1. British North America

2. SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed.
a. Explain the development of mercantilism and the trans-Atlantic trade.
b. Describe the Middle Passage, growth of the African population, and African-American culture.
c. Identify Benjamin Franklin as a symbol of social mobility and individualism.
d. Explain the significance of the Great Awakening.

3. Mercantilism
a. Explain the development of mercantilism and the trans-Atlantic trade.

4. Mercantilism Economic System
Colonies exist for the good of the mother country
English colonies can only trade with England.
England
America

5. Mercantilism raw materials finished products Major goal: How?
Acquisition of gold and silver through favorable balance of trade
How?
Colonies exist to provide raw materials & markets
Import vs. Export
raw materials
finished products

6. Trans-Atlantic Trade Controlled by British
Navigation Acts (1660 & 1696):
Required colonists to buy British goods only
Raw materials were to be sold only to Britain
Manufacturing items in colonies was banned

7. The “Middle Passage”
b. Describe the Middle Passage, growth of the African population, and African-American culture.

8. Triangle Trade Trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas
What was traded?
Europe → Africa Finished Goods
Africa → Americas Slaves
Americas → Europe Raw Materials

9. “Middle Passage”

12. Growth of African Population
Grew quickly
Why?
English had taken over slave trade
No economic benefit to indentured servants
Easier to control
Remember…

13. African-American Culture
Different in each region
Some Common Themes:
Christianity
Encouraged by the Great Awakening
Music → Gospel
Unique languages: Gullah, Pidgin English
Merging of African & European cultures

14. Benjamin Franklin "If you would not be forgotten,
as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write things worth reading,
or do things worth the writing."
~ B. Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
c. Identify Benjamin Franklin as a symbol of social mobility and individualism.

15. -Henry Steele Commager (American Historian, 1902-1998)
Benjamin Franklin ( )
Distinctly American
Symbol of social mobility & individualism
"In Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat.“
-Henry Steele Commager (American Historian, )

16. Benjamin Franklin Scientist Inventor Statesman Printer Philosopher
Electricity
Charted the Gulf Stream
Scientist
Inventor
Statesman
Printer
Philosopher
Economist
Bifocals
Lightning Rod
Franklin Stove
“Founding Father”
Signed: Declaration, Constitution
Pennsylvania Gazette
Poor Richard's Almanack
1st Public Library in America
Quotes
Sayings
“American Dream”
Hard Work → wealth

17. Franklin as a symbol… Of Social Mobility
Born in Boston in 1706, 15th of 17 children
Age 12 – apprentice to brother (James) a printer
Ran away to Philadelphia
Worked odd jobs as printer/clerk
Founded a literary society
Founded Pennsylvania Gazette in 1728
Founded Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1733
Born poor
Hard work
Becomes successful!

18. How did Franklin become successful?
Franklin as a symbol…
Of individualism
WHY?
The "American Dream"
How did Franklin become successful?

19. d. Explain the significance of the Great Awakening.

20. The Great Awakening
Series of religious revivals that swept through America in the mid-1700’s
Major Figures:
Jonathan Edwards
George Whitefield

21. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) "There is nothing that keeps wicked men,
Preacher in Northampton, Massachusetts
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
One of the most famous sermons in American history
"There is nothing that keeps wicked men,
at any one moment, out of hell,
but the mere pleasure of God."

22. Excerpt from Sinners…
…Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock…

23. …And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God; many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are in now an happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him that has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing!

24. George Whitefield (1714-1770) The “Great Itinerant” Early Methodist
Precursor to circuit riders
Early Methodist
"Father Abraham, whom have you in heaven? Any Episcopalians? No! Any Presbyterians? No! Any Independents or Methodists? No, No No! Whom have you there? We don't know those names here. All who are here are Christians...Oh, is this the case? Then God help us to forget your party names and to become Christians in deed and truth."

25. Whitefield Preaching. Woodcut.

26. The Great Awakening Man chooses his path. God chooses man's path.
Major Emphasis:
Free will > Predestination
Democracy > Monarchy
Man chooses his path.
God chooses man's path.
Freedom
Not Free

27. More emotional than Puritan/Anglican services Appealed to poor/slaves
Significance
Growth of Baptist and Methodist churches in America -- Why?
Expanded education by the founding of new colleges, Princeton, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth.
Democratized religion
More emotional than Puritan/Anglican services Appealed to poor/slaves
Destroyed religious theocracy