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The Colonies Mature: Government, Economy, and Culture of Colonial America in the 18 th Century

The Colonies Mature: Government, Economy, and Culture of Colonial America in the 18 th Century. Chapter 5. Colonial Government. 3 types of colonies: Corporate, Royal, Proprietary Corporate/self governing= company/group of people (Virginia / Massachusetts for a while)

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The Colonies Mature: Government, Economy, and Culture of Colonial America in the 18 th Century

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  1. The Colonies Mature: Government, Economy, and Culture of Colonial America in the 18th Century Chapter 5

  2. Colonial Government • 3 types of colonies: Corporate, Royal, Proprietary • Corporate/self governing=company/group of people (Virginia / Massachusetts for a while) • Royal=owned by the king (New York) • Proprietary=belonged to one individual (PA) • All colonies had representative government (House of Burgesses 1619) • Assembly elected by the people—controlled taxes made most laws • Governor/Upper house appointed by the King—ran day to day affairs of colony represented the King (assembly controlled their salary)

  3. Colonies Mature: Growth of Trade/Backcoutnry • Backcountry=area away from the coast (the frontier) • Poorer people, less settled, more of a mix of Indian and European • Felt slighted by the elites close to the coast (Bacon’s Rebellion) • Trade: Shipping centered in New England • All the colonies participated in trade (Atlantic Economy) • Trade between colonies and England and other European countries • Trade between colonies and Africa/Caribbean (triangle trade)

  4. 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

  5. Examples of Mercantilism: Navigation Acts • Navigation Acts of 1650—all trade had to be conducted on English (or American) vessels • Navigation Acts of 1660—Ship crews had to be ¾ English (or American) certain products (tobacco, sugar, etc) could only be shipped to England • Navigation Acts of 1663—Certain goods that were being shipped to the colonies from other countries had to be shipped to England first • Navigation Acts accepted in theory (English had a right to pass them) but defied in practice (smuggling) by the colonists • Efforts to stop smuggling would lead to problems. . . .

  6. 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 • Major political thinkers • Hobbes—state of nature • Locke—contract theory of government, natural rights • Voltaire—religious toleration • Montesquieu—three branches of government • Rousseau—social contract (democracy, sort of) • Reason and logic will be applied to almost every aspect of society—including religion

  7. Colonial Culture: Religion • Problems for religion in the 18th century • Religion was once king, not so much by the 1700’s • Materialism wore away at religious devotion • Salem Witch Trials • Half-Way Covenant • Enlightenment led people to become even less devoted • Deism—belief in God, but don’t believe in any one particular religion, God doesn’t take an active role in the daily happenings of the world (watchmaker God) • Stage was set for a religious revival: Great Awakening

  8. 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 • Big boost for more evangelical churches • Baptists • Colony-wide movement—helped set the stage for the Revolution?????

  9. Colonial Culture: Education • New England—each town had to have an elementary school (teach kids how to read the Bible) • No public education in the South • Most colleges affiliated with religious groups (train ministers) • Harvard/Yale—congregational • Brown—Baptist • William and Mary—Anglican • Dartmouth—missionary school for Indians • Princeton—Presbyterian • Penn—non-religious • Rutgers—Dutch Reformed

  10. 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% • Were the colonists beginning to view themselves as Americans rather than British? • How could this help lead to revolution? • What type of events help to lead to a sense of national identity?

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