Topic: Britain

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The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved

In this 1764 pamphlet, James Otis of Massachusetts praised Great Britain’s balanced government–in which king, lords, and commons shared power–as the best ever. Otis wanted colonists to send their own...
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The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The Drury Lane Theatre was London’s oldest and best known playhouse in the eighteenth century. After reading about plays performed here, American colonists, in an effort to imitate the sophisticated...
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The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith published his important book, The Wealth of Nations, in the same year that the American Revolution began. Smith’s work notes the importance of colonies in maintaining British prosperity...
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Three Officers of the Hopetoun Fencibles

This image portrays three British officers who served in North America during the American Revolution. The men are Major Pilmer; Francis, 7th Lord Napier; and Major Clarkson. Napier was captured...
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Townshend Act

The Townshend Act imposed a tax on glass, lead, tea, paper, and paints imported from Britain. In response to colonial objections to the Stamp Act, Parliament thought that a tax...
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View of Fountain Court, Middle Temple

This image shows a view of the Middle Temple at the Inns of Court in London. Gentlemen from the colonies attended the Inns of Court in order to learn English...
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View of the Custom House

The Customs House in London was the place where tariffs on imported and exported goods were collected. Colonists distinguished between duties on trade, which they accepted, and parliamentary taxes, which...
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Virginia Company Charter

In 1606, the Virginia Company of London received this charter from King James I. In 1607, the company established the first permanent English colony in America at Jamestown. This charter...
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William Pitt

This portrait is of William Pitt, George III’s minister during the French and Indian War. Pitt crafted the strategy that insured Britain’s victory over France. Later, as a member of...