The Colonies Come of Age

Standard 2 Notes

SSUSH2-Student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed.a. Explain the development of mercantilism

and the trans-Atlantic trade.b. Describe the Middle Passage, growth of

African population, and African-American culture.

c. Identify Benjamin Franklin as a symbol of social mobility and individualism

d. Explain the significance of the Great Awakening

Mercantilism

• Although many colonists benefited form the trade relationship with the home country, the real purpose of the colonial system was to enrich Britain

• Mercantilism: a country’s ultimate goal was self sufficiency and that all countries were in a competition to acquire the most gold and silver

The Colonies

• New England Colonies: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island

• Middle Colonies: New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

• Southern Colonies: Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

The Navigation Acts

• The colonists exported to England large amounts of raw materials and staples and imported manufactured goods

• However, not all products produced ended up at English docks

• England views the colonists pursuit of foreign markets as an economic threat

The Navigation Acts

• Parliament passes “The Navigation Acts”• These state that:

– No country could trade with the colonies unless goods are shipped in English or colonial vessels

– All vessels had to be operated by crews that were 75% either English or Colonial

– The colonies could export certain products only to England

– Almost all goods traded between the colonies and Europe first had to pass through an English Port

Tensions Emerge

• The Navigation Acts do not sit well with all colonists

• Many colonists (MA) continued to smuggle goods elsewhere

• After Mass. failed to obey English law, the King revokes the charter

• King James II succeeds Charles, and combines the northern colonies into the “Dominion of New England”

King James II

The Glorious Revolution

• King James II appointed Sir Edmund Andros to be governor

• Andros made enemies quick…

• Increase Mather was sent to England as a diplomat, but the Glorious Revolution occurs first

• William and Mary take over the thrown in a bloodless revolution

The Glorious Revolution

• The English government rapidly restored the status of the New England Colonies

• The new charter had some changes however…– King appointed a governor in each colony– Required more religious toleration– Required non-Puritan representation in the

assembly

England Loosens the Reins

• Salutary neglect:– Parliament first strengthens the Navigation

Acts• MOVES TRAILS TO ENGLAND• CREATED THE BOARD OF TRADE

– Officials only loosely enforced rules– As long as raw materials kept coming, and

manufactured goods were being bought, than England would ignore the rules

The Seeds of Self-Government

• The colonial assembly, not the King, paid the governors salary

• The colonies used their purse to persuade (bribed) governors to pass laws and appoint judges

• They began to get a taste of self-government

• Salutary Neglect worked because most colonists were loyal to England

The Agricultural South

Main Ideas

• In the south, a predominately agricultural society developed

• Terms:– Cash crop– Slave– Triangle Trade– Middle Passage– Stono Rebellion

A Plantation Economy Arises

• Southern colonists had staked their livelihood on the fertile soil of the south

• Most specialized in raising a single cash crop – one grown primarily for sale rather than for the farmer’s own use

• Plantations developed instead of towns

• A diverse population emerges

• Small farmers made up the majority of the population

• Women in Southern society, and Northern society as well, shared a common trait: second-class citizen

Slavery Becomes Entrenched

• People eventually turned to slavery to fulfill there need for labor

• Unlike indentured servants, slaves were for life, so it was a better investment

• Colonists began to convince themselves that the African’s darker skin made them inferior

• 1690 – 13,000 slaves, 1750 – 200,000

The European Slave Trade

• England began to import slaves to the West Indies first

• The African population on Barbados was 3X that of the white population

• Africans became part of the Triangle Trade

• The leg of the trade was considered the “Middle Passage”

The Middle Passage

• Sickening cruelty characterized this journey

• Africans were whipped and branded

• Africans fell victim to diseases

• Many jumped to their deaths from the ships

• 20%+ died in route to America

Slavery in the South

• 80-90% worked in fields

• On large plantations slaves were managed by the owner or field boss

• On small farms, slaves worked alongside their master

• 10-20% worked in the house

• Work started at age 12, and lasted until death

Africans Cope in Their New World

• Wove baskets and made pottery like in Africa

• Sang songs

• Created new families

• The ring shout – a dance

Resistance and Revolt

• Faked illness, broke tools, staging work slowdowns

• Some openly revolted… Stono Rebellion

• 20 slaves gathered around the Stono River and killed planters and their families, invited slaves to join them, and announced their intention to go to Spanish-held Florida

• The South continued to develop agriculturally, and became more and more dependent on slavery

• This was not the case in the North

• The North’s economy was based on commerce instead of agriculture, so the need for slaves did not exist

The Commercial North

• Main Ideas: The Northern colonies developed a predominantly urban society, based on commerce and trade

• The states that were once the Northern colonies remain predominantly urban today

• Terms: Enlightenment, Benjamin Franklin, Jonathon Edwards, Great Awakening

Commerce Grows in the North

• The theory of Mercantilism held that colonies were there to help the home country amass wealth

• From 1650 to 1750 the colonies saw their own economy grow twice as fast as that of England

• Much of this growth was in the Northern and Middle colonies

A Diversified Economy

• Farmers were restricted to small farms because of cold winters and rocky soil

• The grew several crops instead of one

• Exported surplus crops to the West Indies

• Lumber, Iron smelting, and shipbuilding also became major industries

Northern Society is Diverse

• Groups included immigrants, African Americans, and women

• There is an influx of immigrants

• African, Dutch, Scottish, English, German, Irish, etc.

• Slavery exists, though not as much as in the south

• Racial prejudices against blacks existed

Salem

• February, 1692 – strict limitations on women’s roles combined with social tensions strained relations with the Native Americans and religious fanaticism

• Several Salem girls accused a slave woman of witchcraft

• After drawing attention, the began to accuse others

• 19 people were hanged, 1 crushing, 4-5 die in jail, and 150 are imprisoned

The Enlightenment

• Ideas about nature gained prevalence in the 1700’s in a movement called the enlightenment

• An outstanding figure of the enlightenment was Benjamin Franklin

• Also affects political thought, leading Thomas Jefferson to believe that men had “natural rights”

The Great Awakening

• By the early 1700’s, the Puritan Church had lost its grip

• Preachers traveled from village to village stirring people to rededicate themselves to God

• These preachers attracted 1000’s

• The resulting religious revival was known as “The Great Awakening”