Great Britain's Relationship

Relations vary over time and never stay the same, they either become stronger over time or decrease and wither out. Great Britain’s relationship with her colonies started out strong as the empire grew, but slowly started to wither out as the two morphed into two separate nations. The destabilized imperial bond is a direct result of these aspects benign neglect, British trade and protection, religion, and England imposing its authority over the colonies because they each affected the relationship one way or another. Before 1763, Great Britain and the British-American colonies have a strong relationship that was dependent on two main factors, benign neglect and trade and protection. Benign neglect was a factor in Great Britain and the British

Through the use of the Navigation Act the colonists could only trade with Britain. The conditions of the Navigation Act are other powers are excluded from trade with the English colonies and the colonies were prohibited to directly export to foreign markets and instead were required to export to England or its colonies. Thus, the colonies relied heavily on trading with Britain for manufactured goods and supplies. Specific resources that the colonists wanted could only be obtained in the colonies via trade, like sugar and tea. The colonists depended on Great Britain to provide them with the manufactured goods they were accustomed to back in Europe. However this was not a one sided relationship, the British government depended on the resources found in the colonies to help the British economy improve. The British economy partially relied on the resources from the colonies for them to produce manufactured goods, and then sell them back to the colonies. This relationship mutually benefited both participants because the colonists needed the manufactured goods and Britain needed the resources. Not only was this aspect of the relationship beneficial, but it also enriched the economy of both groups. Not only was the British government involved in trade, but also the protection and security of the colonies.

The religion in Britain was a version of the Protestant faith referred to as the Church of England while the religion in the colonies varied. In the colonies, there were several different forms of Protestant religions. During this time period, many of the colonists were re-invigorated in their faith. This time period of revitalized faith was entitled the Great Awakening, and by reviving the colonists’ faith, their ideology changed. This changed in ideology was a key part in why the relationship between the mother country and its colonies destabilized. By having a different religious belief, their beliefs in right and wrong, plus how one lived their life was completely different. An example of difference in beliefs is how the colonists believe, “their righteousness made them more entitled to the land than the Native Americans.” British views of Parliament were vastly different because members of the British government believed that the colonists were unnecessarily endangering themselves by trying to expand and they should let the Native Americans keep their land west of the Appalachians. These beliefs were a difference in religions and