The 13 colonies

[viper37]

Before they became the USA, did they have any kind of political cooperation or were they 100% independant from each other? I know they had quite a lot of autonomy from the British, but were they truly considered as 13 independant states with different policies/law in each of them, or did their relations was one on one with the homeland?

 

[unmerged(5451)]

They were independent of one another. They had largely the same policies and laws due to the relationship to the same mother country.

Even after the revolution the states were largely independent of one another. Under the Articles of Confederation the states could impose tarriffs on one another, and had no uniform laws. It wasn't until the ratification of the Constitution (1792) that there was a strong central government in the US.

 

[viper37]

Thanks for the info Savronela.

 

[Agelastus]

Their were occasional attempts at military cooperation agreements (the New England colonies most notably) which were normally failures, mainly due to the inability of the local militias to cooperate.

of course, some colonies had low level wars going on between them at some point-the disputes between Pennsylvania and Connecticut being particularly notable.

 

[unmerged(5190)]

franklin said at in 1776 at the continental congress : we must all hang together or we will hang separately. it was the war for independance that forced them to work together at some level. the issue of slavery almost ended any cooperation, enough northerners were against it and enought southerners supported it. but in 1776 they agreed to postpone resolution on the issue. that is why john quincy adams told calhoun the war to free the slaves would be the last battle of the revolution. if england had wanted to win they would have guaranteed freed to the slaves which made up 1/5 of the popution + tories 1/3 would have been enough to win.

 

[unmerged(4755)]

Originally posted by Agelastus
Their were occasional attempts at military cooperation agreements (the New England colonies most notably) which were normally failures, mainly due to the inability of the local militias to cooperate.

Many of those unsuccessful cooperations attempts were meant to attack New France (expeditions of Schuyler, Phips, Walker, Nicholson, the capture of Port-Royal, the unsuccessful attempt at Fort Saint-Frédéric, etc.)

Regards,

Alexandre Dubé

 

[Agelastus]

Originally posted by Oexmelin


Many of those unsuccessful cooperations attempts were meant to attack New France (expeditions of Schuyler, Phips, Walker, Nicholson, the capture of Port-Royal, the unsuccessful attempt at Fort Saint-Frédéric, etc.)

Regards,

Alexandre Dubé

I know. I was mainly referring to the New England Confederation, formed after the Pequot War in the mid seventeenth century, but fairly ineffective except during the brief period of "King Phillip's War" (a Wampoanag chieftain.)

 

[Dark Knight]

Originally posted by Agelastus
of course, some colonies had low level wars going on between them at some point-the disputes between Pennsylvania and Connecticut being particularly notable.

Do you have any more information on this?

 

[Agelastus]

Yankee-Pennanite wars, 1769-1807. Connecticut claims of a transcontinental dominion "from sea to sea" led to bitter strife between Connecticut and Pennsylvania settlers in the Wyoming valley of the Susquehanna river. Although the Connecticut settlement fell prey to a massacre by New York Tories in 1778, sporadic bickering continued until 1807, although the dispute had been formally settled in Pennsylvania's favour in 1782.

Anothe good example is the intermittent warfare between Virginia and Maryland in the period 1635-44 over Kent Island. Clashes at sea occurred in 1635. In 1644 the island was siezed by the secretary of the Virginia colony after an appeal to the crown was unsuccessful.

 

[Dark Knight]

Originally posted by Agelastus
Anothe good example is the intermittent warfare between Virginia and Maryland in the period 1635-44 over Kent Island. Clashes at sea occurred in 1635. In 1644 the island was siezed by the secretary of the Virginia colony after an appeal to the crown was unsuccessful.

Yeah, this one I know. I was just wondering how Pennsylvania and Connecticut could possibly get into a war; I'd forgotten that Connecticut had claimed a huge amount of non-contiguous territory.