Charting the imperial will : colonial administration & the General Survey of British North America, 1764-1775
This dissertation explores how colonial administrators on each side of the Atlantic used the British Survey of North America to serve their governmentsâ as well as their personal objectives. Specifically, it connects the execution and oversight of the General Survey in the northern and southern theatres, along with the intelligence it provided, with the actions of key decision-makers and influencers, including the Presidents of the Board of Trade (latterly, the Secretaries of the American Department) and key provincial governors. Having abandoned their posture of âSalutary Neglectâ towards colonial affairs in favour of one that proactively and more centrally sought ways to develop and exploit their North American assets following the Severn Yearsâ War, the British needed better geographic information to guide their decision making. Thus, the General Survey of British North America, under the umbrella of the Board of Trade, was conceived. Officially sponsored from 1764-1775, the programme aimed to survey and analyse the attributes and economic potential of Britainâs newly acquired regions in North America, leading to an accurate general map of their North American empire when joined to other regional
Johnson, Alexander James Cook
Surveying ; Cartography ; Maps ; Colonial America ; Canada ; Politics ; Government Administration ; Great Britain ; Florida ; Maine ; Massachusetts ; Quebec ; Nova Scotia ; Newfoundland ; New Hampshire ; Rhode Island ; New York ; Whitehall ; Hillsborough ; Dartmouth ; Shelburne ; Samuel Holland ; William Gerard De Brahm ; American Revolution ; Forestry ; Prince Edward Island ; Cape Breton Island ; Vermont ; New Brunswick ; U.S. History ; Canadian History ; British Imperialism
Charting the imperial will : colonial administration & the General Survey of British North America, 1764-1775. This dissertation explores how colonial administrators on each side of the Atlantic used the British Survey of North America to serve their governmentsâ as well as their personal objectives. Specifically, it connects the execution and oversight of the General Survey in the northern and southern theatres, along with the intelligence it provided, with the actions of key decision-makers and influencers, including the Presidents of the Board of Trade (latterly, the Secretaries of the American Department) and key provincial governors. Having abandoned their posture of âSalutary Neglectâ towards colonial affairs in favour of one that proactively and more centrally sought ways to develop and exploit their North American assets following the Severn Yearsâ War, the British needed better geographic information to guide their decision making. Thus, the General Survey of British North America, under the umbrella of the Board of Trade, was conceived. Officially sponsored from 1764-1775, the programme aimed to survey and analyse the attributes and economic potential of Britainâs newly acquired regions in North America, leading to an accurate general map of their North American empire when joined to other regional
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