Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754
Period preceding the French and Indian War is often described as salutary neglect or benign neglect.
England regulated trade and government in its colonies but interfered in colonial affairs as little as possible.
England set up absentee customs officials and colonies were left to self-govern.
England occasionally turned a blind eye to the colonies' violations of trade restrictions.
Developed a large degree of autonomy.
Helped fuel revolutionary sentiments when monarchy later attempted to gain greater control of the New World.
Throughout the colonial period, Europeans used a theory called mercantilism.
Mercantilists believed that economic power was rooted in a favorable balance of trade and control of specie
Colonies were important mostly for economic reasons, which is why the British considered their colonies in the West Indies more important than their colonies on the North American continent
Colonies on the North American continent were seen primarily as markets for British and West Indian goods, but also as sources of raw materials
British government encouraged manufacturing in England and placed protective tariffs on imports that might compete with English goods
Navigation Acts passed between 1651 and 1673, required colonists to buy goods only from England, sell certain of their products only to England, and import non-English goods via English ports and pay a duty on those imports
Navigation Acts also prohibited the colonies from manufacturing a number of goods that England already produced
Wool Act of 1699, forbade both the export of wool from the American colonies and the importation of wool from other British colonies
Molasses Act of 1733, imposed an exorbitant tax upon the importation of sugar from the French West Indies
New Englanders frequently refused to pay the taxes imposed by these acts
Forbade both the export of wool from the American colonies and the importation of wool from other British colonies
Some colonists protested this law by dealing only in flax and hemp
Imposed an exorbitant tax upon the importation of sugar from the French West Indies
New Englanders frequently refused to pay the tax, an early example of rebellion against the Crown.
Despite trade regulations, colonists maintained a high degree of autonomy
Each colony had a governor appointed by the king or proprietor
Governor had powers similar to the king, but also dependent on colonial legislatures for money
Governor's power relied on cooperation of colonists, most ruled accordingly
Except for Pennsylvania, all colonies had bicameral legislatures modeled after British Parliament
Lower house functioned similar to House of Representatives, members directly elected by white, male property holders and had "power of the purse"
Upper house made of appointees serving as advisors to governor, had some legislative and judicial powers
Most upper house members chosen from local population and concerned with protecting interests of colonial landowners
British never established powerful central government in colonies
Autonomy allowed eased transition to independence in following century
Small efforts made by colonists towards centralized government
New England Confederation most prominent attempt
No real power, but offered advice to northeastern colonies when disputes arose
Provided opportunity for colonists from different settlements to meet and discuss mutual problems
Colonies "grew up," developing fledgling economies.
Beginnings of an American culture, as opposed to a transplanted English culture, took root.
Near halt between 1649 and 1660 during Oliver Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector of England
Puritans had little motive to move to New World during Interregnum (between kings)
With the restoration of the Stuarts, many English Puritans again immigrated to the New World, bringing with them republican ideals of revolution
Entire families tended to immigrate to New England, but Chesapeake immigrants were often single males
Climate in New England was more hospitable, leading to longer life expectancy and larger families
Stronger sense of community and absence of tobacco as cash crop led New Englanders to settle in larger towns
Chesapeake residents lived in smaller, more spread-out farming communities
New Englanders were more religious, settling near meetinghouses
Slavery was rare in New England, but farms in middle and southern colonies were much larger, requiring large numbers of enslaved Africans
South Carolina had a larger proportion of enslaved Africans than European settlers
Several colonies were owned by one person, usually received land as gift from king
Connecticut and Maryland were two such colonies
Received charter in 1635
Produced Fundamental Orders, considered first written constitution in British North America
Granted to Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore
Calvert intended to create haven colony for Catholics and make a profit growing tobacco
Offered religious tolerance for all Christians but tension between faiths soon arose
Act of Tolerance passed in 1649 to protect religious freedom but situation devolved into religious civil war
Royal gift to James, king's brother
Dutch Republic was largest commercial power of the century and economic rival of the British
Dutch had established initial settlement in 1614 near present-day Albany, which they called New Netherland
In 1664, Charles II of England waged war against the Dutch Republic and captured New Netherland
James became Duke of York, and when he became king in 1685, he proclaimed New York a royal colony
Dutch were allowed to remain in colony on generous terms and made up large segment of population for many years
Given to friends of Charles II, who sold it off to investors, many of whom were Quakers
William Penn, a Quaker, received colony as a gift from King Charles II
Charles had a friendship with William Penn and wanted to export Quakers to someplace far from England
Penn established liberal policies towards religious freedom and civil liberties
Pennsylvania had natural bounty and attracted settlers through advertising, making it one of the fastest growing colonies
Penn attempted to treat Native Americans more fairly but had mixed results
Penn made a treaty with the Delawares to take only as much land as could be walked by a man in three days. His son, however, renegotiated the treaty, hiring three marathon runners for the same task, thereby claiming considerably more land.
Proprietary colony (English-owned)
Split into North and South in 1729
Settled by Virginians
Settled by descendants of Englishmen who had colonized Barbados
Barbados’ primary export: sugar
Plantations worked by enslaved people
Existed in Virginia since 1619
Arrival of settlers from Barbados marked the beginning of the slave era in the colonies
First Englishmen in the New World to see widespread slavery at work
Formation of South Carolina and ongoing armed conflicts with Spanish Florida prompted British to support formation of Georgia by James Oglethorpe in 1732
Georgia initially banned slavery
Ban was soon overturned due to economic advantage and growth afforded to neighboring South Carolina due to slavery
Most of the proprietary colonies were converted to royal colonies (owned by the king)
Greater control over government
By the time of the Revolution, only Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were not royal colonies.
Population in 1700 was 250,000 and by 1750 it was 1,250,000
Substantial non-English European populations (Scotch-Irish, Scots, Germans) started arriving in large numbers during the 18th century
English settlers continued to come to the New World as well
Black population in 1750 was more than 200,000
In a few colonies, Black population would outnumber whites by the time of the Revolution
Over 90% of colonists lived in rural areas
Labor divided along gender lines, men doing outdoor work and women doing indoor work
Opportunities for social interaction outside the family were limited
Patriarchy society, children and women were subordinate to men
Children's education was secondary to their work schedules
Women were not allowed to vote, draft a will, or testify in court
Predominantly lived in the countryside and in the South
Lives varied from region to region, with conditions being most difficult in the South
Enslaved people who worked on large plantations and had specialized skills fared better than field hands
Condition of servitude was demeaning
Enslaved people often developed extended kinship ties and strong communal bonds to cope with the misery of servitude
In the North, Black people often had trouble maintaining a sense of community and history.
Often worse than in the countryside
Immigrants settled in cities for work, but work paid too little and poverty was widespread
Sanitary conditions were primitive, epidemics such as smallpox were common
Cities offered residents wider contact with other people and the outside world
Centers for progress and education
Citizens with anything above a rudimentary level of education were rare
Nearly all colleges established during this period served primarily to train ministers
Early colleges in the North include Harvard and Yale (established in 1636 and 1701, respectively)
College of William and Mary was chartered in the South in 1693
New England society centered on trade, Boston was the colonies' major port city
Population farmed for subsistence, subscribed to rigid Puritanism
Middle colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) had more fertile land and focused primarily on farming
Lower South (the Carolinas) concentrated on cash crops such as tobacco and rice
Slavery played a major role on plantations, but majority of Southerners were subsistence farmers
Blacks constituted up to half the population of some southern colonies
Chesapeake colonies (Maryland and Virginia) combined features of the middle colonies and the lower South
Slavery and tobacco played a larger role in the Chesapeake than in the middle colonies
Chesapeake residents also farmed grain and diversified their economies
Development of major cities in the Chesapeake region distinguished it from the lower South, which was almost entirely rural.
Took place on Virginia's western frontier in 1676
Frontier farmers forced west into back country due to all coastal land being claimed
Encroaching on land inhabited by Native Americans led to raids on frontier farmers
Frontier settlers sought to band together and drive out native tribes
Stymied by government in Jamestown, which did not want to risk full-scale war
Class resentment grew as frontiersmen suspected eastern elites viewed them as expendable "human shields"
Nathaniel Bacon, a recent immigrant, rallied the farmers and demanded Governor William Berkeley grant him authority to raise a militia and attack nearby tribes
When Berkeley refused, Bacon and his men attacked the Susquehannock and Pamunkeys, who were actually allies of the English
Rebels then turned their attention to Jamestown, sacking and burning the city
Rebellion dissolved when Bacon died of dysentery, conflict between colonists and Native Americans averted with new treaty
Often cited as early example of populist uprising in America
First and one of the most successful slave rebellions
Took place in September 1739 near Stono River, outside of Charleston, South Carolina
Approximately 20 enslaved people stole guns and ammunition, killed storekeepers and planters, and liberated a number of enslaved people
Rebels fled to Florida, where they hoped the Spanish colonists would grant them their freedom
Colonial militia caught up with them and attacked, killing some and capturing most of the others
Those who were captured and returned were later executed
As a result of the Stono Uprising, many colonies passed more restrictive laws to govern the behavior of enslaved people
Fear of slave rebellions increased, and New York experienced a "witch hunt" period
Took place in 1692, not the first witch trials in New England
During the first 70 years of English settlement in the region, 103 people (almost all women) had been tried on charges of witchcraft
Never before had so many been accused at once, more than 130 "witches" were jailed or executed in Salem
Historians have different explanations for why the mass hysteria started and ended so quickly
Region had recently endured the autocratic control of the Dominion of New England
In 1691, Massachusetts became a royal colony under new monarchs, suffrage was extended to all Protestants
War against French and Native Americans on the Canadian border increased regional anxieties
Feared that their religion was being undermined by commercialism in cities like Boston
Many second and third generation Puritans lacked the fervor of the original settlers
Led to the Halfway Covenant in 1662 which changed rules for Puritan baptisms
Prior to the Halfway Covenant, a Puritan had to experience God's grace for their children to be baptized
With many losing interest in the church, the Puritan clergy decided to baptize all children whose parents were baptized
However, those who had not experienced God's grace were not allowed to vote
All of these factors (religious, economic, and gender) combined to create mass hysteria in Salem in 1692
Accusers were mostly teenage girls who accused prominent citizens of consorting with the Devil
Town leaders turned against the accusers and the hysteria ended
Generations that followed original settlers were generally less religious
By 1700, women constituted the majority of active church members
First Great Awakening in the 1730s and 1740s
Wave of religious revivalism in the colonies and Europe
Led by Congregationalist minister Jonathan Edwards and Methodist preacher George Whitefield
Edwards preached severe, predeterministic doctrines of Calvinism
Whitefield preached a Christianity based on emotionalism and spirituality
Often described as a response to the Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement emphasizing rationalism over emotionalism or spirituality.
Self-made, self-educated man who typified Enlightenment ideals in America
Printer's apprentice who became a wealthy printer and respected intellectual
Created Poor Richard's Almanack which remains influential to this day
Did pioneering work in electricity, inventing bifocals, the lightning rod, and the Franklin stove
Founded the colonies' first fire department, post office, and public library
Espoused Enlightenment ideals about education, government, and religion
Colonists' favorite son until George Washington came along
Served as an ambassador in Europe and negotiated a crucial alliance with the French and peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary War.
Period preceding the French and Indian War is often described as salutary neglect or benign neglect.
England regulated trade and government in its colonies but interfered in colonial affairs as little as possible.
England set up absentee customs officials and colonies were left to self-govern.
England occasionally turned a blind eye to the colonies' violations of trade restrictions.
Developed a large degree of autonomy.
Helped fuel revolutionary sentiments when monarchy later attempted to gain greater control of the New World.
Throughout the colonial period, Europeans used a theory called mercantilism.
Mercantilists believed that economic power was rooted in a favorable balance of trade and control of specie
Colonies were important mostly for economic reasons, which is why the British considered their colonies in the West Indies more important than their colonies on the North American continent
Colonies on the North American continent were seen primarily as markets for British and West Indian goods, but also as sources of raw materials
British government encouraged manufacturing in England and placed protective tariffs on imports that might compete with English goods
Navigation Acts passed between 1651 and 1673, required colonists to buy goods only from England, sell certain of their products only to England, and import non-English goods via English ports and pay a duty on those imports
Navigation Acts also prohibited the colonies from manufacturing a number of goods that England already produced
Wool Act of 1699, forbade both the export of wool from the American colonies and the importation of wool from other British colonies
Molasses Act of 1733, imposed an exorbitant tax upon the importation of sugar from the French West Indies
New Englanders frequently refused to pay the taxes imposed by these acts
Forbade both the export of wool from the American colonies and the importation of wool from other British colonies
Some colonists protested this law by dealing only in flax and hemp
Imposed an exorbitant tax upon the importation of sugar from the French West Indies
New Englanders frequently refused to pay the tax, an early example of rebellion against the Crown.
Despite trade regulations, colonists maintained a high degree of autonomy
Each colony had a governor appointed by the king or proprietor
Governor had powers similar to the king, but also dependent on colonial legislatures for money
Governor's power relied on cooperation of colonists, most ruled accordingly
Except for Pennsylvania, all colonies had bicameral legislatures modeled after British Parliament
Lower house functioned similar to House of Representatives, members directly elected by white, male property holders and had "power of the purse"
Upper house made of appointees serving as advisors to governor, had some legislative and judicial powers
Most upper house members chosen from local population and concerned with protecting interests of colonial landowners
British never established powerful central government in colonies
Autonomy allowed eased transition to independence in following century
Small efforts made by colonists towards centralized government
New England Confederation most prominent attempt
No real power, but offered advice to northeastern colonies when disputes arose
Provided opportunity for colonists from different settlements to meet and discuss mutual problems
Colonies "grew up," developing fledgling economies.
Beginnings of an American culture, as opposed to a transplanted English culture, took root.
Near halt between 1649 and 1660 during Oliver Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector of England
Puritans had little motive to move to New World during Interregnum (between kings)
With the restoration of the Stuarts, many English Puritans again immigrated to the New World, bringing with them republican ideals of revolution
Entire families tended to immigrate to New England, but Chesapeake immigrants were often single males
Climate in New England was more hospitable, leading to longer life expectancy and larger families
Stronger sense of community and absence of tobacco as cash crop led New Englanders to settle in larger towns
Chesapeake residents lived in smaller, more spread-out farming communities
New Englanders were more religious, settling near meetinghouses
Slavery was rare in New England, but farms in middle and southern colonies were much larger, requiring large numbers of enslaved Africans
South Carolina had a larger proportion of enslaved Africans than European settlers
Several colonies were owned by one person, usually received land as gift from king
Connecticut and Maryland were two such colonies
Received charter in 1635
Produced Fundamental Orders, considered first written constitution in British North America
Granted to Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore
Calvert intended to create haven colony for Catholics and make a profit growing tobacco
Offered religious tolerance for all Christians but tension between faiths soon arose
Act of Tolerance passed in 1649 to protect religious freedom but situation devolved into religious civil war
Royal gift to James, king's brother
Dutch Republic was largest commercial power of the century and economic rival of the British
Dutch had established initial settlement in 1614 near present-day Albany, which they called New Netherland
In 1664, Charles II of England waged war against the Dutch Republic and captured New Netherland
James became Duke of York, and when he became king in 1685, he proclaimed New York a royal colony
Dutch were allowed to remain in colony on generous terms and made up large segment of population for many years
Given to friends of Charles II, who sold it off to investors, many of whom were Quakers
William Penn, a Quaker, received colony as a gift from King Charles II
Charles had a friendship with William Penn and wanted to export Quakers to someplace far from England
Penn established liberal policies towards religious freedom and civil liberties
Pennsylvania had natural bounty and attracted settlers through advertising, making it one of the fastest growing colonies
Penn attempted to treat Native Americans more fairly but had mixed results
Penn made a treaty with the Delawares to take only as much land as could be walked by a man in three days. His son, however, renegotiated the treaty, hiring three marathon runners for the same task, thereby claiming considerably more land.
Proprietary colony (English-owned)
Split into North and South in 1729
Settled by Virginians
Settled by descendants of Englishmen who had colonized Barbados
Barbados’ primary export: sugar
Plantations worked by enslaved people
Existed in Virginia since 1619
Arrival of settlers from Barbados marked the beginning of the slave era in the colonies
First Englishmen in the New World to see widespread slavery at work
Formation of South Carolina and ongoing armed conflicts with Spanish Florida prompted British to support formation of Georgia by James Oglethorpe in 1732
Georgia initially banned slavery
Ban was soon overturned due to economic advantage and growth afforded to neighboring South Carolina due to slavery
Most of the proprietary colonies were converted to royal colonies (owned by the king)
Greater control over government
By the time of the Revolution, only Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were not royal colonies.
Population in 1700 was 250,000 and by 1750 it was 1,250,000
Substantial non-English European populations (Scotch-Irish, Scots, Germans) started arriving in large numbers during the 18th century
English settlers continued to come to the New World as well
Black population in 1750 was more than 200,000
In a few colonies, Black population would outnumber whites by the time of the Revolution
Over 90% of colonists lived in rural areas
Labor divided along gender lines, men doing outdoor work and women doing indoor work
Opportunities for social interaction outside the family were limited
Patriarchy society, children and women were subordinate to men
Children's education was secondary to their work schedules
Women were not allowed to vote, draft a will, or testify in court
Predominantly lived in the countryside and in the South
Lives varied from region to region, with conditions being most difficult in the South
Enslaved people who worked on large plantations and had specialized skills fared better than field hands
Condition of servitude was demeaning
Enslaved people often developed extended kinship ties and strong communal bonds to cope with the misery of servitude
In the North, Black people often had trouble maintaining a sense of community and history.
Often worse than in the countryside
Immigrants settled in cities for work, but work paid too little and poverty was widespread
Sanitary conditions were primitive, epidemics such as smallpox were common
Cities offered residents wider contact with other people and the outside world
Centers for progress and education
Citizens with anything above a rudimentary level of education were rare
Nearly all colleges established during this period served primarily to train ministers
Early colleges in the North include Harvard and Yale (established in 1636 and 1701, respectively)
College of William and Mary was chartered in the South in 1693
New England society centered on trade, Boston was the colonies' major port city
Population farmed for subsistence, subscribed to rigid Puritanism
Middle colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) had more fertile land and focused primarily on farming
Lower South (the Carolinas) concentrated on cash crops such as tobacco and rice
Slavery played a major role on plantations, but majority of Southerners were subsistence farmers
Blacks constituted up to half the population of some southern colonies
Chesapeake colonies (Maryland and Virginia) combined features of the middle colonies and the lower South
Slavery and tobacco played a larger role in the Chesapeake than in the middle colonies
Chesapeake residents also farmed grain and diversified their economies
Development of major cities in the Chesapeake region distinguished it from the lower South, which was almost entirely rural.
Took place on Virginia's western frontier in 1676
Frontier farmers forced west into back country due to all coastal land being claimed
Encroaching on land inhabited by Native Americans led to raids on frontier farmers
Frontier settlers sought to band together and drive out native tribes
Stymied by government in Jamestown, which did not want to risk full-scale war
Class resentment grew as frontiersmen suspected eastern elites viewed them as expendable "human shields"
Nathaniel Bacon, a recent immigrant, rallied the farmers and demanded Governor William Berkeley grant him authority to raise a militia and attack nearby tribes
When Berkeley refused, Bacon and his men attacked the Susquehannock and Pamunkeys, who were actually allies of the English
Rebels then turned their attention to Jamestown, sacking and burning the city
Rebellion dissolved when Bacon died of dysentery, conflict between colonists and Native Americans averted with new treaty
Often cited as early example of populist uprising in America
First and one of the most successful slave rebellions
Took place in September 1739 near Stono River, outside of Charleston, South Carolina
Approximately 20 enslaved people stole guns and ammunition, killed storekeepers and planters, and liberated a number of enslaved people
Rebels fled to Florida, where they hoped the Spanish colonists would grant them their freedom
Colonial militia caught up with them and attacked, killing some and capturing most of the others
Those who were captured and returned were later executed
As a result of the Stono Uprising, many colonies passed more restrictive laws to govern the behavior of enslaved people
Fear of slave rebellions increased, and New York experienced a "witch hunt" period
Took place in 1692, not the first witch trials in New England
During the first 70 years of English settlement in the region, 103 people (almost all women) had been tried on charges of witchcraft
Never before had so many been accused at once, more than 130 "witches" were jailed or executed in Salem
Historians have different explanations for why the mass hysteria started and ended so quickly
Region had recently endured the autocratic control of the Dominion of New England
In 1691, Massachusetts became a royal colony under new monarchs, suffrage was extended to all Protestants
War against French and Native Americans on the Canadian border increased regional anxieties
Feared that their religion was being undermined by commercialism in cities like Boston
Many second and third generation Puritans lacked the fervor of the original settlers
Led to the Halfway Covenant in 1662 which changed rules for Puritan baptisms
Prior to the Halfway Covenant, a Puritan had to experience God's grace for their children to be baptized
With many losing interest in the church, the Puritan clergy decided to baptize all children whose parents were baptized
However, those who had not experienced God's grace were not allowed to vote
All of these factors (religious, economic, and gender) combined to create mass hysteria in Salem in 1692
Accusers were mostly teenage girls who accused prominent citizens of consorting with the Devil
Town leaders turned against the accusers and the hysteria ended
Generations that followed original settlers were generally less religious
By 1700, women constituted the majority of active church members
First Great Awakening in the 1730s and 1740s
Wave of religious revivalism in the colonies and Europe
Led by Congregationalist minister Jonathan Edwards and Methodist preacher George Whitefield
Edwards preached severe, predeterministic doctrines of Calvinism
Whitefield preached a Christianity based on emotionalism and spirituality
Often described as a response to the Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement emphasizing rationalism over emotionalism or spirituality.
Self-made, self-educated man who typified Enlightenment ideals in America
Printer's apprentice who became a wealthy printer and respected intellectual
Created Poor Richard's Almanack which remains influential to this day
Did pioneering work in electricity, inventing bifocals, the lightning rod, and the Franklin stove
Founded the colonies' first fire department, post office, and public library
Espoused Enlightenment ideals about education, government, and religion
Colonists' favorite son until George Washington came along
Served as an ambassador in Europe and negotiated a crucial alliance with the French and peace treaty that ended the Revolutionary War.