Chapter 3: The Colonies Come of Age

Chapter 3: The Colonies Come of Age

Section 1: England and its Colonies

Mercantilism

- Nations goal was self- sufficiency

- All nations were competing against each other for the most resource's

-  Nations focused on balance of trade (sell more than you buy)

-  Britain used its colonies to make sure it was selling goods (forced them to buy)

The Navigation Acts

- Colonies would mostly sell their raw goods to England (some would sell to other European nations)

- England viewed this as a economical threat

- Parliament passes laws restricting colonial trade

- Creates a boom in Colonial Shipping Industry

Tensions Emerge

- Some merchants resented trade restrictions

- some smuggled goods illegally

- Mischievous Acts lead to crack down  in Massachusetts

1. Believed that because their a charter colony they did not have to follow rules

2. King revoked their charter status and turned them into a royal colony

The Domain of New England

- King placed colonies under a single ruler in Boston

- Domain of New England was under control of Sir Edmund Andros

- Within weeks Andros had managed to make thousands of colonists mad

The Glorious Revolution

- King James had no respect for Parliament

- Parliament passed laws to control the Monarch

- Colonists decided to arrest Andros and his followers

- Parliament restored the original charter, but made sure that Puritans could not abuse Non- Puritan's

England Loosens the Regions

- Navigation Act trials would now have English judges so now smugglers would be found guilty

- These laws were only ever lightly enforced

- "Relaxed Neglect" their goal was to increase loyalty to crown

The Seeds of Self Government

- Each colony now had a governor selected by king whom got to select upper house

- Governor had power to call and disband assembly and appoint and dismiss and judges oversee all trade

- Colonies paid Governor not the king which allowed some control

- Colonist soon gave approval to laws and appointment's of Judge

- Colonist now have a taste of freedom

Section 2: The Agricultural South

Plantation Economy Arises

- Plantation's focus on cash crops ( ex: tobacco)

- Act instead of towns and would often be next to a river

- Owners produce everything they needed so there were no need for shops

- Few cities in south and present day Charleston is most famous

Life in Southern Society

- Large amounts of Europeans come to south making it diverse

- Small farms formed most of souths population

- Southerners prosperous in 1700's

- Plantations owners lived in luxury and hosted frequent social events

Role of Women

- Women considered 2nd class citizens

- Few legal and social rights, not allowed to vote or preach

- Even wealthy women got basic education

- Most education was just social graces or domestic affairs

- Cooked all the meals, milked the cows, tended gardens, sewed and cleaned clothing, and had to look after children

Indentured Servants

- Traded prison or poverty for limited servitude

- Many did not live through the experience and if they did after slavery life went back to normal which wasn't saying much

- Made up 1/3 to 1/2 half of population at start of 17th century

- Numbers declined at end of century because of heard hardships.

Slaves become Entrenched

- Tried to enslave Native Americans, didn't work

- African slaves brought large profit turnovers to their owners which made them very valuable

- Slave owners convinced themselves that dark skin was a symbol of inferiority

The Middle Passage

- Considered to be middle leg of triangle trade

- Cruelty was common

- Slaves would be placed at the bottom of a ship, they would receive daily beaten

- Branded for identification

- Lived among waste and vomit

- 20% of slaves would perish

Slavery in the South

- 80-90% worked in fields on plantations

- Small farm slaves worked along side owners

- 10-20% worked in house or as an artisan

- Domestic slaves cleaned, cooked, and raised children

- Artisans were skilled as carpenters, blacksmiths, bricklayers, and they were often rented by other plantations. 

Africans Cope in Their New World

- Slaves weaved baskets, mold pottery, retold ancestral stories, and all the while kept tradition alive

- Created new family's amongst people they lived by

- If a master sold a slave parent others would step in to raise the kiddo

- Dancing was very important

Resistance and Revolt

- Slaves would fake illness, break tools, and try anything to slow down work

- Stono Revolt: September 1739, 20 slaves killed, planter families carried large drums to invite more slaves to join them

- Group was going to flee to Florida

- White Milita Fought, captured, executed escaped slaves

- Many who did escape, would marry into Native American Culture

- Southern economy grew and so did the need for slaves

Section 3: The Commercial North

A Diverse Economy

- New England and Middle colonies produced a variety of crops

- Cold winters and rocky soil would limit them to having small farms

- Farms with nice soil would grow wheat, corn, and raise cattle

- They would sell surplus to the Indies

- Manufactured ships and iron

- Merchants were the most powerful in the North

Urban Life

- Several large city's began to emerge

- Philadelphia had paved streets, police patrols, oil lamps, and did a lot to make the area feel more sophisticated

- Firewood and clean water were hard to get and trash was in abundance

Slavery in the North

- North did not grow cash crops means no need for slaves

- Slavery still existed and there was still racial prejudice

- Slaves consider property but had more legal rights (ex: they could sue and be sued)

- No laws to protect them from cruelty

Women in Northern Society

- Many work responsibilities

- Few rights

- Most couldn't buy or sell property

- Couldn't keep their wages

Witchcraft in Salem

- 1692, girls accuse west Indian slave women of practicing witchcraft

-  Those accused were put on trial blame others to protect themselves

- many accusers were poor and brought charges on more wealthy residents

- high number of victims were very independent women

- Continued till girls went to far and accused the governors wife

The Enlightenment

- Using logic and reasoning to explain things rather than religion to explain world around them

- Benjamin Franklin was a prominent figure

- obtain truth through experiments and reasoning

- helped create the foundations of government

- individuals have natural rights that the government must respect.

The Great Awakening

- The great awaking= Religious revival 1730s- 1740s

- early 1700s Puritans lost their grip and was in decline

- Puritans did finically well and wanted to buy more material items

- Some thought it was important to regain their deep roots

- Preacher who traveled from village to village gained thousands of followers

- Native Americans/ Africans organized their own religions

- many left church to join a new one

- Challenged authority of old churches (ex puritans)

- Increase in higher education to help train ministers

- great emphasis of individual helped lead revolution

Section 4: French Indian war

-Frances North American Empire

-France began their empire in 1534, claimed Mississippi valley for France

- New France had 70,000 people compared to the 1 million Britain had

-  France were typical fur traders or priests

- French were friendly with native Americans because they depended on eachother for trade

- led to military alliances

Britain defeats an old Enemy

- French built on British claimed land  which  was given away to wealthy planters

-  Virginia sent Milita to evict French, led by George Washington - created Fort Necessity 40 miles from the French Fort

- Battles ensued- Washington forced to surrender

Early French Victories

- British led 1,500 soldiers to take fort

- French and Native American Allies ambush them

- Britain used military fighting, French/Native Americans uses guerilla warfare

- Made Washington question the competency of the British army

Pitt and Iroquois turn the Tides

- King selected William Pitt to lead men

- Prompted the Iroquois to become Britain's ally

- 1759, Britain had a short but bloody attack outside of Quebec - led to victory of the war

- 1763, War officially ended with Treaty of Paris

Victory Brings New Problems

- Native Americans feared more British will come and scare away game they commonly hunted

-  Native Americans felt that French loss was also their own loss

- Native Americans began to retaliate and attack forts they eventfully agreed to peace

-Britain agreed to no colonist should be able to settle west of Application Mountains but of course no one really enforced it

The Colonies and Britain Grow apart

- Britain agrees to colonists mind set- colonists feel that the British do not care about their needs

- During the war Britain cracked down on colonists smuggling

- Britain  granted right to officials to search any ship or home

- Colonist continued to have problems with Native Americans and British sent troops which angered Colonists

- Stationing soldiers cost British money that they didn't have so they tried to pass the sugar act

- Sugar Act:  Put tax on some imports, created harsher punishment for smuggling

- By 1764, there were many disagreements among colonists and British