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Growth of the American Colonies. 1689-1754. Colonies of an Empire. The English Civil War (1640-1660). The Sides: King Charles I Parliament The Dispute: Parliament believed that Charles I was trying to limit its power. The Results: Parliament defeated the King and had him beheaded.
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Growth of the American Colonies 1689-1754
The English Civil War (1640-1660) • The Sides: • King Charles I • Parliament • The Dispute: • Parliament believed that Charles I was trying to limit its power. • The Results: • Parliament defeated the King and had him beheaded. • Years later Parliament restored Charles II as king to regain stability. • Meanwhile England ignored the colonies and allowed them a large measure of self government.
King Charles I
Mercantilism • The Theory • Mercantilists believed: • A country should try to get and keep as much gold and silver as possible; • If no mines existed trade should be the source of wealth; • Colonies should be used as a source of raw goods and a market for finished goods from the mother country.
Mercantilism effect on trade laws: • England sought to have as many colonies as possible; • Charles II approved the Navigation Act which: • Tightened control of colonial trade; • Required colonies to sell certain goods only to England; • Required that any goods sold to another country must first be sent through England to be taxed.
Mercantilism’s effect on politics and war • Europeans began to fight each other for control of territory rather than over religion. • King Charles II and King James II tried to tighten their control of the American Colonies. • King James II abolished the governments of New York and the New England Colonies and combined them into the Dominion of New England. • This angered the colonists and was later reversed when William and Mary took power after the Glorious Revolution.
Colonial Policy in the Early 1700s • Great Britain rarely interfered directly in the colonies. • Self Government • The chief executed of the colonies was a governor appointed by the King. • Legislatures elected by the colonists served under the governor. • The legislatures came to dominate the decision making process in the colonies .
Salutary(beneficial) Neglect • British practiced this because: • England had a long tradition of strong local government and weak central government. • England lacked the resources and the bureaucracy to enforce policies in the colonies. • Colonists recognized the power of the King and Parliament without being forced. • The colonial economy was prospering and this served British interests.
The Colonial Economies • Southern Colonies • Raised staple crops such as tobacco and rice. • Required the use of large amounts of labor. • Middle Colonies • Economy was a mixture of farming and commerce. • New England Colonies • Self-sufficient farms and long distance trade dominated the economy.
Society • Rich were seen as superior to the poor. • Men were seen as superior to women. • Whites were seen as superior to blacks. • The upper class was called the Gentry. • Gentry Gentry were those wealthy enough to hire servants • Gentry were distinguished by their wigs.
Land • Land was the true source of wealth. • Land owners dominated politics.
Occupations and Trades • Artisans • Apprenticeships were very common. • People learned to be silversmiths, metalworkers, woodworkers, etc.
Printers • Provided a source of news and communication among the colonies. • Famous Printers • John Peter Zenger, a printer, was arrested by governor of New York for writing an article critical against him. Zenger was freed because the story was true. • Benjamin Franklin • Poor Richard’s Almanac • Later invented: the Franklin stove, the lightning rod, and bifocal lenses.
Farmers and fishermen • Indentured Servants • Agreed to work up to seven years in exchange for passage to the colonies.
Women • Status was determined by the men in their lives. • English common law placed women under the control of their husband and allowed the husband to beat her (“rule of thumb”). • Women were responsible for: • Housekeeping • Gardening • Weaving cloth • Sewing
Daily Life • Colonists ate better, lived longer, and had more children than average Europeans did. • Colonists had more opportunities to gain wealth. • Colonists had to be self-sufficient.
Education • School attendance was not required. • Most learned to read because they wanted to read the Bible. • 1647 Massachusetts did pass laws requiring towns to provide public education. • public education.
The Middle Passage • 10-40% of the slaves usually died while crossing the Atlantic. • Conditions included: • Chains • Overcrowding • Heat • Disease • Poor Sanitation • Starvation
South Carolina and Georgia • Slaves were a majority of the population. • Slaves labored in high temperatures and at the risk of dangerous diseases. • Slaves on plantations were isolated from the slaves of other plantations to keep down rebellion.
Virginia and Maryland • Life for slaves was different here because: • Slaves were the minority not the majority. • Few of them came directly from Africa. • Slaves performed different types of less strenuous work. • Slaves had more contact with European Americans.
New England and the Middle Colonies • There were far fewer slaves here than in the southern colonies • Farms were smaller and required less labor.
Laws and Revolts • By law slaves could not: • Board ships, ferries, or leave town without permission; • Own property; • Harm whites. • Slaves revolted several times (ie-Stono Rebellion), but were never successful and the punishment was severe.
The Need for Land • The population grew rapidly doubling every 25 years. • English custom held that a father should provide land for his son. • Ben Franklin and others feared that a land shortage would hamper Americans ability to own private property. • Settlers began to move westward taking more and more land.
Indians and French Respond • Native Americans and the French controlled the areas that the colonists were moving into. • Native Americans • Strongly resisted the expansion of the British Colonies. • French • Quickly moved to control Detroit and the Ohio River Valley. • Tension in this area would soon lead to war.
Religious Strife • Protestant Groups • Anglicans • Congregationalists • Presbyterians • Quakers • Dutch Reformed Church • Baptists • Methodists
Great Awakening • Revival of religious feeling • Began in response to the preaching of Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” • Edwards is followed by George Whitefield • Ministers in the movement taught: • Anyone could have a personal relationship with Christ; • All could equally come before God; • Faith and sincerity not wealth and education were the major requirements needed to understand the Gospel. • Resulted in: • More democratic churches; • Growing idea of equality among men; • Increase in the membership of the Methodist and Baptist churches (most of which came from the middle or bottom of colonial society).
