Final answer:
Pennsylvania and Maryland's refusal to fund the French and Indian War was due to a combination of pacifist principles among Pennsylvania's Quaker population and economic concerns. Both colonies, along with others, hesitated to commit funds without knowing others' contributions, leading to limited colonial financial support for the war effort.
Step-by-step explanation:
The refusal of Pennsylvania and Maryland to contribute financially to the French and Indian War can be attributed to several reasons. In Pennsylvania, the presence of a large Quaker population, which held pacifist beliefs, discouraged the funding of military actions.
Additionally, the colonies faced internal issues such as each wanting to see how much others were contributing before making their own commitments, resulting in a lack of unified financial support for the war. Economic concerns also played a role; some colonies claimed they were too poor to contribute.
The perspective of British officials and colonists diverged greatly, with the former expecting the colonies to bear some financial burden for their own defense and the latter viewing the war as more a British concern, tied to wider European conflicts.