The Colonies Mature: 1650-1750

1. The Colonies Mature: 1650-1750 Chapter 1 Sections 4 and 5

2. The South and Slavery • From Servitude to Slavery in the South • Warm climate=good for crops, not good for people • Low population=not a lot of workers • Solution: early to mid 1600s=indentured servants • Headright system-rich got richer, not a lot of land for the poor • Freed servants (freedmen) became disgruntled, result was Bacon’s Rebellion 1676

3. The South and Slavery (cont.) • Bacon’s Rebellion 1676 • Defeated by the colonial govt of Virginia • Effects: wealthy planters turned away from servants to slaves, why? • How to treat slaves? As servants?? • 1670 South Carolina colonized, English brought African slaves with them, plus their slave codes—African slaves would be treated as property (chattel) not as people • By 1700 slaves had surpassed servants in the South

4. Slave Society in the South • Slaves taken from all over west coast of Africa • Not monolithic • New African American culture was the fusion of many different African cultures plus European influences • North America was not the focus of the slave trade (Caribbean, S. America) about 5% • Americans=poor couldn’t afford many slaves, had to protect their “investment” • Naturally reproducing slave population in America

5. Comparing/Contrasting the 3 Colonial Regions: the South • Economy: all about cash crops • Tobacco (MD, VA, NC) • Rice and Indigo (GA, SC) • Dependent upon slavery (after 1676) • Large farms (plantations) • Society • Not a lot of big cities (each plantation was like a mini city) • People isolated from one another—not a big sense of community • Because of plantations and slavery—big gap between rich and poor (elitist, not egalitarian) • Large numbers of African Americans but otherwise not very ethnically diverse

6. The South (cont.) • Religion • Not very important in the South (more concerned with material things) • Mostly Anglican • Religious toleration of some kind in all colonies • Government • Representative govts (House of Burgesses 1619) • Dominated by the wealthy (elitists)

7. New England • Economy • Too cold/too rocky for farming cash crops • Small farms due to climate also due to religious beliefs • Turned to the sea: fishing, trading, ship building, ship building industries (logging, etc) • Society • Dominated by Puritan beliefs, strong sense of community, dominated by small towns and cities • Big families (lots of kids+small farms=no need for more labor=no servants/slaves) • Only way to be fully accepted in New England society was to be a member of the Puritan Church • Lots of small equally sized farms=very egalitarian society • Almost entirely English=not diverse

8. New England • Religion • Left England for religious freedom—freedom for themselves not for anybody else • Puritanism, no other religions tolerated* • Government • Very democratic (town hall meetings) • Needed land to vote but almost everyone had land • Problem: needed to be a part of the Puritan church to vote and hold office* (undemocratic)

9. Middle Colonies • Economy • Bread colonies • Grew wheat raised cattle to sell to New England and the Caribbean • Big families, medium to small sized farms=not a real big need for servants or slaves • More farming centered than NE, but more industry than the South • Big cities (NYC, Philadelphia)

10. Middle Colonies • Society • Egalitarian (like New England) • Diverse ethnically • Religion • Religious toleration/separation of Church and State in all colonies except NY • Very diverse in terms of religion (most diverse region) • Government • No religious qualifications • Land qualifications but land = easy to get

11. Colonial Government • All colonies had representative government • Colonial Governments consisted of 3 parts: • 1) Assembly elected by the people—controlled taxes made most laws • 2) Governor—appointed by the king (or the owner of the colony)—ran day to day affairs of colony represented the King (or the owner) (assembly controlled their salary) • 3) Upper House/Council—appointed by the Governor helped the Governor run the day-to-day affairs of the colony, had to approve laws passed by the assembly • So why is this important?

12. Colonies Mature: Growth of Trade • Trade: centered in New England but involved all of the 3 colonial regions • Trade between colonies and England • Trade between the colonies and other European countries • Trade between colonies and Africa/Caribbean (triangle trade)

14. Efforts to Control Trade: Mercantilism • Mercantilism: • The amount of gold in the world is essentially fixed • A nation increases its power by increasing its stockpiles of gold • Gold is increased by minimizing imports (buying) and maximizing exports (selling) • Colonies=way to supply raw materials without sending gold to a foreign country & buy English products • Mercantilist Policies—make sure that trade involving America benefitted England not necessarily the colonies (Navigation Acts) • Why is this important?

15. Colonial Culture: Enlightenment • Enlightenment occurring in Europe beginning in the late 1600’s, active in the colonies as well • Applied reason and logic to political world (rationalism, logic)) • John Locke major political thinker • contract theory of government, natural rights • Reason and logic will be applied to almost every aspect of society—including religion—led people to become less religious

16. Great Awakening: 1730’s-1740’s • Major religious revival • Began in New England • Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” • George Whitefield • More emotional than previous religious movements • Reaction to the intellectualism of the enlightenment • Colony-wide movement—helped set the stage for the Revolution?????

17. Colonial Culture: American Identity? • By the mid 1700’s only about half of the colonists in British North America were of British descent • English-49% • African-19% • Scottish-7% • German-7% • Scots-Irish-5% • Irish-3% • Dutch-3% • Other European-9% • How would this mixed ethnicity impact how the colonists viewed themselves? • How could this help lead to revolution? • What type of events help to lead to a sense of national identity, have you seen any in this lecture?

18. Ethnic Diversity in the Colonies