fter the conquest of Canada had brought that war to a
triumphant close.

The people loved and reverenced the king of England, even more than if the
ocean had not rolled its waves between him and them; for, at the distance
of three thousand miles, they could not discover his bad qualities and
imperfections. Their love was increased by the dangers which they had
encountered in order to heighten his glory and extend his dominion.
Throughout the war, the American colonists had fought side by side with
the soldiers of Old England; and nearly thirty thousand young men had laid
down their lives for the honor of King George. And the survivors loved him
the better, because they had done and suffered so much for his sake.

But, there were some circumstances, that caused America to feel more
independent of England than at an earlier period. Canada and Acadia had
now become British provinces; and our fathers were no longer afraid of the
bands of French and Indians, who used to assault them in old times. For a
century and a half this had been the great terror of New England. Now, the
old French soldier was driven from the north forever. And, even had it
been otherwise the English colonies were growing so populous and powerful,
that they might have felt fully able to protect themselves without any
help from England.

There were thoughtful and sagacious men, who began to doubt, whether a
great country like America, would always be content to remain under the
government of an island three thousand miles away. This was the more
doubtful, because the English Parliament had long ago made laws which were
intended to be very beneficial to England, at the expense of America. By
these laws, the colonists were forbidden to manufacture articles for their
own use, or to carry on trade with any nation but the English.

"Now," continued Grandfather, "if King George the Third and his
counsellors had considered these things wisely, they would have taken
another course than they did. But, when they saw how rich and populous the
colonies had grown, their first thought was, how they might make more
profit out of them than heretofore. England was enormously in debt, at the
close of the Old French War, and it was pretended, that this debt had been
contracted for the defence of the American colonies, and that therefore a
part of it ought to be paid by them."

"Why, this was nonsense," exclaimed Charley; "did not our fathers spend
their lives and their