Colonial life

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Colonial life
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England and the colonies

• English Civil War pretty much ignores the
  colonies, too preoccupied
• Mercantilism
• A country should try and get as much gold and
  silver as possible
• If you arent Spain (with its gold and silver in
  its colonies) trade is the only way to get rich
• Sell more than you buy, you get rich (balance of
  trade)

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Big plus for England

• Colonies could provide tobacco, fur, other goods
  for England to sell to other countries
• Would improve Englands balance of trade
• Needed more colonies to support this
• Tight laws over trade and commerce in the colonies

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Englands control

• Must sell only to England
• If wanted to sell to another country, had to go
  through England first and pay a duty
• Q Whats a duty?
• England now fighting wars with Netherlands, not
  Spain
• Netherlands is a trading nation
• more important than religion (wars with Spain
  were about religion)

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More control

• England abolishes colonial legislatures
• Directly ruled by King in England
• Colonies furious
• Taxes collected on everything
• No one had any say about it
• Puritans saw this as violating their freedom
• More revolution in England
• New king restores colonies governments

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England starts to neglect colonies

• England and Scotland united to become Great
  Britain in 1707
• Self-government becomes common
• Most colonies had
• Governor (appointed by King)
• Legislature (some appointed, some elected)
• Only male landowners could vote

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Power

• Even though the governor had a lot of power, the
  legislatures had real power
• Passed laws regarding taxes and defense
• Selected judges
• Salutary neglect British realized it was easier
  to not enforce trade laws because everyone was
  making money

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African Americans in colonies

• 20 of the population of colonies was of African
  descent
• Middle Passage transport of slaves to North
  America
• Triangle between America, Europe and Africa
• 10 to 40 percent died in transit
• Many rebellions on ships were successful

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Triangle
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Slavery in the colonies

• South Carolina and Georgia
• Slightly better conditions than in other colonies
  more room, less control
• Seaboard region very flat, hot good for rice
  and indigo
• Plantation owners liked to get away from the
  heat, so has less interaction with slaves

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South Carolina and Georgia

• This neglect allowed Africans to preserve their
  original cultures
• Gullah language descended from West African
  languages, still spoken in pockets along the
  coast
• Many Africans knew how to grow rice and were good
  cattle farmers
• Family ties very strong, even if members of a
  family were missing
• Substitute kin for family members
• Found strength in each others company

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Virginia and Maryland

• Slavery established here first
• Slaves were a minority of the population
• (majority in the southern colonies)
• Slaves in Virginia were likely born in other
  colonies rather than Africa
• No rice, which took a lot of time more diverse
  tasks
• More contact with European population
• Less preservation of African culture

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Northern colonies

• 400,000 slaves in southern colonies by late 1700s
• 50,000 in northern colonies
• Economy more diverse in the north, less
  agricultural
• Slaves employed in households as cooks, servants
• Some became skilled at manufacturing

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Free Blacks

• Most African Americans in colonies were slaves
• Freedom was possible for some
• Permission from the legislature
• Some would have to leave the colony 6 months
  after being set free
• Some could purchase their own freedom, especially
  in the north

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Free Blacks

• Freed slaves did much of the same work that
  slaves did but were actually worse off
  economically
• Freed blacks faced open discrimination, and had
  no rights could not vote, testify in court
  against whites, or marry whites

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Slaves

• Colonies had various laws controlling slaves
• Slaves could not go aboard ship or leave town
  without a pass
• Could be accused of ridiculous crimes, such as
  owning hogs or carrying a cane
• Punishment was often swift and harsh

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