202410160943 Status: #idea Tags: #history #british_empire #institutions # Britain learned from its mistake in America and liberalized its colonial government The American colonies desired respect, status, and equal footing with Britain. They sought to acquire this through self-governance. Britain denied them this request, and so they rebelled. John Lambton, the Earl of Durham, was sent to Canada in 1837 in response to a rebellion that had broken out and was tasked with understanding its causes. His report essentially stated that the Canadians had similar grievances to the Americans 60 years earlier - they desired status, respect, and self-governance. Moreover, he stated that the American government approach was essentially correct, comprising a federation of states, each with its own legislature that operate independently. These legislatures then answered to a national legislature that set directives at the federal level. Lambton asserted that this same system could help stabilize the British Empire. Though the Empire took some time to implement his recommendations, federalization and local rule was indeed brought to the British colonies. These liberalizing governments reduced the desire for rebellion, since they provided high levels of autonomy while still retaining the benefits of being part of the empire. [[The British Empire liberalized many cultures]] [[The American Revolution was in many ways about status more than economics]] [[To understand the US, we must also understand the British Empire]] --- # References [[Empire_ the rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power]]