Colonial America Review

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Colonial America Review

• Politics, Economics, and Society

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English Exploration

• Causes Economic necessity- mercantilism
• Military power- must counter growing empire of
  Spain, France and Portugal
• Effects British gain a foothold in New World at
  Jamestown, eventually along Atlantic seaboard

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Big Picture of English Exploration

• Early exploration was sanctioned by the King in
  hopes of gaining an empire to match Englands
  growing power on the seas, as well as gaining
  wealth similar to the Spanish expeditions of the
  South
• Soon becomes a haven for religious dissenters,
  poor, landless men (enclosure), wealthy merchants
  looking for more wealth and debtors

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Political Evolution of Colonial Era

• Early Colonial Set-up
• House of Burgesses-1619
• Mayflower Compact-1620
• Foundations of direct democracy
• New England Town Meetings
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut-1638
• First Written Constitution
• Dominion of New England
• Attempts at more control
• Shift to Royal Colonies as England wants more
  control
• Salutary Neglect after Glorious Revolution

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Southern Colonies

• Virginia
• 1607, Virginia Company of London, Gold!!
• Maryland
• 1634, Lord Baltimore, Haven for Catholics
• Carolinas
• 1663, Proprietors from Barbados, new cash crops
  for England
• Georgia
• 1732 James Olgethrope, buffer zone and haven for
  British debtors

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New England

• Massachusetts
• 1620, Puritans (Separatists and Puritans)
• Rhode Island
• 1636, Roger Williams, separation of church and
  state
• Connecticut
• 1636, Thomas Hooker, better farm land
• New Hampshire
• 1679, John Wheelwright, split from Mass, wants
  separation of church and state

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Middle

• New York
• 1664, Duke of York, gift from king (brother)
• New Jersey
• 1664, Gift from king to two friends
• Pennsylvania
• 1681, William Penn, Gift from King
• Delaware
• 1682, Granted to Penn Swedes and Dutch granted
  own representative government in 1702 from Penn

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Comparison of Evolution of Politics of Colonies

• New England
• Church Membership and voting
• Royal Colonies after fall of Dominion
• Conn and RI remain charter governments
• Middle
• Proprietary set-up- Penn and Delaware stay
• New Jersey, New York shift to Royal
• Chesapeake
• Shift to Royal Colony-1624
• Maryland retains Proprietary status
• Southern
• Proprietary set-up, shift to Royal 1700s

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Royal Colony Set-Up

• King
• Royal Governor
• (Appointment by King, oversaw trade, final
  approval on laws, dismiss colonial assembly)
• Colonial Council Colonial Assembly
• (Appointed by Gov, (Elected by
  Landowners
• Highest Court in Colony, Authority to
  Tax,
• Advisors to Governor) paid
  Governors salary)

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Big picture of Politics in Colonies

• Roots of self-government firmly established in
  initial set-up of government
• Colonies were able to form their own political
  identity as royal colonies were guaranteed the
  right to elective assemblies and English law was
  little enforced in colonies

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Comparison of Economic Systems in Colonies

• New England lumbering, fishing, ship-building,
  subsistence farming
• Middle Trade centers (NYC, Phili), breadbasket
  (wheat farming)
• Chesapeake Tobacco plantations
• Southern Rice, Indigo plantations

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Evolution of Economic Systems

• Economic control grows with Navigation Acts of
  1660s
• Not evenly enforced
• if not royal colony, could not force compliance

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Mercantilism

• Colonies are there to support the Mother Country
  (favorable balance of trade)
• Navigation Acts
• Products finished in England, enumerated goods
  must be sold only to England
• Triangular Trade
• Does not allow colonial manufacturing to develop
  in full
• Lack of skilled workmen, capital, inland
  transportation
• Does produce furniture, beaver hats

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Evolution of Economic Systems of Colonies

• Indentured Servitude/Slavery-young single men
  come to New World for economic opportunity
• Slavery moved to in Chesapeake with slowing of
  European Indentured Servants
• Tobacco is labor intensive
• Slavery present in Southern colonies from the
  beginning- Carolinas linked to Caribbean
• Always not enough labor for the amount of land to
  work
• Effect slave system is embedded in culture of
  the Chesapeake and Southern colonies

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Slavery Comparison

• Slavery in New England/Middle
• Shift from indentured servant to slave
• Educated to work in stores or on docks
• Religion leads to better treatment (no slaves for
  Quakers)
• Slavery in Chesapeake
• Shift from indentured servant to slaves
• 1 of every 8 people is a slave
• Work plantations
• Slavery in Southern
• Imported to colonies as slaves
• Slaves outnumber whites
• Work plantations

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Big Picture of Economic Systems in Colonies

• The Geography of regions influence the economic
  activities
• Mercantilism and Navigation Acts
• Hinder growth of American industries
• Triangle trade

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Society in the Colonies

• Religion/tradition is the major factor that
  determines social roles
• Women-subservient to the husband
• Slave- subservient to the master
• Father/Husband- protector of women and children
• Children- subservient to the father
• Family- large, used to work for the family
• American self-reliant, individualism, optimism

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Education

• Must be educated in New England to read the Bible
  for salvation
• Better educated than most of Europe
• Varies from colony to colony
• High literacy rates
• Harvard- est. 1636

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Big Picture of Society in Colonies

• Religion dictates social structure
• Education is very important, especially in the
  New England colonies
• Population growth is rapid due to immigration and
  natural increase
• Unity grows in a sense of being American, but
  does not extend to politics

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Evolution of Religion in Colonies

• NE founded by Puritans
• Covenant of Works/Predestination effects all
  aspects of life
• Effects- extremely devout had lasting
  implications on society, politics and economy
• Least democratic region, voting rights only as a
  church member
• Caused conformity
• Gender Roles in society harshly defined

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Conformity of Religion

• Roger Williams separation of church and state,
  King has no right to give away land that belonged
  to natives, freedom of religion
• Anne Hutchinson Believed in Covenant of Grace,
  not Covenant of Works toted by most Puritan
  ministers, preached in home that one could
  communicate directly with God, makes church as an
  institution less important

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Evolution of Religion

• Halfway Covenant
• Shift in importance with forced Religious
  toleration and voting changes post 1690
• Glorious Revolution!
• Salem Witch Trials, Great Awakening in response
  to loss of purpose and devoutness

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Religion in Chesapeake

• Maryland- Act of Toleration-1649
• Settlement is motivated by wealth
• Headright System
• Settlement by singles, little inducement for
  devoutness

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Quakers

• Persecution in New England
• William Penn in 1681
• Follow Quaker laws, but you do not have to be
  Quaker
• Fair Treatment of Native Americans
• No slaves

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Big Picture of Culture in Colonies

• Most colonies had a state supported church
• Tolerance grew over the 1600s as more religious
  groups find the New World a haven for religious
  freedom
• Salem Witch Trials- showing the decline in
  Puritan ideals
• Great Awakening is attempt to regain Puritan
  ideals from founding

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Questions for Discussion

• To what extent had the colonists developed a
  sense of their own identity by the eve of the
  Revolution?
• To what extent had the colonists developed a
  sense of unity as Americans by the eve of the
  Revolution?

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• Analyze the extent to which religious freedom
  existed in the British North American Colonies
  prior to 1700.
• How did the economic, geographic, and social
  factors encourage the growth of slavery as an
  important part of the colonies between 1607-1750.