ABSTRACT
The early settlement of the Americas as British colonies was a major element in the expansion of the British Empire in the eighteenth century. Since commercial interests were the main rationale for imperial growth at the time, Britain expected the new colonies to conform to its needs and regulations, and barely heeded the growing resentments of American colonists desirous of shaping their own futures. The clash between British needs and colonists’ understanding of the societies they were creating made confrontation inevitable. The eventual loss of the 13 colonies spurred imperial interest in other parts of the world, though Britain was determined to maintain its American foothold in the Canadian colonies. The role of indigenous Americans and of runaway slaves in these conflicts forms an important part of the story.
