The evolution of Colonial north America

1. The evolution of Colonial north America

2. Mercantilism Economic policy stating colonies exist only for the good of the mother country. As countries sought wealth, colonies served as… Source for raw materials Market for finished products Producer of goods to sell elsewhere

4. Why Rum? • Sailors regularly died of scurvy and drank beer or wine to prevent it • As distillation processes advanced, entrepreneurs in the West Indies started tinkering with ways to distill the excess sugar they produced, thus creating rum. • It proved to be very valuable as a trade commodity

5. EUROPE sugar, coffee, tobacco manufacturedgoods TRIANGULAR TRADE ROUTE 1 WEST INDIES AFRICA slaves NEW ENGLAND rum and other manufactured goods sugar, molasses TRIANGULAR TRADE ROUTE 2 WEST INDIES AFRICA slaves Trans-Atlantic Trade

6. Navigation Acts (1651)

7. So… How could the Navigation Acts actually be a good thing for the colonies?

8. Crackdown on Mass • King Charles II believed the leaders in Massachusetts were to blame for smuggling • In 1684, England revoked the colony’s corporate charter, forcing the “Puritan Utopia” under strict control of the crown. • In 1685, King James II enhanced the problems by uniting all of New England into one vast colony called the “Dominion of New England” under Sir Edmund Andros who immediately restricted local assemblies and levied new taxes

9. Glorious Revolution William & Mary The Rise of Parliament • The G.R. led to the end of the Dominion of New England • Parliament restored the original status of the various colonies affected • Changes to Massachusetts’ Charter • King would appoint the governor • Religious tolerance was required • More non-Puritan representation in the colonial assembly was required

10. Salutary Neglect • England strengthened the “letter of the law” in the Navigation Acts • However at the same time they loosened their enforcement of those same laws • Impact of Salutary Neglect • Crown appointed governors really had little power without the approval of the elected assemblies • This relaxation of Crown control encouraged a feeling of power and self-determination for the colonists

11. Life in the South

12. Southern Self-Sufficiency • Plantations took the place of towns in the South • Most plantations were able to produce everything they needed and therefore had no use for shops and markets. • Navigable rivers also allowed for direct shipment of goods

13. Two Distinct Regions Piedmont Tidewater • Along the frontier • Tended to be less affluent • Most lived on small farms, trapped, and hunted wild game. • Area close to water transportation • Cash crop agriculture • Large plantations that used a lot of forced labor

14. Indentured Servants • Low on the social ladder and many died before their period of bondage was done. • Toward the end of the 17th century, the flow of indentured servants declined sharply.

15. Plantation Life • Several countries colonized the Caribbean in the 1600s and established sugar & tobacco plantations • They needed a lot of labor – thus initiated the Atlantic slave trade • The Southern colonies also developed a cash crop agrarian economy (tobacco, indigo, cotton) that required a lot of labor and later turned to African slavery as well

16. Why Enslave Africans? • Difficult if not impossible to enslave Indians • Whites tended to feel culturally superior to Africans • Distance to America made them feel disconnected with their homeland

17. Middle passage

18. Slave Auctions • Slaves were better fed as they approached the New World to make them more saleable. • Bodies were oiled down to make their skin look healthy, and hot tar would be used to fill in “imperfections” such as scars from beatings and whippings onboard the slave ships • Slaves then sold at auction

19. Life in the North

20. Middle Colonies • Called the breadbasket of the colonies because of the large amount of grain they produced • Forests provided raw materials for ship building and lumber • Some estates were similar to southern plantations but relied on more on free labor and indentured servants rather than slaves. However over time slavery did expand into the area and racial prejudices existed against both free blacks and slaves.

21. Urban Life • The soil wasn’t fertile enough for cash crops and had a short growing season. • Developed a very diversified economy and merchants grew in power as time went by

22. Salem Witch Trials

23. Timeline • Winter, 1691-early 1692: First evidence of “witchcraft” reported when several women displayed “abnormal” behavior • March 1, 1692: First women arrested for witchcraft, and jailed • May, 1692: Colonial Governor Phips arrived to initiate “Court of Oyer and Terminer” • Summer, 1692: Trials held and all accused were convicted. Nineteen were hanged, one executed by being crushed by the weight of stones • Six of the executed were men; most of the rest were poor women past childbearing age. Included in those executed were a minister, a constable who refused to arrest more suspected witches, and at least three wealthy people. • January, 1693: Trials end when several Boston-area ministers (including Increase Mather) appeal to Salem residents to end the trials.

24. Case of Giles Corey Corey, accused of being a wizard, did not enter a plea, many believe because the state would have confiscated his property if found guilty. He was convicted of witchcraft and due to his plea refusal was sentenced to die by pressing weight on him to suffocate him. As the stones were piled on him, he was asked if he wished to enter a plea, his reply was “More weight”. Two days later he died.

25. Impact of the Trials • Many residents who could fled Salem before they were accused • The local economy suffered as crops and livestock went untended. Commerce also suffered as many stopped business to watch the trials and hangings • The Puritans lost much of their influence in New England because of the nature of the accusations and trials • Because of the case of Giles Corey, the institution of “innocent until proven guilty” became part of the American judicial system

26. Enlightenment

27. Reliance on Reason John Locke Baron de Montesquieu • Believed the scientific method could be applied to the study of society • Man is tabula rasa • Natural Rights: Life, liberty & property • applied observation, experimentation, and analysis to the social &political foundations • Power should be a check to power

28. Ben Franklin • Embraced notion of truth through experimentation and reason. • Published “Poor Richard’s Almanac” from 1732 – 1758 which was a best selling pamphlet • Also an inventor and statesman

29. The Great Awakening • Some Puritans had moved away from the original Puritan ideal and were beginning to seek material comforts. Puritan church attendance declined • Some Puritan clergy, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, sought to restore the original Puritan ideal and increase church attendance • The Great Awakening also targeted African Americans and Native Americans

30. The Great Awakening Jonathan Edwards George Whitefield

31. Similarities and differences between the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening • The Enlightenment sought to use scientific methods to explain natural phenomena as something beyond an “act of God” • The Great Awakening saw the Puritan ideal in decay and sought to return people back to a religious life • The Enlightenment supported reason; the Great Awakening supported emotionalism and religious faith • However, both groups caused people to question traditional authority and practice. They both also highlighted the importance of the individual over the authority of the government or church authority.