represented in the British Parliament.

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