The Economic History of the United States

7. The American Revolution: Part 1

Economic History of the United States
Mark Thornton

Salutary neglect of the colonies spurred innovation and abundance in a spirit of freedom. Bitterness crept into the relationship after the French and Indian War when the British kept colonialists out of certain territories and began taxing them internally and increased tariffs.

The Stamp Acts were internal taxes. No taxation without representation. Americans began boycotting English goods.The Stamp Act and the Sugar Act were repealed. The Quartering Act produced a second crisis which included the Boston Massacre.

Lecture 7 of 9 from Mark Thornton’s The Economic History of the United States.