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Colonists from Europe saw the American landscape as wild, savage, dark, a waste, and thus needed to be tamed in order for it to be safe and habitable. Once cleared and settled, these areas were depicted as "Eden itself." [94] The advent of European colonization resulted in the disruption of existing social structures in indigenous lands.
The Union economy grew and prospered during the war while fielding a very large army and navy. [106] The Republicans in Washington had a Whiggish vision of an industrial nation, with great cities, efficient factories, productive farms, all national banks, all knit together by a modern railroad system, to be mobilized by the United States ...
The colonists persisted, and the American boycott of tea ultimately culminated in the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Despite the Revolution's widespread association with the colonists' aversion to higher taxes, it has been claimed that the colonists actually paid far less tax compared to their British counterparts. [3]
In the 18th century, the British government operated under a policy of mercantilism, in which the central government administered its colonies for Britain's economic benefit. The 13 colonies had a degree of self-governance and active local elections, [a] and they resisted London's demands
And he feared that Britain's policy towards the colonies would condemn the United States to be only producers of agricultural products and raw materials. [13] [12] Britain initially did not want to industrialize the American colonies, and implemented policies to that effect (for example, banning high value-added manufacturing activities).
By 1770, the economic output of the Thirteen Colonies made up forty percent of the gross domestic product of the British Empire. [74] Prior to 1660, almost all immigrants to the English colonies of North America had migrated freely, though most paid for their passage by becoming indentured servants. [75]
Due to the close relation of American and British commerce, many traders renegotiated with British merchants after the war, and they facilitated American trade as they did under colonial rule. [96] Economic policies of individual states made domestic trade more difficult, as state governments often discriminated against merchants from other states.
In December 1775 Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act prohibiting any trade with all the colonies, and enforcing it with a tighter blockade and more severe penalties; it was a declaration of economic war, with inbound or outbound ships, mariners and cargoes treated as if they "were the ships and effects of open enemies ... [to be] so adjudged ...