The Colonies Develop

Section OneNew England: Commerce and

Religion

Distinct Colonial Regions Develop

•Between 1700-1750, colonial population doubles, then doubles again

•3 regions: New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies

•Backcountry – region along Appalachian Mountains

•Several factors make each colonial region distinct

Distinct Colonial Regions Develop

•New England – cold weather, rocky soil; mostly English settlers

•Middle Colonies – short winters, fertile soil; settlers from all over Europe

•Southern Colonies – warm climate; good soil; use enslaved African labor

•Backcountry – climate, resources vary; many Scots-Irish

The Farms and Towns of New England

• Subsistence farming – produce enough for themselves, little extra to trade

• Short growing season causes New Englanders to do subsistence farming

• Farmers live near town because plots of land sold to Puritan congregation

• Congregation settles the town, divides land to members of church

• In towns, farmhouses center around green – central square

Harvesting the Sea

• Fishing provides great economic opportunity in New England

• New England’s forest provides wood for ships

• New England’s fish, timber become valuable trading articles

• Coastal cities like Boston, Salem, New Haven, Newport grow rich

Atlantic Trade

• New England has three types of trade:• with other colonies• direct exchange of goods with Europe• triangular trade

• Triangular trade has three stops:• in Africa, trade goods for slaves• in West Indies, trade slaves for sugar, molasses• take sugar, molasses back to New England

Atlantic Trade

• England passes Navigation Acts to get money from colonial trade (1651):• use English ships or ships made in English colonies• sell products only to England and its colonies• European imports to colonies must pass through English

ports• English officials tax colonial goods not shipped to England

• Many colonial merchants ignore Navigational Acts

• Importing or exporting goods illegally – smuggling – is common

African Americans in New England

• Few slaves in New England; slavery not economical in region

• Some people in town have slaves: house servants, cooks, gardeners

• Some slaves hired out to work; they can keep portion of wages

• Some enslaved persons save enough to buy freedom

Changes in Puritan Society

• In early 1700s, gradual decline of Puritan religion:

• drive for economic success competes with Puritan ideas

• increasing competition from other religious groups

• legislation weakens Puritan community

The Colonies Develop

Section TwoThe Middle Colonies: Farms and

Cities

A Wealth of Resources

• Immigrants from all over Europe come to Middle Colonies

• Dutch and German farmers bring advanced agricultural methods

• Long growing season, rich soil; grow cash crops (crops sold for money)

The Importance of Mills

• Take corn, wheat, rye to gristmill – crush grain to make flour, meal

• Use product to bake bread; gives colonists a lot of grain in their diet

The Cities Prosper

• Excellent harbors along coast ideal for cities

• Merchants in cities export cash crops, import manufactured goods

• In Philadelphia trade thrives; wealth brings public improvement

• Trade also causes rapid growth in New York City

A Diverse Region

• Middle Colonies have remarkable diversity of people

• Diversity causes tolerance among people

• Many Germans arrive (1710-1740); good farmers, craftspeople

• German artisans, or craftspeople, are ironworkers; make glass, furniture

A Diverse Region

• Built Conestoga wagons – good for rough terrain; used to settle the West

A Climate of Tolerance

• Dutch and Quakers practice religious tolerance

• Quakers believe men and women are equal, have women preachers

• Quakers protest slavery

African Americans in the Middle Colonies

• 7 % of Middle Colonies’ population are enslaved

• In New York City, enslaved Africans do manual labor, assist artisans

• City’s free African-Americans work as laborers, servants, sailors

• Tensions lead to violence; in 1712, 24 slaves rebel; punished horribly

The Colonies DevelopSection Three

The Southern Colonies: Plantations and Slavery

The Plantation Economy

• Soil, climate ideal for plantation crops; need a lot of workers to grow

• Plantations self-sufficient; large cities rare in Southern Colonies

• Growing plantation economy causes planters to use enslaved African labor

The Turn to Slavery

• In mid-1600s, Africans and European indentured servants work fields

• Indentured servants leave plantations and buy their own farms

• Try to force Native Americans to work; they die of disease or run away

The Turn to Slavery

• Planters use more enslaved African laborers

• By 1750, 235,000 enslaved Africans in America; 85 percent live in South

Plantations Expand

• Slavery grows, allows plantation farming to expand

• Enslaved workers do back-breaking labor; make rice plantations possible

• Eliza Lucas introduces indigo as a plantation crop

• On high ground, planters grow indigo- plant that yields a blue dye

The Planter Class

• Enslaved labor makes planters richer; planters form elite class

• Small farmers cannot compete, move west

• Planter class controls much land; gains economic, political power

The Planter Class

• Some planters are concerned about their enslaved workers’ welfare

• Many planters are tyrants, abuse their enslaved workers

Life Under Slavery

• Planters hire overseers to watch over and direct work of slaves

• Enslaved workers do exhausting work 15 hours a day in peak harvest

• Enslaved people live in small cabins, given meager food

• Africans preserve customs and believes from their homeland

Resistance to Slavery

• Africans fight against enslavement; purposely work slowly, damage goods

• Stono Rebellion (1739):• 20 slaves kill several planter families• join other slaves, seek freedom in

Spanish-held Florida• white militia captures rebellious slaves,

executes them

Resistance to Slavery

• Stono and other rebellions lead planters to make slave codes stricter

• Slaves now forbidden from leaving plantations without permission

• Illegal for slaves to meet with free blacks

The Colonies Develop

Section FourThe Backcountry

Geography of the Backcountry

• Appalachian Mountains – eastern Canada south to Alabama

• Backcountry in or near Appalachian Mountains

• Begins at fall line – where waterfalls block movement father upriver

Geography of the Backcountry

• Beyond fall line is piedmont – plateau leads to Appalachian range

• Backcountry’s resources make farming possible

Backcountry Settlers

• First Europeans trade with Native Americans

• Then farmers follow, often clash with Native Americans

• Farmers live in log cabins made of logs with mud, moss filling

• Many farmers go to Backcountry to escape plantation system

The Scots-Irish

• Scots-Irish come from the border area between Scotland and England

• To escape hardships, Scots-Irish head to Backcountry

• Form clans – large groups of families with a common ancestor

• Clan members suspicious of outsiders, band together against danger

Other Peoples in North America

• Native Americans live in Americas for thousands of years

• France and Spain claim a lot of territory in North America

• Spanish colonists bring horses to Americas; Native Americans start riding

Other Peoples in North America

• Backcountry settlers often fight with Native Americans

• French traders afraid English settlers will move west, take away trade

• In 1718, Spaniards build fort to guard mission (later renamed the Alamo)