Creating Anglo-America (1660-1750)

Chapter 3: Creating Anglo-America ($1660-1750$)

Key Learning Objectives

• Explain the course of the rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon.

• Discuss the long-term impact of Bacon's Rebellion on United States history.

• Understand the causes of the differences in development among North American colonial societies by $1754$.

I. Bacon's Rebellion ($1676$) - Course and Impact

A. Context: Virginia in the $1670$s

• Population Demographics: In the $1600$s, $3$ out of every $4$ migrants to the Chesapeake were white indentured servants.

  • $6$ out of every $7$ freed indentured servants were propertyless and impoverished.

  • These freedmen were dissatisfied, particularly about being denied access to new lands in Western Virginia.

• Governor Berkeley's Priorities: Governor William Berkeley's primary concern was maintaining peace between the Virginians and Native Americans.

  • To prevent conflict, he restricted legal access to Native lands in the west that indentured servants desired.

• Economic Pressures: Falling tobacco prices contributed to widespread discontent, as poorer Virginians and indentured servants desired expansion for new plantations to pay taxes.

B. Key Figures

• Nathaniel Bacon: A wealthy planter (not an indentured servant) who saw Governor Berkeley as unfair and corrupt.

  • He drunkenly assembled a militia, heading south to confront Native tribes and challenge Berkeley's authority.

• Governor William Berkeley: The colonial governor of Virginia.

  • He faced the challenge of managing diverse interests, including wealthy planters, freed indentured servants, and Native Americans.

  • His new trade rules tended to benefit the wealthy elite, further alienating the poorer colonists.

  • He explicitly dared Bacon to shoot him, highlighting their personal animosity.

C. Causes and Grievances

• Discontent among Poorer Virginians: Poor farmers and indentured servants were widely dissatisfied with restricted access to western lands and economic hardship.

• Governor Berkeley's Alleged Crimes (from Bacon's "Declaration", $1676$):

  • Surrounded himself with favored friends who monopolized colonial wealth and power.

  • Emboldened Native Americans against loyal subjects.

  • Lost a certain amount of colonial land.

  • Practiced "taxation without representation."

  • Accused of widespread corruption.

• Native American Conflict: Colonists were terrified by Native American brutality and felt Berkeley failed to protect them, despite promises of help.

D. Events of the Rebellion

• Initial Aggressions: In March $1676$, Bacon attacked a friendly tribe, falsely accusing them of stealing corn.

• Formation of Militia: Colonists, feeling slaughtered and abandoned by the government, decided to rebel with Bacon as their leader.

  • Bacon, with $300$ men and officers, decided to march without contacting Berkeley.

• Berkeley's Response: Berkeley declared the rebels should leave and not return.

• Escalation: Bacon's militia massacred $150$ Natives, burnt their fort and cabins, and set fire to palisades.

• Attack on Jamestown: Bacon's militia attacked and burned Jamestown, the capital of Virginia, forcing Berkeley to flee.

• End of Rebellion: Bacon died shortly after Jamestown was burned, due to fever and dysentery, causing the rebellion to flounder.

E. Outcomes and Significance

• Shift in Labor Systems: Bacon's Rebellion proved that freed indentured servants posed a threat of rebellion and were difficult to control (as they were white Englishmen who believed they had certain rights).

  • This helped lead to the decline of the Headright System and indentured servitude.

  • Plantation owners sought a new labor force that would not rebel, be permanent, and not expect land payment, leading directly to the increased importation of African slaves.

  • After $1680$, slavery became a key component of the Atlantic "triangular trade" system.

  • Crucially, every part of the British Empire contributed to or benefited from slavery, mainly through shipping, cotton production, labor, and financial gains.

• Policy Changes (to prevent future uprisings):

  • Reduced taxes for colonists.

  • Implementation of a more aggressive Indian policy, allowing for conflict on the frontier.

  • Opening of western lands to small farmers.

• No Political Gains: The rebellion did not result in political gains for the lower classes.

• Historical Interpretation: Thomas Jefferson viewed the event as a brave stand by colonists, while later historians often see it as further colonial encroachment on Native lands.

II. Mercantilism & Colonial Economy

A. Definition and Goals of Mercantilism

• Economic Policy: Mercantilism is an economic policy designed to maximize exports and minimize imports for a nation's economy.

• Power Metric: The amount of gold and silver in a nation's treasury determined its power.

• Achieving Goals: Mercantilist policies promoted:

  • Imperialism (acquiring colonies as sources of raw materials and markets).

  • Tariffs (taxes on imports).

  • Subsidies on traded goods (government support for domestic industries).

• Trade Balance: These policies aimed to reduce a possible trade deficit and achieve a trade surplus (earn money, not lose it).

B. Mercantilism and American Colonies

• Contributions: It contributed to the growth, health, and prosperity of the colonies by providing a secure economic basis.

  • Focused on the colonies' contribution to the British Empire.

• Restraints: It restrained further economic growth and colonial endeavor, as colonies could not pursue independent economic interests.

• Colonial Development: The similarities and differences of British colonies grew from this mercantilist relationship.

C. Salutary Neglect

• Alternative Name: Also known as "benign neglect."

• Principle: Colonies were allowed to prosper largely unsupervised as long as they adhered to the principles of mercantilism beneficial to Britain.

  • This non-strict enforcement of laws lasted until $1763$.

D. Navigation Laws

• Purpose: These laws regulated colonial commerce to benefit the English economy and navy.

• Key Provisions:

  1. Shipping: All commerce to and from the colonies had to be carried on English vessels.

     • New England ships were considered "English ships," which spurred the New England shipbuilding and merchant trade industries.

  2. Trade Routes: New World and European trade goods had to first land in England.

     • Duties were collected in England, and English middlemen took their cut.

     • In theory, there was no direct trade between colonies and foreign markets (e.g., the Caribbean).

  3. "Enumerated Products": Certain highly profitable goods (notably tobacco, sugar, and naval stores like tar, pitch, masts) could only be exported to England.

     • Colonies were forbidden to manufacture or export certain finished goods, such as woolen cloth and beaver hats.

     • The British Empire's naval superiority was built upon these vital resources.

E. Merits (Benefits) of Mercantilism for Colonies/Britain

1. Price Support: England paid liberal price support (subsidies) for ship materials and parts, often exceeding market prices, benefiting the colonial shipping business.

2. Monopolies: Colonies and business ventures were granted monopolies on specific products, for example:

   • East India Company: Tea.

   • Virginia: Tobacco.

   • Royal African Company: Slave trade.

3. Military Defense: Colonies did not have to pay for military defense, as this was provided by the British military.

4. Rights of Englishmen: Colonists enjoyed the undiluted rights of Englishmen.

5. Trade Convenience: Colonists would likely have dealt with English middlemen anyway due to common language, customs, and credit networks.

6. Lax Enforcement: Navigation Laws were not strictly enforced until $1763$ (during the period of salutary neglect), allowing smugglers to evade trade restrictions.

F. Disadvantages of Mercantilism for Colonies

1. Stifled Economic Opportunity: Kept colonies in an economically subordinate position.

   • Virginia planters, for instance, were often heavily in debt.

2. Market Limitations: Limited colonies to the English market, even when other markets might have paid more for their goods.

3. Lack of Banks: No banks were allowed in the colonies, leading to a chronic shortage of "species" (hard money or coinage).

III. Colonies in Crisis: Internal & Imperial Conflicts

A. Conflicts with Native Nations

• Causes: The expansion of colonial empires led directly to conflicts with Native American societies.

  • Growing colonial populations demanded more land and access to hunting and fishing grounds.

• Geographical Scope: These conflicts were not restricted to one colony or region but occurred throughout the New World.

  • King Philip's War ($1675-1676$) in New England.

  • Bacon's Rebellion ($1676$) in Virginia.

  • Pueblo Revolt ($1680$) in New Spain.

• Outcomes: Colonists faced short-term failures in these conflicts but achieved long-term success.

  • Native Americans initially succeeded in pushing back colonial encroachment on their land.

  • However, colonists regrouped, pushed back effectively, and eventually opened even more land to settlement.

B. The Restoration ($1660-1688$) & The Glorious Revolution

• 1. The Restoration (Reassertion of Royal Control):

  • Colonies experienced a loss of rights and privileges, often referred to as a decline in "colonial autonomy."

  • Lords of Trade ($1675$): An early attempt by the Crown to enforce the Navigation Acts and more directly administer the colonies.

  • Dominion of New England ($1686-1689$): Royal authority revoked colonial charters and combined several colonies (Connecticut, Plymouth, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, East and West Jersey) into a single large administrative unit under a single appointed governor, Sir Edmund Andros.

    • This was a significant blow to self-governance in these regions.

• 2. The Glorious Revolution (England & Colonies):

  • The English Bill of Rights ($1689$) reinforced the colonists' sense of sharing a legacy of freedom and Protestantism with England.

  • This event allowed local elites in the colonies to reverse many of the changes made during the Restoration period.

    • Maryland: Protestant colonists rebelled against the Catholic Lord Baltimore.

      • Maryland became a Protestant royal colony with an appointed governor.

      • Religious toleration, previously enshrined in the Maryland Toleration Act, effectively ended for Catholics.

    • Leisler's Rebellion in New York: Reflected colonial resentment against King James II's policies and the Dominion of New England.

      • Exposed ethnic and economic fault lines within New York society.

      • Jacob Leisler, a German merchant, led a rebellion, deposing the English governor and attempting to consolidate power among his followers.

      • A new royal governor arrived and put Leisler on trial for treason.

      • Anti-Leislerians exercised undue influence, leading to Leisler's conviction and execution.

    • Massachusetts: Issued a new royal charter in $1691$.

      • Plymouth was permanently added to Massachusetts.

      • Town governments remained intact, but voting rights were now based on property ownership rather than church membership, broadening the electorate beyond strict Puritan control.

      • The governor was appointed by the Crown (a British governor).

      • Massachusetts was required to abide by the Toleration Act, ensuring Protestant freedom of worship (primarily Anglican, but also other Protestant denominations, not Catholic).

IV. Development of Distinct North American Colonial Societies (by $1754$)

A. New England Colonies

• Religious Foundation: Settled primarily by English Separatists (Pilgrims) and Puritans.

  • Mayflower Compact ($1620$): Written for the English settlers at New Plymouth. Its purpose was to create a self-governing body, forming a "civil body politic" and establishing foundational laws. It's an early form of self-government based on the consent of the governed, often considered the first "constitution" and representation of democracy in America.

  • John Winthrop's "City Upon a Hill" sermon ($1630$): Delivered to the new Puritan community sailing to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Its core message was that Puritans must form a unified, moral, and godly society to serve as an example to the rest of the world, emphasizing community and togetherness.

  • Community and religion were the absolute cornerstones of their society, allowing for societal harmony.

• Government & Community: Strong emphasis on self-governance and communal living.

  • Town maps show settlements built by rivers, likely for agricultural production.

  • The organization of towns, with churches and schools centrally located around a communal area, visually reflects Winthrop's message of a unified community living closely together, centered on God and education.

B. Middle Colonies

• Diversity: Characterized by significant religious and ethnic diversity, a result of migration.

  • Religious Groups: Lutherans, Mennonites, Quakers.

  • Ethnic Groups: German, Swedish, Portuguese, Poles, Flemish.

  • This diversity prevented a single regional culture from fully developing, as these groups often clashed.

• Government & Belief Systems: Demonstrated unique approaches to governance influenced by religious principles.

  • William Penn's "Frame of Government of Pennsylvania" ($1682$): Penn believed that government belonged to the people. This reflected Quaker beliefs in divine inner light within all individuals, implying everyone should have a voice or representation, as everyone is "ruled by God."

• Anti-Slavery Stance (Quakers):

  • Quakers focused heavily on abolishing slavery among their own members. After $1774$, Quakers who continued to own slaves were expelled from the community.

  • Two Strains of Anti-Slavery Actions (after $1774$): efforts aimed to convince people that slavery was morally wrong and to help formerly enslaved people build new lives.

  • "Free Produce" Movement: A successful tool against slavery designed to cut the economic incentive for slavery by boycotting goods produced by slave labor.

C. Chesapeake Colonies

• Economy: Heavily reliant on tobacco.

  • Selling tobacco at auction indicated a large supply, leading to price fluctuations—prices dropped with oversupply, rose with demand.

• Religious Toleration: Exemplified by The Maryland Act of Toleration ($1649$).

  • This law protected freedom of worship only for Christians.

  • Groups who did not believe in Jesus could face severe punishment, including loss of land and life, demonstrating that it did not protect all religions, but only specific types of Christians.

• Slavery and Hierarchies: Early legal developments established a rigid racial hierarchy.

  • Virginia Laws for Blacks ($1619-1792$):

    • Law XXXIV: If a slave owner killed their slave while administering punishment, they would not face legal trouble. This showcased how slaves were viewed as property, not human beings, and underscored the visible line between white and Black people, revealing a stark power imbalance.

    • Law XXXVI: Conversion to Christianity did not affect one's bondage status; enslaved Black people who became Christian remained slaves, denying them a path to freedom through religious conversion.

    • Hereditary Slavery: A child's status (slave or free) was determined by the mother's status. If the mother was enslaved, the child was also enslaved, institutionalizing hereditary slavery.

D. Southern Colonies

• Economy: Diverse agricultural exports.

  • North Carolina: Important for "naval stores" (tar, turpentine, lumber) from pine forests, essential for British naval and merchant vessels.

  • South Carolina & Georgia: Key crops included rice and indigo.

  • Rice Plantations: Were especially harsh places to live and work. They required flooding fields using tidal flows for water control, and harvesting in stagnant water exposed workers to diseases.

• Slave Population Growth: Rapid increase in the Black slave population in the South after $1683$.

  • From $3,000-5,000$ in $1683$ to $10,800$ by $1705$ and approximately $260,000$ by the time of the American Revolution.

• Religion: Dominated by Anglicanism.

  • Despite the presence of various Protestant groups, there was often a lack of religious harmony due to intolerance among different denominations and shared opposition (or sometimes hatred) towards the established Anglican Church.