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Colonial Life and Politics

Colonial Life and Politics. Becker US History. Differences in Colonial Regions. Climate differences Warm/wet- cool/dry Farming differences One crop-diversity Family & community Weak-strong Health/environment Poor-healthy Religious differences Anglican-Puritan/Sep.

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Colonial Life and Politics

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  1. Colonial Life and Politics Becker US History

  2. Differences in Colonial Regions • Climate differences • Warm/wet- cool/dry • Farming differences • One crop-diversity • Family & community • Weak-strong • Health/environment • Poor-healthy • Religious differences • Anglican-Puritan/Sep

  3. Where does the Revolution begin? • Primarily Englishmen settle in the colonies • Colonists are PROUD to be English • Why, then, would they consider rebelling??? • Colonies exist for one purpose: benefit England. • Late 1600s: England does a cost-benefit analysis • Oops: Our colonies cost more than they produce • England tries to fix this, and colonies get upset

  4. Economics: Mercantilism • Def: Colonies exist to benefit mother country • Benefit mother country in two ways • 1. Source of raw materials • 2. Market for finished products • England should profit from both of these

  5. Mercantilism in Action Cloth, spinning wheels, buttons, nails, etc. Lumber, minerals, cotton, tobacco, fish, etc.

  6. Triangle Trade • Lucrative outgrowth of mercantilism • 3 main trans-Atlantic stops for traders • Begin in Europe with beads, trinkets • Trade these in Africa mainly for slaves • Trade slaves in New World for raw materials • Repeat and get wealthy.

  7. Rules of Mercantilism • 1621: Colonies must sell tobacco to England • Don’t want your colonies trading with your enemies • Not strictly enforced: sell to French and Dutch also • Not really extreme: US gov’t has similar rules • 1651: Navigation Act of 1651 • All goods entering/leaving England/colonies must be carried by English ships with English crews • Attempt to stop black market trade with Dutch • Colonies generally ignore, as does Royal Navy

  8. Navigation Act of 1660 • Minor change is made in trade laws • Goods still must be shipped on English ships with English crew • Law is made more specific • Tobacco, sugar, and cotton may be shipped ONLY to England • Colonies, like before, often ignore the rule

  9. 1685 Charles II dies with no children Half-brother is then next in line as king Becomes James II, but he is Catholic Catholic King in a Protestant Country James legalizes Catholicism Dismisses members of the House of Lords Appoints new Catholic representatives Tightens control of colonies Dominion of New England under Edmund Andros Glorious Revolution

  10. Glorious Revolution • Parliament becomes extremely upset • Protest to the king and threaten to oust him • James II tightening control even more • Dissolves the Parliament: you don’t exist • Also tightens control of colonies • Taxes that were avoided will now be collected • Navigation Acts will now be enforced • James II is not popular ANYWHERE

  11. Dominion of New England • Created by James II as central colonial govt • Gov. Edmund Andros runs as military state • Enforcement of Navigation Acts • Unified front against French and Indians • Advance Anglican Church • Ban town meetings and local government • Includes MA, NH, ME, RI, CT, NY, NJ • Extraordinarily unpopular in colonies

  12. Glorious Revolution cont’d • Parliament looks for a new (Protestant) king • Solution is William of Orange (and wife Mary) • He is a Dutch prince; she is James II’s daughter • James II is called on to abdicate (step down) • James can stay and fight the Parliament • This means he will be fighting his daughter, too • He would also likely face assassination attempts • James II opts to abdicate the throne instead • Parliament wins a major victory w/o bloodshed

  13. New Powerful Parliament • William and Mary will be figureheads • Parliament holds the real power • Reenergized Parliament moves to unite empire • Effect on colonies: • Dominion overthrown, Andros arrested • Leisler’s Rebellion in NY • Backlash against Catholics in VA and MD • But, Parliament tightens hold on colonies • James II’s policies now adopted by Parliament

  14. 18th Century Statistics • 1700: 250,000 colonists in the New World • 1730: 500,000 colonists • 1775: 2,500,000 colonists • Philadelphia becomes largest city in colonies by 1750 • Where does this growth come from? • 3 sources

  15. Natural Increase • Women marry EARLY: age 15-20 • 90% pregnant within 6 months of marriage • Married women gave birth every ~2 years • Women pregnant 8-12 times, have 6-10 kids • In 1775, over 50% of population is under 16

  16. Women and Children • Women have few rights in colonies • May not own property while married • Only until marriage and after husband dies • May not testify against men in court • May not vote in political elections • Had no legal control over their children • Children have few rights in colonies • Victorian code of behavior: strict rules and little “love” • Education is widely available in New England (Bible) • Counties with 50+ families required to have a school • In South, distance is a problem: Private tutors common

  17. Women in the Colonies • “Separate Spheres” • Feminization of Colonial Religion • Outnumber males 2-1 • General decrease in church attendance • General decrease in offerings/tax revenues • Halfway Covenant • Individuals w/o a conversion experience can become church members, kids baptized • May not vote until FULL church members

  18. Immigration • Major source of increase in population • About 100,000 Irish arrive in 18th century • Usually settle in PA, MD, VA, NC, SC • Poor, large families: stereotypes lazy & drunks • About 85,000 Germans arrive • Usually settle in PA, MD, VA, SC, GA • 1st group seeking religious freedom, later political • About 35,000 Scots arrive • Usually settle in NC • Many were exiled supporters of James II • Many other ethnicities arrive in smaller numbers

  19. Servants • Indentured Servants • Sold part of working lives for ticket to New World • Obligations of master to servant • Abuses of Indentured Servitude • Headright System • Redemptioner System • Buy ticket “on credit” for ship captain • Must pay back within period of time (~3 months) • If fail to pay back, slave to captain

  20. Slavery • Also a source of (unwilling) immigrants • Mainly men are imported • By 1775, 350,000 slaves imported to colonies • Primarily to southern colonies • Tobacco plantations • Sugar plantations • Cotton plantations • Still, colonies are only 10% of slave trade

  21. Why African slaves??? • Inexpensive, available in large numbers • Familiar with agriculture: they were farmers • Physically well-adapted to climate • Did not speak English- controllable • Did not know the land- couldn’t run away • Physically different: stood out as slaves

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