American History
Ch 4 Outline
I. Economic Development of the Colonies
all trade in the British Empire had to be in English or colonial ships with English crews -> rapid growth of English merchant marine and New England shipping industry
1. Colonial goods ( tobacco, sugar, indigo, cotton, rice) could only be shipped to England or English colonies
2. Required European products to go thru England (levied taxes) before shipment to colonies -> English products were cheaper
3. Gave England more control of colonial raw materials
4. Prohibited colonists from manufacturing certain items that would compete with English products
C. Colonial Products
1. Sugar – most valuable crop
*Molasses Act – taxed products from foreign
markets
2. Tobacco - 2nd most valuable crop
3. Wheat - Middle Colonies
4. Shipping
Industry – colonies dominated ship building and
eventually shipping;
-
strong trade link to West Indies: rum, slaves,
molasses
D. Imports v. Exports
1. Imports:
leather cloth, glassware, pottery, nails, lead shot,
beaver hats refined sugar, brass, copper
2. Trade
Imbalance – colonists imported more than they
exported
3. Planters borrowed against crops -> if tobacco prices dropped or war made shipping difficult, credits called in their loans
II. Culture
A. 17 Century – colonists bought little
- accumulated land
B. 18th Century – prosperity and security -> comfortable living
- better homes
- personal cleanliness
- respectability
- women
educated in good manners, read, write ,
dance, music
- literacy rate higher among colonials than British
- inspired by scientific advances, human reasoning in understanding and directing events
- less emphasis on God
- Ben Franklin, Cotton Mather
- No effect on majority of American colonists who had no time to sit and think; when colonists read, they read the Bible
- churches dominate feature of colonial society
A. Puritan – established religion of New England, except RI
- Halfway covenant
- allowed adults who had been baptized
(w/out conversion) to have their children
baptized
- boosted church attendance and
membership
B. Church of England – southern colonies
- little control – plantations too far apart
C. Middle
colonies – no established church; Quakers,
Lutherans, Mennonites
D. Great Awakening
Lasting impacts
1. new communication between colonies
and Gt. Britain
2. establishment of new colleges
3. urged colonists to think for themselves
4. greater political awareness and
participation by colonials
1. George Whitfield – Anglican priest
- powerful preacher
- encouraged self examination
- emphasized spiritual awareness not works
2. Baptist grew in the South: plain dressed, no drinking, no gambling, critized pride
III. Politics
A. First steps of England’s attempts to control Colonial politics
1.proprietary land grants
2.regulation of colonial trade
ie- navigation acts, enumerated products
3. Lords of
Trade – a committee to oversee colonial
affairs
4. governors appointed not elected
5. Vice admiralty
courts – judges to settle maritime
disputes/no jury
- an attempt to control colonial trade
B. Salem Witch Trials
- occurred during a
period of political, religious
confusion; hard winters, smallpox epidemics
- colonists believed in
witches and supernatural
powers
- local girls became
ill and started having fits –
accused 3 women of witchcraft
- 22 accused; 19 people were hanged
- no legal courts to stop madness
C. Glorious Revolution – bloodless coup to overthrow Catholic King James of England,
replaced by William and Mary
- religious toleration extended to all Protestants
- ended Puritan control in New England
- led to restoration of
political stability and English
Bill of Rights
D. English Bill of Rights
- monarchs must follow law
- could not reverse laws passed by Parliament
- could not collect
taxes or engage in war w/out
Parliament consent
- Parliament would meet on regular basis
- did not recognize colonial assemblies
*colonists
viewed their loyalty to crown as
voluntary
E. New York governor – Jacob Leisler
- persecuted people for personal reasons
- arrested for treason and executed
F. Semi-neglect of colonial affairs allowed collies to:
1. gain wealth
2. growing population
3. development of self government
4. encouraged self confidence
5. assumed equality to English subjects
G. English government - - Virtual Representation – representation nation as a
whole
1. English monarch – represented royal family
2. House of Lords – rep. aristocracy “upper class’
3. House of Commons – rep. common people
H. Colonial Government – Actual
Representation –
representatives elected and reflect view of local
interests
1. no aristocracy
2. land ownership
required to vote: 50 – 75% of
white men owned land -> greater voter
participation
3. assemblies held purse strings
4. sent lobbyist to England: Ben Franklin
5. *assumed allegiance to England was voluntary
IV. Century of Warfare - financed by borrowing from joint stock
companies; debt grew with each war
A. King Williams War (War of League of Augsburg)
B. Queen Anne’s War ( War of Spanish Succession)
C. King George’s War ( War of Austrian Succession)
D. French and Indian War (Seven Years War)
- Fought for control of Ohio Valley
1. Albany Congress - called for coordinated efforts
in defense, taxes, and Indian affairs; colonies
couldn't agree
2. Phase I - French dominated with gorilla warfare
3. Phase II - French led by Montcalm turned to
European style warfare (destroyed their
advantage) --> British & Colonial victories
a. William Pitt - key to British success
- restored Colonial morale
- gave Colonials say in war effort
b. British captured and blew up Ft. Duquesne
- beginning of end for French
4. Two things decided the outcome of French
and Indian War
a. Battle of Quiberon Bay in France; destroyed
French navy ability to operate on Atlantic
b. Iroquois allied with Anglo-American forces
5. Treaty of Paris -
a. gave West Indies back to France
b. England gained all land east of Mississippi
except New Orleans
c. returned Cuba & Philippines to Spain