GOV 312L Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Townshend Acts, Monroe Doctrine, Sugar Act
Document Summary
Historical overview of u. s. foreign policy: independence to monroe doctrine. Global conflict, originating in europe, with 2 main lines of warfare: britain vs. france & spain over access to commerce and colonies, prussia vs. austria (and most of continent) over which state would rule. In order to pay for the war and troop defense, britain decided to increase tax leverage on the colonies. Moving toward independence: war shocks the political relationship between great britain and the colonies, significant new taxes to pay for the troops, stamp act, sugar act, currency act, townshend act, monopoly on tea. Trade: political opposition, increasingly focused on independence, mobilizes in colonies, no taxation without representation , great britain responds with new limits on self-governance. Key foreign policy goal to counter military weakness: secure french aid (loans and military support) Declaration of independence: convinced france that the u. s. was worthy of their investment and made the u. s. -britain split more credible.
