Religion and Trade in Colonial America

1. Please pick up the Unit Test Preview sheet and take the first 5 minutes of class to complete and read it. Work on your own. You will also need your Thirteen Colonies chart, focus 5 sheet/map and the course binder rubric. We will: *preview the unit test *identify and evaluate the characteristics of the three major colonial regions *analyze the influence of religion and trade on colonial American society Religion and Trade in Colonial America

2. Colonial Regions • Take 8 minutes to write your response for Part III of Focus 5 • Write in the name of the region you would have preferred to live in and explain why in the space below • We’ll discuss your responses as a class when you finish; note that this information can help you with one of the unit test short essay questions

3. America’s Religious Diversity From the start, America became home to a variety of Judeo-Christian religious traditions: *Puritan beliefs dominated in New England, where congregationalism became the model for faith; Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers to serve in local churches *Quaker beliefs prevailed in Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn in 1681as a haven for religious tolerance *Roman Catholics found a haven in Maryland, which also passed the first Act for Religious Toleration in 1649 *Anglicans (members of the official Church of England) dominated the Southern colonies, where many wealthy gentry also served as church vestrymen (ex: George Washington)

4. Tolerance and Intolerance • Quakers preached a message of tolerance that appealed to the diverse groups who settled in the Middle Colonies • Jewish immigrants founded synagogues in such towns as Boston and Charles Town • Puritans tended to be the least tolerant of other faiths and exiled those who questioned Puritan leaders, such as Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, who were forced out of Massachusetts Bay and helped to found Rhode Island Illustration of Puritan leaders trying Anne Hutchinson for heresy in the 1630s – she dared to question the faith of Puritan leaders

5. How intolerant could the Puritans be? Mary Dyer, a converted Quaker, challenged Puritan laws and kept returning to Massachusetts Bay Colony to preach the Quaker message despite threats to her life. In 1660, Puritan authorities sentenced her to death and she was hanged on Boston Common

6. The Rise of Commerce While religion played a central role in New England life, trade became increasingly important by the late 1600s England’s government encouraged trade with the colonies as part of its mercantilist economic system – the colonies were limited to trading only with the “mother country” by the Navigation Acts but colonists grew wealthy from supplying raw materials like timber and tobacco in exchange for manufactured goods New England merchants grew increasingly wealthy from direct trade with England and the triangular trade: *rum sold to West Africa *slaves transported to the Caribbean *sugar (molasses) brought home to New England

7. The Salem Witch Hysteria • In addition to the rise of commerce, another factor helped to bring about the decline of Puritanism’s influence by the 1690s • As you listen to the story of this incident, think about what the possible causes could have been: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbFDBrOlE9k • What would have been the impact of this incident on New England colonists and their views of the Puritan leadership?

8. The Great Awakening • As the colonies became more focused on commerce and wealth, a religious revival in the 1740s and 1750s aimed to correct that focus • Ministers such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield preached a message of repentance and salvation that appealed to many • The Great Awakening encouraged the growth of new religious denominations such as Baptists and Presbyterians (“democratized” religion) • It was also the first national event that affected all thirteen colonies and helped to promote a sense of cultural unity among the colonies George Whitfield was one of the leading preachers of the Great Awakening and attracted large audiences throughout the colonies

9. The Enlightenment • Even as Americans turned back to religion, many colonial leaders were also heavily influenced by the European Enlightenment that focused on the use of reason to better the individual and society • Benjamin Franklin emerged as the most famous American by the 1750s – he was known for his achievements as a self-made writer, publisher, inventor, scientist, civic activist, politician, and philosopher • He symbolized the influence of the Enlightenment and questioned the idea that any one faith had a monopoly on the truth; Deism became more popular

10. Before we leave… • On your index card, write the name of two students you would most like to work with on the first quarter exhibit and hand it to me as you leave • Don’t forget to study for the test and bring completed unit materials (with your binder check rubric) for our next class session • Remember to bring a blue or black ink pen and notebook paper with you to use with the test