Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1754 (Study Notes)

Early Georgia faced strict rules (no rum/slavery) and Spanish threats, hindering prosperity.
1752: Became a royal colony; restrictions dropped, leading to slow growth via the plantation system.
By Revolution: Georgia was the smallest and poorest of the 13 colonies.

Mercantilism overview: 17th-century European kingdoms pursued wealth via trade; colonies existed to enrich the parent country.
English adoption: Applied to English colonies post-civil war.
Acts of Trade and Navigation (1650–1673): Three rules for colonial trade:
- $1$ : Trade exclusively on English/colonial ships with English/colonial crews.
- $2$ : Most goods imported to colonies must pass through English ports.
- $3$ : Specified (enumerated) goods (e.g., tobacco) exported only to England.
Impact on the colonies:
- Positive: Benefited New England shipbuilding, Chesapeake tobacco monopoly in England, English military protection.
- Negative: Limited colonial manufacturing, low crop prices for Chesapeake farmers, high prices for imported goods.
Overall: Regulations caused political strain, arguably unnecessary as England was the primary trading partner anyway.

1660s context: Puritan colonies a generation old; full membership required conversion.
Halfway Covenant: Clergy offered partial church membership without conversion.
Reception: Some ministers opposed; weakened strict Puritan practices over time to maintain church membership.

1640s context: Colonies faced threats from American Indians, Dutch, French, during English civil war.
1643 alliance: Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, New Haven formed a confederation.
Structure and powers: Board with two representatives per colony; limited power over boundary disputes, runaway servants, and American Indian relations.
Duration and significance: Lasted until 1684 (due to rivalries/royal control); a precedent for unified colonial action.

Timeframe: 1675–1676.
Cause: Metacom (King Philip) united southern New England tribes against English land encroachment.
Outcome: Vicious war with many casualties and towns burned; colonial forces won, King Philip died, ending major Indian resistance in New England.

Context: Founded late 17th century during the Restoration (Charles II’s return in 1660).
Result: New American colonies established as part of expanded English colonial policy.

Leader: Nathaniel Bacon, an impoverished farmer.
Grievances: Western farmers resented control by large Chesapeake planters.
Actions: Bacon led raids against American Indian villages (1676); Jamestown burned.
Aftermath: Rebellion collapsed after Bacon's death; Governor Berkeley suppressed remnants.
Lasting implications: Highlighted class differences and resistance to royal control in Virginia.

Religion: Strong Puritan convictions sustained Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay.
Intolerance: Puritan leaders banished dissidents, leading to new settlements like Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Roger Williams (1631–1636):
- Belief: Individual conscience above civil/church authority; banished from Bay Colony, founded Providence (1636).
- Innovations: Recognized American Indian rights, paid for land; allowed free worship for Catholics, Quakers, Jews; founded one of America's first Baptist churches.
Anne Hutchinson:
- Belief: Antinomianism (faith alone for salvation).
- Consequence: Banished from Bay Colony; founded Portsmouth (1638); later killed by American Indians.
Rhode Island (1644 charter): Williams united Providence and Portsmouth into Rhode Island, known for religious tolerance and dissenters' refuge.

Mercantilist policies persisted despite the Glorious Revolution.
18th century dynamics: More English officials in colonies; trade restrictions widely resented and resisted.

By 1750, enslaved populations were substantial:
- Virginia: approx. $\frac{1}{2}$ of population enslaved.
- South Carolina: approx. $\frac{2}{3}$ of population enslaved.

Factors: Reduced English migration (higher wages); demand for dependable, controlled workforce by plantation owners (unlike indentured servants who rebelled, e.g., Bacon's Rebellion); shift to profitable crops like rice/indigo requiring cheap, unskilled labor.

1641 Massachusetts: First to recognize enslaving “lawful” captives.
1661 Virginia: Children inherited enslaved status from mother.
1664 Maryland: Baptism did not alter enslaved status; White women could not marry African men.
Rising racism: White society increasingly viewed Blacks as inferior, entrenching racism and slavery.

Pattern: English slave trade initially monopolized by Royal African Company; New England merchants joined later.
Route (triangular):
- New England (rum) to West Africa (exchange for enslaved Africans).
- Middle Passage: Africans to West Indies (sold for sugarcane).
- West Indies (sugar) back to New England (manufacture more rum).

Economic development: Differed from South Carolina; small, self-sufficient tobacco farms; poor harbors/transportation.
Slavery: Less reliance than in the south.
Political culture: Reputation for democratic views and autonomy from British control.

1664 conquest: Charles II granted land to Duke of York; New Amsterdam became New York.
Governance under James: Initially no representative assembly, enforced taxes/duties.
Opposition and compromise: Taxation without representation by English-speaking settlers led to James allowing an assembly and broader rights (1683).