We should study the events of the Imperial Crisis from the perspective of those who ran the empire of course! Who else would know the problem better than those who are suffering from it the most? The British Empire was in the midst of an economic and militaristic crisis. While attempting to resolve the monetary problems caused by the previous war, the empire must now deal with multiple colonies coming closer and closer to an all-out denial of British authority. Two problems that would most accurately be depicted from the perspective of the empire. This is primarily because the North American colonies only saw half of the picture. They witnessed a corrupt empire attempting to tax the livelihood out of hardworking colonials because it could not afford to handle the debt of a war that no longer concerns the colonies. With acts and revisions being made in an attempt to “trick” the colonies into paying that tax, they only get angrier and angrier, all the while refusing to see the bigger picture, and why the taxes were being implemented to begin with. When viewing the crisis from the standpoint of the British Empire, the reason for the taxation is made clear along with the desperate situation they were faced with. Looking ahead to the conflict between the British and the North American colonists, it can actually be seen that the British were left with little choice but to contain the situation themselves. They simply could not afford to lose the colonies, the potential revenue they could provide, or the resources the colonies provided. It was a desperate situation that called for desperate measures. No matter which part of the crisis is observed, it is with the British that the larger picture is revealed, mostly free of bias and anger and more full of desperation and calculation.

     My household member, Sir William Johnson, would see himself as an asset to the British Empire within the colonies. He would likely view himself as an integral part of British Support in the colonies, and likely tasked himself with reclaiming order for the British while in the colonies. This is primarily due to everything the Empire provided for him in return for his service. While attempting to pry the colonies away from French forces, Johnson won several decisive battles, securing a British foothold in the lands and allowing the empire to colonize. Due to his service, Johnson was awarded with land, granting him a plentiful amount of wealth. With his military record in mind, along with the generous rewards he was gifted for his service, it would be easy to see that Johnson viewed the Empire as an entity that granted him everything he could have asked for. Wealth, power, and respect were his to enjoy thanks to the empire that granted it to him. Having received so much, he would likely see it as his duty to serve his homeland once more and calm the ferocity of the colonials as the crisis intensified and bring to the light the true intent of the British. His efforts would likely be out of both pride and loyalty to Great Britain, but while he would be committed to the British while believing his cause to be just, it would also be hard to argue that he was not biased or simply protecting his own interests. A man with of his station would likely have foreseen what would happen to everything he has should the British lose. He also could have feared that his properties would have been distributed to the colonies as they were given to him by the country the colonies were avidly fighting against. His attempts to secure British hold on the colonies just as likely been to secure his assets and ensure he and his future descendants would not suffer due to the selfishness of colonials who wanted what he had. His efforts could either be viewed as noble or selfish, more likely being noble but only the man himself could vouch for that side of the argument.

     I believe the other members of Johnson’s household would agree that their alignment belonged with the British. Johnson’s Native American wife, and the tribe she originated from, were on good terms with the colonials thanks to Johnson’s tireless efforts to maintain good relations between them and the British. His family was of British and Native American descent, but the Native Americans associated with Johnson were those with good relations with the British, thus it would likely that they would all support the British in their efforts.