ENGLAND. 2.35 



As soon as it was known in North America that the stamp act was 

 passed, the whole continent was kindled into a flame ; and when the 

 act, printed by royal authority, reached the colonies, it was treated 

 with every mark of indignation and contempt. Several acts of vio- 

 lence were likewise committed, with a view of preventing the ope- 

 rations of the stamp act. 



These commotions in America occasioned so great an alarm in 

 England, that the king thought proper to dismiss his ministers. The 

 marquis of Rockingham was appointed first lord of the treasury ; 

 and some of his lordship's friends succeeded to the vacant places. 

 In March, 1766, an act was passed for repealing the American stamp 

 act. This was countenanced and supported by the new ministry ; 

 and Mr. Pitt, though not connected with them, yet spoke with great 

 force in favour of the repeal. 



The marquis of Rockingham, and his friends, continued in admi- 

 nistration but a short time, and in 1766 lord North became first lord 

 of the treasury, and obtained a great ascendency in the councils of 

 of the king. 



In 1767 an act was passed, laying certain duties on paper, glass, 

 tea, Sec. imported into America, to be paid by the colonies, for the 

 purpose of .raising a revenue to the government. About two years 

 after, it was thought proper to repeal these duties, excepting that on 

 tea ; but as it was not the amount of the duties, but the right of the 

 parliament of Great Britain to impose taxes in America, which was 

 the subject of dispute, the repealing the other duties answered no 

 purpose while that on tea remained ; which accordingly became a 

 fresh subject of contest between the mother country and colonies.— 

 The history of the American revolutioncomcs more properly under 

 the article United States, to which we must refer. 



The conduct of France towards Great Britain, in taking part with 

 the revolted colonies, occasioned hostilities to be commenced between 

 the two nations, though without any formal declaration of war on ei- 

 ther side. On the 27th of June, 1778, the Licorne and La Belle 

 Poule, two French frigates, were taken by admiral Keppel. Orders 

 were immediately issued by the French court for making reprisals on 

 the ships of Great Britain ; and on the 27th of July a battle was 

 fought off Brest between the English fleet, under the command of 

 admiral Keppel, and the French fleet, under the command of count 

 d'Orvilliers. The English fleet consisted of 30 ships of the line, and 

 the French of 32, besides frigates: they engaged for about three 

 hours ; but the action was not decisive, no ship being taken on ei- 

 ther side, and the French fleet at length retreated into the harbour 

 of Brest. Of the English 133 were killed in the action, and 373 

 wounded ; and the loss of the French is supposed to have been very 

 great. 



In the East Indies also an engagement happened between some 

 English ships of war, under the command of sir Edward Vernon, and 

 some French ships under the command of Mons. de Tronjolly, on 

 the 10th of August, in which the former obliged the latter to retire j 

 and on the 17th of October following, Pondicherry surrendered to the 

 arms of Great Britain. In the course of the same year, the island 

 of St. Lucia, in the West Indies, was taken from the French ; but the 

 latter made themselves masters of Dominica, and the following year 

 they obtained possession of the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada* 

 At * Ur - close of the ye?r 1779, several French ships of war., and mer» 



