336 THE BOURBON AGE laid it down as an essential principle of liberty that no tax may be imposed -on the people without the formal assent of their representatives. Yet here was the British parliament imposing taxes on the colonists, who had no representatives to give or refuse assent. The colonists professed their willingness to pay what they themselves considered a fair share of the expenses of a war entered upon largely on their behalf. The alternative of giving them representation on the British parliament was in those days obviously impracticable though it was gravely put forward. But the British governments, with one short-lived exception, would not trust the colonists to tax themselves, and insisted on the technical right left them by the colonial charters to legislate for and to tax the American colonies at their own discretion. The colonies War, 1775. resisted and took up arms; first of all only in defence of what they regarded as their rights, and then — when their claims continued to be disregarded — in order to win com- plete independence. From the time of the fall of William Pitt, the British admin- istration neglected the organisation of the navy, which had French attained to such supreme efficiency under him. intervention. F rancej n the other hand, had been steadily endeavouring to raise the standard of her own navy. As soon as it appeared that the American colonists had a chance of making head successfully against the Mother Country, France took up arms in their support, presently drawing Spain after her. Great Britain found herself fighting for life. Even the sovereignty of the seas seemed about to be torn from her, until the French fleet in the West Indies was decisively shattered by Rodney, and the British maritime supremacy was restored. But by this time all hope of bringing the colonies under subjection had disappeared, and the war was closed by a The United peace which recognised the Independence of the states, 1783. United States. The new nation chose for its first president George Washington, the man to whose in- tegrity, resolution, patience and skill she had chiefly owed her success in the contest. The struggle had hardly touched Canada, where the French
