Unit 2 (1607-1754)

Mrs. Jean-Pierre

Spanish Colonies

Subjugation of natives → caste system

Plantation colonies

Missions and encomienda system → conversion

French colonies

Trading posts in St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, Mississippi River

Fur trade → amicable relationship with Natives

Intermarriage (métis)

Dutch colonies

Trading posts in NY (New Amsterdam)

→ Later taken by the British

Fur trade

English colonies

Plantation and settler colonies

Reasons: cash crops, trade posts, religious freedom

Separation from Natives

Corporate colony

Operated by joint-stock companies

Made for money and profit

Ex: Virginia (VA Co.) and Massachusetts Bay (MA Bay Co.)

Royal colony

Under direct authority and rule of King’s government

Ex: By mid-1700s, all colonies were royal colonies

Proprietary colony

Under authority of individuals granted charters of ownership by king

Ex: Maryland (Cecil Calvert - Catholic tolerance) and Pennsylvania (William Penn - Quaker tolerance)

New England colonies

New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut

Pilgrims (Plymouth), Puritans (MA)

Shipbuilding, rum, timber, furs, trading

Boston, MA port

Middle colonies

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware

Quakers, William Penn (PA)

Cereal grains (breadbasket)

NYC, NY port

Chesapeake colonies

Virginia and Maryland

Jamestown (VA) - John Rolfe & Pocahontas helped develop tobacco industry and Native relations

House of Burgesses (VA) - 1619 first representative assembly in English colonies

Act of Toleration (MD) - 1649 Cecil Calvert wanted haven for Catholics

Headright System (VA) - Gave 50 acres of land to settler or whoever paid money for passage of settler

Tobacco, small economy of scale, gang system

Southern colonies

North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

NC - tobacco, SC - rice, later indigo

Large economy of scale, task system, huge plantations

Greater dependence on slave labor

Puritans

MA, New England

John Winthrop - founder of MA Bay

Intolerance of other denominations → Rhode Island, Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson (antinomianism: since individuals receive salvation through their faith alone, they were not required to follow traditional moral laws)

City Upon a Hill - idea of creating a perfect society based on Puritan beliefs, by John Winthrop

Halfway Covenant - 1662 Puritan document that allowed partial membership to people, even without conversion

Pilgrims

Plymouth, New England

Separatists - wanted to organize separate church independent from royal control

Mayflower Compact - Rudimentary written constitution, decisions made by will of authority

Quakers

PA, Middle

Believed in an egalitarian and pacifist society

William Penn - enacted liberal laws that allowed religious tolerance

Frame of Government and Charter of Liberties - representative democracy, freedom of worship, unrestricted immigration

Called Holy Experiment, where people would live together in peace

Halfway Covenant

MA, New England

1662 Puritan document that allowed partial membership to people, even without conversion

address shrinking number of Puritans → softened strict Puritanism to maintain church membership

House of Burgesses

VA, Chesapeake

1619 first representative assembly in English colonies

Made by Virginia Company to encourage settlement

Act of Toleration

MD, Chesapeake

1649 Cecil Calvert wanted haven for Catholics

→ first colonial statute that grated religious toleration to all Christians, but death to non-believers

Headright System

VA, Chesapeake

Gave 50 acres of land to settler or whoever paid money for passage of settler

Triangular trade

3 part route that connected the Americas, Africa, and Europe

Mercantilism

Economy that is based on maximizing exports and minimizing imports

Colonies, by providing raw materials, were made to enrich mother country

Europe switched from feudalism to mercantilism post-exploration

Navigation Acts

1650-1673 Mercantilist policy for higher profits by English

1. trade to and from English colonies operated by English

2. all goods imported into colonies must pass through English ports

3. enumerated goods could be exported to England ONLY

+ aided New England shipbuilding and monopolized Chesapeake tobacco industry

- stilted colonial economies because they had to pay high prices for English manufactured goods, while accepting low prices for crops

→ led to smuggling

Salutary neglect

Late 1600s to mid 1700s

Period in which England was lax on enforcing economic regulations, and largely left English colonies without much interference

Due to distance and other conflicts (revolutions, wars with France)

Colonists got used to self-governance → contributing factor for anger that led to American Revolution

Transition to use of enslaved Africans

Because…

Reduced migration/dependability of indentured servants - increase to wages in England, political demands (Bacon’s Rebellion)

Long-term and self-renewing workforce - codification of slave codes = Christians, inheritability of slavery, and bondage for life

Low cost labor

Increased demand for crops - rice in SC and GA, tobacco in VA and NC

Bacon’s Rebellion

VA, Chesapeake

1676 Conflict led by Nathanial Bacon

Royal governor Berkeley was unpopular due to favoring of large plantation owners (rich), instead of small farmers (poor)

→ Highlighted class differences and transition to use of African slaves

Metacom’s War

New England

1675-1676 Conflict led by Metacom (King Philip), chief of Wampanoags

New England Confederation vs. Wampanoags + others

→ Ended most Native resistance in New England and start of no cooperation with Natives

Pueblo revolt

Spanish colony

1680 Conflict led by Pueblo tribes

Due to Roman Catholic missionaries’ aggressive and harsh conversion techniques, and encomienda system

→ Only successful Native uprising against colonists in North America

Indentured servitude

Used in Chesapeake (VA) + NC bc of tobacco demand and too poor to afford slaves

At end of labor term, around 4-7 years, could own land and work for wages

Bacon’s Rebellion → transition to slavery

Institution of slavery

Indentured servitude → Bacon’s Rebellion → slavery

Slave codes enacted to keep Africans in permanent bondage

^ Harsh bc inspired by the Barbados (Spanish colony in the Caribbeans)

ALL colonies had slaves by 1700s

From least to most: New England → Middle → Chesapeake → Southern

Covert resistance

Keeping names, religion, language, traditions like basket-weaving

Breaking laws, doing slow work, feigning sickness

Overt resistance

Stono Rebellion, South Carolina- 1739 Slaves in SC killed owners and burned plantations on way to Spanish-owned Florida

NY Conspiracy, New York - 1741 Series of fires blamed on slaves → 34 executed

Stono Rebellion

SC, Southern

1739 Slaves killed owners and burned plantations on way to Spanish-owned Florida

NY Conspiracy

NY, Middle

1741 Series of fires blamed on slaves

→ 34 executed

Gang system

Used in Chesapeake colonies and North Carolina

Small tobacco farms bc small economy of scale

= bigger the farm, the higher the cost, the lower the profit

Slaves worked sun-up to sun-down on everything

Small farms → close contact between whites and slaves

Task system

Used in South Carolina and Georgia

Large rice / indigo plantations bc large economy of scale

= bigger the farm, the cost stays same, the bigger the profit

Slaves had certain tasks for the day

Large farms → not close contact between whites and slaves → slaves retained more African culture

Dangerous work bc of spread of disease

Chattel slavery

Slavery in which laborers are considered as property

In English colonies, it became race-based

Society in the colonies

Religious toleration (except Puritans in MA, New England)

No hereditary aristocracy

Social mobility

→ colonies offered more self-determination than in England

Family & gender roles in the colonies

Men worked, owned property, participated in politics

Women raised children, did housework, educated of kids, had limited legal and political rights

Expanding economy and increased food supply → married younger and had more children

90% colonists lived on farms

Had higher standard of living than Europeans

Religion in the colonies

Governments taxed people to support a particular denomination of church

As diversity increased, state support of church decreased

The Great Awakening - 1720-1740s outburst of increased religious enthusiasm, first experience shared across the colonies → develop a common American identity

The Great Awakening

1720-1740s Movement of increased religious enthusiasm and expression of religious feeling, evangelism

Emphasis on an joyful God, human sinfulness, damnation, and personal relationships with God

Supporters “New lights” vs. Opponents “Old lights”

George Whitefield - Most prominent figure, led meetings throughout colonies, founder of Methodist denomination

Jonathan Edwards - Congregational minister in MA, New England. Famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

New denominations → Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists

First experience shared across the colonies → develop a common American identity

George Whitefield

Prominent figure of The Great Awakening

Originally from England

Led meetings throughout colonies

Founder of Methodist denomination

Jonathan Edwards

Congregational minister in MA, New England

Famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God;” fire and brimstone preacher

Emphasized a joyful god and personal relationship with God

Political influence of Great Awakening

First experience shared across the colonies → develop a common American identity

Democratizing effect + changed the way people viewed authority

→ later would challenge authority of King and royal governors

Achievements in Arts & Science in the colonies

Cotton Mather - Puritan theologian who wrote about theological, historical, and scientific subjects. Encouraged inoculation of smallpox for immunization

Poor Richard’s Almanack - Written by Benjamin Franklin

Phillis Wheatley - First African woman to be published in the colonies; poetry

Education in the colonies

Most higher education in New England: Yale, Harvard, William & Mary

Press and News in the colonies

Literacy rates increase as economy and standard of living improves in the colonies

Print culture: religious sermons, political writings

Literature: Poor Richard’s Almanack by Ben Franklin, Phillis Wheatley Black poetry

John Peter Zenger Case → cannot be libel if it is the truth, freedom of press

John Peter Zenger

Zenger Case → cannot be libel if it is true, freedom of press

Courts/juries side with colonists

Enlightenment

Tradition and religion → reason and science

John Locke: wrote Two Treatises on Government,

a government's power was based in the support of the people + they have a right to overthrow

John Locke

Wrote Two Treatises on Government

all people are created equal

any government depends on the consent of the governed, who have a right to overthrow an unjust government

Relationship with Britain

Colonial Identity - Enlightenment ideals and the Great Awakening began the separation of colonists and English

Salutary Neglect - Led to desire for self-governance and economic freedom