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Chapter 18 of Taylor details the events that led to the expansion of the British Empire and the events that precluded Colonial thoughts of independence. England’s imperial power began to threaten both other European powers and Native peoples as colonists moved west, the crown claimed land to the south, and trade conflicts occurred in the North. This provoked conflicts between the French and Native traders as well as Spain. English victories bolstered confidence and extended an already vast colonial claim. However, the colonists and their trained soldiers from England were not always successful. As Emma discusses in her post “War War War,” the arrogant attitude that Braddock employed toward Native battle tactics was detrimental in early confrontations. The Europeans were most often victorious when employing the help of Native aides because they knew the land and their strategies were largely effective. These guides were experienced in guerrilla-style warfare that could decimate the more formal arrangement of European troops. Thus, even when the English had greater numbers and more effective weaponry, they struggled without Native help. The United States today still struggles with the battle between “traditional” or more structured war strategies and the hit-and-run tactics that smaller groups use. In the developing world, this style of fighting is more common because weapons and training are harder to come by, and it is also extremely effective against large and structured armies. Even small or relatively decentralized groups can cause immense damage with these tactics. Looking at the successes that military leaders had in these earlier Native wars may lend some advice when creating tactics to fight other such groups today. I also think it is extremely important to discuss the initial failures that the colonists faced. These factors lead to the development of an effective and experienced colonial military. Also, after English negotiations, the successes and failures in wartime helped develop a new mentality considering the frontier and Europe.
These victories did not bode well for Native peoples or for the country of England. The colonies progressively began to perceive their own value and, as trade expanded and population grew, the possibility to survive independently. The colonies had survived relatively autonomously from England, providing little in the way of taxes and lacking representation in the law-making body. However, when the financial situation in England sparked the need for real crown taxation in the colonies, the colonists, especially leaders like John Adams, felt the “taxation without representation” was an attack. Taylor’s analysis of discussions between some colonial leaders and those in Parliament reveal a deep discomfort with the taxation system and the presence of expensive and oppressive English military in the colonies (440-442). In previous chapters, Taylor discussed the colonists’ attachment to their independence, and nowhere is it more clearly shown than here. The interesting thing is that their initial independence had given the colonists the means to recognize and retaliate against the situation. They had become fairly well-educated and, in comparison, fairly well-off. They also had enough property and property rights to want to protect them. As their own markets broadened with new space and trade, the colonies were also able to realize the potential for true economic independence that would not have to depend upon exports to England. An increasing population provided constant demand and stimulated immense growth in comparison to the economically strangled England.