Chapter Four

1. Chapter Four The population of the thirteen colonies expanded dramatically in the 1700s. Why? What was the Transportation Act and how did it affect “immigration” to the colonies? Who were the Scots-Irish? Why did the migrate to the colonies? What type of welcome did they receive? Describe the movement of Germans to the American colonies. Which groups migrated, where did they go and why? How did these new ethnic groups get along with each other and the English settlers who lived near them? Describe the situation in which many of the eastern native groups found themselves as the 1700s began.

2. What was the “middle ground”? What was the Spanish attitude toward its northern possessions during much of the late 17th and early 18th centuries? How much of the colonial population lived in the largest cities? What cultural and economic roles did the cities play in colonial life? What are the possible socio-economic implications of these roles on the colonies? How did the “American Enlightenment” differ from the French Enlightenment”? Who was Benjamin Franklin? Why is he featured so prominently in this section of the text? How did the colonial economy perform during the first half of the 18th century? Why?

3. What were the Molasses Act (aka Sugar Act), hat and Felt Act, and the Iron Act? How strict was their enforcement? How important was trade with the islands of the Caribbean to the colonial merchants and consumers? What is a trade deficit and why did the American colonies experience one as the 1700s progressed? How did the availability of credit affect American consumers? What level of significance did intercoastal trade play in the American economy? How did shifting patterns in trade affect American culture? What was the “Great Awakening”? What impact did the Awakening have on colonial society? How was/is the English constitution constructed? How did the theoretical practice of government differ from the actual practice of English government in the 1700s? Who were the “Commonwealthmen” and what was their message?

4. How did colonial governments mirror English government? How did they differ? What type of people were often appointed as colonial governors? Why have some historians referred to the first half of the 18th century in America as the “rise of the assemblies”? What was the most important power the colonial assemblies possessed? Why is the tale of Alexander Spotswood worth noting? What role did the weekly newspaper/journal play in the political discourse of colonial America? How did the growth of political life contribute to the growth of a common American culture? Did France or Britain have the military advantage in North America? How did King William’s War and Queen Anne’s War affect the colonies? What suspicions did each side harbour about the other? How did Cape Breton play a role in shaping colonial attitudes toward European imperial wars?

5. Why did the governor of Virginia send George Washington into the wilderness? What was the “Albany Plan”? How did General Braddock’s attempt to seize Fort Duquesne turn out? Who was William Pitt and what was his plan to win the Seven Years’ War? What were the results of the war?