home Economy books The history of the world economy - Polyak GB

The history of the world economy - Polyak GB

23.1. War for independence. US Education

The economy during the colonial period

The development of the Americas by Europeans began with the Age of Discovery. The first colony established at the beginning of the XVII century in North America. settlers from England, Holland and France. However, the most intensively carried out the colonization of England, replacing first the Netherlands, and in the 60 years of the XVIII century. - France.

The first arrived here by representatives of trading companies. In 1606, English King James I granted the London and Plymouth Company Charter on the settlement of the Atlantic coast. This was followed by the party of the colonists of the London company, here began arriving workers, artisans, entrepreneurs. For religious reasons, they moved to America representatives of the Puritan community. There came many farmers, as a result of the enclosures have lost at home allotments; young people who have no profession, as well as the poor. In addition to the colonies the British authorities evicted criminals, suitable for work.

Equipping the settlement, the colonists at first maintained community orders - creating a common warehouse, products and tools distributed centrally. Gradually, on the Atlantic coast was formed 13 colonies with a population of 1760 to 2.5 million. Man. The overwhelming majority of the colonists engaged in agriculture. But by the end of the XVIII century. in North America on the level and nature of economic development has already allocated three regions: Northeast, South and Center.

Northeast was the most developed region. There settled mostly migrant members who emigrated from England for religious reasons. The main part of the economically active population was engaged in agriculture; the predominant form of organization of the economy - a relatively small farms (up to 20 acres or 8 ha) semi-natural type.

The main industry in the Northeast - shipbuilding, and the English fleet in the middle of the XVIII century. 1/3 consisted of US-made vessels. Shipbuilding contributed to the development of fishing, which has become an important activity of the population and the power supply. I got the development of whaling (oil and whalebone were exported to the metropolis); the population was engaged in the fur trade. For the shipbuilding industry was developed forest industry, on the basis of the available huge forests.

In the colonies developed suknodelie and manufacture of linen fabrics. In 1609 in North America were brought sheep, sheep began to develop rapidly. At the end of the XVIII century. wool industry to satisfy the demand for wool fabrics. The form of its organization became at once the most progressive centralized manufacture.

In the country there were large deposits of iron ore, which was the basis for the development of the iron industry. Already in the middle of the XVII century. the first blast furnaces were built, although they were thin and worked on charcoal. In the XVIII century. American cast steel export to England.

Trading bourgeoisie of the area occupied leading positions in trade North American colonies. In Britain exported large amounts of furs, timber (poles, lumber, resin), copper and iron, fish, cooked and cured. American merchants profiting at the expense of non-equivalent trade with the Indians by selling the natives glass beads, firearms, rum. In exchange for receiving the fur and skin.

In the Central region were colonies, where the prevailing farm agriculture. There were large estates of the English aristocracy, who surrendered to the genetic (hereditary) rent small plots. The main form of feudal exploitation of the settlers - the fixed rent (rent-quits). However, the presence of huge vacant land enabled the settlers (squatters they were called) to go to the West, so feudalization attempts were unsuccessful. In these areas, cultivated wheat. There were here ironworks companies and breweries. In addition to grain and industrial crops grown potatoes, corn, pumpkin and others borrowed from the Indians.

In agriculture, the Central District existed the elements of forced labor: labor used white people, has signed a contract to work for a period of 7-10 years. These were people (including former prisoners of the English debtors' prisons), who did not have funds to move to America and to transport companies and ship owners for free, in the colonies, they were sold at auction. In essence, they were white slaves. This category is called servent. After working life, along with the freedom servent he had the right to the ground. However, most of the servent remained landless.

In the South, there was a slave-owning plantation-system of economy in the southern colonies. There were vast areas of fertile land and relocated from England aristocrats received from the British Government's large estates - estates. Historical and economic characteristics predetermined kind of solution to ensure these lands working hands. Enter the feudal system, which tried to impose England, he failed. Not been able to attract and cheap hired labor, since the availability of land, allowing displaced workers to buy the land in the property.

Import in the colony Negro slaves from Africa helped to solve this problem. So, if in 1700 the number of blacks was only 27.8 thousand., Then in 1790 they were already about 760 thousand.

Negros working on a sugar plantation in America

The ruling class in the southern colonies were slave owners - planters. Southern States specialized in the production of tobacco, grew rice, sugar cane. Gradually, culture became the leading cotton.

At the end of the XVIII century. the proportion of black slaves was 40% of the total population of the southern states. In the south, dominated by extensive type of production, which is due to the rapid depletion of the soil.

Thus, in a colonial economy of capitalism genesis had specific features, the most striking of which was the widespread use of forced labor (white slaves servent and black slaves - blacks).

The relationship with the metropolis

With the development of capitalist relations in North America grew the number of wage-workers, formed mainly by immigrants from Europe. qualified prevailed among the workers. Therefore, the Government of England had in 1718 to impose restrictions on the emigration of workers' high professions, and in 1765 Parliament banned their departure. However halt this movement has been impossible. In addition, work in the colonies of the New World were paid higher than in England.

With the economic and political contradictions between the colonies and the mother country deepened over time. Contradictions were diverse and covered different areas.

On the infringement of the interests of the local commercial bourgeoisie can be judged by the acts to regulate the colonial trade, the number of which in 1650-1761 gg. exceeds 125. So, the law of 1650 introduced a ban for US merchants to trade with European countries. In 1660 was introduced by the British colonial monopoly on such products as sugar, tobacco, cotton, indigo, etc., Then it was expanded to cover a large group of shipbuilding products, copper ore and fur molasses. British monopolized the import of many commodities.

Trying to stifle colonial industry and commerce, the British Parliament Act of 1699 banned the export of wool and wool products in North America - they can be sold only within the colony, but for the importation of the colony of English cloth Act 1700 duties were abolished.

Since 1750, he acted is known as "iron" law, under which were not allowed to build blast furnaces, rolling mills, ironworks and blacksmith's workshop in the colonies. American iron can be exported only to England. It was impossible to be engaged in dressing of furs.

Unilaterally in the interests of England raised duties on goods imported from the West Indies (sugar syrup). On many products introduced high indirect taxes on the so-called acts of Granville. General dissatisfaction with the law called "Stamp" in 1765, which meant that when buying any product, up to the newspapers, it is necessary to pay the tax. Because of the strong protest of the population in 1766, this collection has been canceled.

In the complex contradictions were mainly agricultural. The development of free farming colonization prevented the existence of large landed property. The hub was a conflict between the squatters and the feudal elements. Already in 1683 the British government to individuals banned buy land from the Indians. But because squatting is not reduced, then in the 30 years of the XVIII century. a decree was issued, according to which prohibited unauthorized migration to new lands. In 1763 it was installed another ban -nelzya was to occupy the land of the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi River Valley. This measure deprived the planters of the South, the possibility to move from degraded lands for new, more fertile. And it affects the interests of small tenants who wanted to escape to the West and to become independent farmers. In 1774, followed by the Quebec Act, which prohibited the inhabitants of the colonies again occupy the land in the West.

Particularly sharp contradictions in the agrarian question were caused by the situation in the colonies servent: most of them remained without land, and if anyone had had the ground - it is the smallest of land - 50 acres. Adopted in 1767 introduced new laws Townshend high customs duties on paint, paper, glass, lead and tea. The battle against the tea tax. This tariff war with Britain led to widespread smuggling. The consequence of this was the incident of harassment, went down in history as the "Boston Tea Party". In 1773, residents of Boston captured English ship and all it was on a cargo of tea thrown overboard. This led to a political rupture between the colonies and England.

"Boston Tea Party"

All these contradictions are steadily escalating and ultimately led to war, which went down in history as the War of Independence. It lasted eight years (1775 - 1783) and ended with the victory of the colonists. In 1776 it was proclaimed the new independent state - United States.

Features of the American Revolution and its transformation

The war for independence in North America was the first bourgeois revolution in the Americas. During the war, democratic reforms were implemented. Small land holders were exempted from rents, confiscated large land owning aristocracy, received land from the King of England, the Church of England clergy, many officials of the colonial administration, of the merchants associated with the markets of England. Taken from these categories of persons tracts of land have been sold to small areas. Feudal forms of tenure destroyed. Abolished the nobility titles, hereditary lease and so. N. The ban settlements of the Allegheny Mountains was declared illegal by the government, and all made there earlier grips valid. Thus the transition to western lands was resolved. At the suggestion of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, endowed with every poor free section of the Fund western lands. All ports have been declared open to European merchants, so the English monopoly on trade in North America canceled. From the policy of protectionism country has moved to free trade, as agreements with France, Prussia, Sweden, have been concluded. During the revolution of 30 thousand. Estates owned by the British supporters were confiscated.

During the War of Independence was stimulated by the development of the military industry. The government has issued cash bonuses, subsidies to those who produced metal, weapons, gunpowder, ammunition for the army. Practiced melting of lead bullets on the roofs. In 1778 he came into operation state gun factory in Springfelde. Creation in 1781 of the Bank of North America helped to stabilize the emission activity not only in the States but also in general in the state.

At the same time the American Revolution remained unfinished. This manifested itself in the preservation of slavery, which was legalized by the US Constitution. Not been resolved in the interests of the farmers land question of the Appalachians. The government permitted the sale of land only large portions at a high price. The size of sold portion is set not less than 640 acres per acre at a price of $ 2. That was not available to most farmers and made it possible to get rich planters and speculators.

However, farmers do not put up with this situation and even rebelled; they demanded the democratization of the sale of "public lands". This fight was not without result: in 1800, a law was passed, according to which a private person could have sold 320 acres, and in 1804 - 160 acres. Although under these conditions it was not possible to eliminate speculation, but the land has become more accessible to farmers. Already in 1820 the size of the land sold was reduced to 80 acres, and the price - 2 to $ 1.25 per acre..