474 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



England fisheries from 1740 to 1763. As already noted, the 

 struggles between the French and English in Nova Scotia, 

 Cape Breton and Newfoundland were especially acute at 

 that period, and the New Englanders, as British subjects, 

 were expected to answer repeated calls to arms. Fishermen 

 were impressed into the royal navy, or were drafted into 

 military expeditions by land against the traditional foe ; 

 and, as is usual in war, industrial pursuits languished. 



After the final capitulation of Louisburg and the fall of 

 Quebec, the fishing interests of the British colonies revived, 

 and the coast towns of New England would have greatly 

 increased in population and wealth, but for the threatening 

 controversies which soon led to the American Revolution, 

 and the final separation of the thirteen colonies from the 

 mother country. The commencement of actual hostilities 

 of course suspended all fishing operations until the restora- 

 tion of peace in 1783. 



The important role played by the fisheries in the causes 

 that led to the Revolutionary War does not appear to be fully 

 appreciated. Other causes assumed greater and more gen- 

 eral prominence in popular discussion because they affected 

 interests more extended in their nature, and exerted an influ- 

 ence on a greater number of the colonists. England had 

 watched with jealous eyes the steadily growing trade the 

 expanding commerce and the rapidly increasing marine 

 power of the New England colonies. This colonial trade 

 had already extended to the ports of Europe and South 

 America, and to the Spanish, French and English West 

 Indies as well, where American fish found ready market to 

 be paid for in sugar, molasses, rum, bullion and bills of 

 exchange payable in European cities. The commercial 

 prestige of New England began to interfere in no slight 

 degree with the foreign trade of English merchants, and 

 the excellent nautical training acquired by New England 

 fishermen and sailors began to arouse the apprehension of 

 Englishmen who demanded exclusive dominion in all that 

 pertains to British industries. 



The policy of curtailing American commerce by legislative 



