The British colonies were better prepared for independence than their neighbors to the south for many reasons. One reason is because of the racial tensions and violence. Another reason was the literacy or lack there of in the new colonies.
The first reason the British colonies were better prepared is because of the racial tensions in violence that were present in Latin America but not in the British colonies. 
In Latin America, slaves were the heavy majority of the population. Therefore, they didn't need much of a reason to revolt because they outnumbered whites and saw a chance for freedom. Tension was also extremely high. Another reason slaves were an issue in Latin America is because both sides treated the other with extreme brutality. However, in the British colonies, racial tension was not an issue because the whites outnumbered the blacks. Even if the slaves wanted to rebel, the chance that they would succeed was very low. Also, this was not an issue because nobody ever brought it up as an issue. Whites in the British colonies were more focused on a social and political reform at the time rather than a slavery reform.
Another reason the British colonies were better prepared is because of literacy. In Latin America, only about 10% of the population was literate during the beginning of independence. Also, the language barrier was much greater in Latin America as many people spoke many different languages. This was not a problem in the British colonies because nearly 100% of the population was literate and spoke English. This made it much easier for people to communicate easier for a government to be established.
No comments:
Post a Comment