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Let’s Celebrate!. Celebrate Freedom Week 2012: Mercantilism and the Colonies. Our First Settlement. 1607- Jamestown, Virginia First permanent English settlement after many failed attempts, such as Roanoke Established by the Virginia company (entrepreneurs) Named for King James I
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Let’s Celebrate! Celebrate Freedom Week 2012: Mercantilism and the Colonies
Our First Settlement • 1607- Jamestown, Virginia • First permanent English settlement after many failed attempts, such as Roanoke • Established by the Virginia company (entrepreneurs) • Named for King James I • England was in a power race between Spain, Portugal and the French. They all desired land for prestige, wealth and new economic markets
Problems With Jamestown • The colonists thought the area was great strategic point for defense but soon found out it…. • Was swampy • Isolated • Infested with mosquitoes • Contained undrinkable water • Lack of supplies • Could not grow food How do you think all of this affected early settlement for the colonists?
Colonies Colony- a territory under the immediate political control of a state. 13 original colonies- Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island Over 90% of colonies were agricultural, with several small cities that were also seaports linking the colonial economy to the larger British Empire.
Mercantilism • Mercantilism was the basic policy imposed by Britain on its colonies • To increase British revenue (money), the colonies were only allowed to buy and sell with the Mother, Country, England. This helped to ensure profit and reduce/erase competition • Many Americans turned to smuggling imports • Great Britain needed new raw materials, and they ensured that they would have a readily available market
Mercantilism continued Physical Factors Human Factors Cultural or ethnic conflict Population Political agreements Economic agreements Trade policies • Control of and access to natural resources and water • Transportation routes • Shared resources
Navigation Acts (Townsend Acts) • The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws that restricted the use of foreign shipping for trade between England • Irritation with stricter enforcement under the Sugar Act of 1764 became one source of resentment by merchants in the American colonies against Great Britain, helping cause the American Revolution. • NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
How Geography Influenced, Settled and Shaped our Country • Distance- Great Britain and the colonies were a whole ocean away (Atlantic). Communication was difficult and hard to maintain. This distance allowed colonists to develop an independent spirit • Environment- Colonists dealt with harsh weather but through adaptations and modifications, the economy flourished. • Regional Climate- The south thrived on agriculture and cash crops like cotton and tobacco and the north thrived on industry and manufacturing.