Contraband trade and imperial neglect drove colonists to favor British takeover
Evidence
It was impossible for the colonial government to repress this trade; harsh legislation against such dealings only highlighted the royal government’s impotence. “I am alone against the entire colony” lamented one governor in 1733 when he was criticized for having been too lenient in his punishment of planters convicted of participating in the contraband trade. … The dependence on illegal trading enticed settlers with the possibility that their profits would be greater in a context of lesser imperial control. Many French planters, furthermore, envied the boister-ous assemblies of the British colonies. Indeed, as early as the Seven Years’ War, some openly supported British attempts to take over the colony, believing their interests would be better served within a different empire. — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 127
Categorization
Category: Causal Relationships