REVIEW OF COLONIALISM Unit 1: Government, Citizenship, and American Revolution Notes

I. American Colonies Settlement Why did the English settle in America? –Religious freedom, possible wealth, land, adventure (God, Gold, Glory) –Britain’s policy of MERCANTILISM: Economic policy where a country’s power is determined by its wealth (Power = Money); to get wealth, nations set up colonies to export products from and sell goods to What problems did they face? –Clear the land, weather, disease, starvation, Native Americans, fighting other countries (France/Spain) over territory

II. Colonial Politics First permanent English colony: –Jamestown, Virginia - settled in 1607 –Virginia became a REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY (elect people to represent citizens in government) with the “Virginia House of Burgesses The Mayflower –Pilgrims (some of them were Puritan by religion) settled in Massachusetts in 1620 –They all signed the “Mayflower Compact”, which said they would all agree to follow the established government in the colony –This was the FIRST WRITTEN FRAMEWORK OF SELF- GOVERNMENT in the colonies and an example of DIRECT DEMOCRACY (all people met, debated, and voted on issues)

Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Connecticut Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey North Carolina *NEW ENGLAND COLONIES IN RED *MIDDLE COLONIES IN BLUE *SOUTHERN COLONIES IN GREEN New York South Carolina Georgia Virginia Delaware

III. Colonial Economics Great Britain settled America based on the idea of MERCANTILISM (they could use the colonies to make money) Geography and climate significantly impacted the economics of the colonies New England Colonies were prosperous due to some farming, fishing, shipbuilding, and eventually, manufacturing goods Middle Colonies were prosperous due to some farming, fishing, and shipbuilding Southern Colonies were prosperous due to plantation farming and the use of free slave labor to sell “cash crops” such as tobacco, sugar, rice, and cotton to Europe

The Triangular Trade Route: Trade of goods between Europe, Africa, and the Americas (strongly supported the continuation of slavery) AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE Plantation Products: Molasses, cotton, rice, tobacco Manufactured goods: Rum, guns Slaves

IV. Importance of Religion in the Colonies Many Europeans left for the Americas in search of religious freedom (or to worship their way freely… Salem Witch Trials) Religious beliefs shaped colonial society and government (Quakers in Pennsylvania were against slavery) Generally, tolerance of other Christian groups continued to grow as America prospered (Maryland’s Act of Toleration in 1949)

V. Ideas English Colonists Brought To The Americas MAGNA CARTA : Signed by King John of England in 1215, this document gave rights to the people of England and limited the power of their king. This document included equal treatment under the law for all. THE ENLIGHTENMENT: From the 1600s-1800s, Europeans began to question the authority of their governments (kings). *John Locke supported: -THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY: The government gets its consent to rule FROM its citizens. -NATURAL RIGHTS: Everyone has certain rights to be protected (life, liberty, happiness) *Baron de Montesquieu supported: -THE SEPARATION OF POWERS: Government power doesn’t come from just one person or group. *Jean-Jacques Rousseau supported: -The Social Contract Theory, but that government existed to protect the rights of its citizens *Thomas Hobbes supported: -The need for a government and thought monarchies were the best form

REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT BY A LEGISLATURE (group who makes laws): The English Parliament made the laws of England and was the most powerful arm of the English government in the 1600s. Members of Parliament were elected by the people (Representative Democracy). GUARANTEE CITIZENS’ RIGHTS: The English Bill of Rights, written in 1689, required kings to seek the consent of Parliament before making changes that impacted the people. CONSISTENCY OF LAWS IN GOVERNMENT: The English government was based on COMMON LAW, a system of law “based on precedent and customs”. England’s system of common law remains today.

VI. All Good Things Must Come To An End… To ensure English colonies’ prosperity, England’s Parliament passed the Navigation Acts in the 1600s, requiring colonists to trade ONLY with England. In the 1600s and first half of the 1700s, both England and English colonists in America were prosperous, largely due to England’s policy of Salutary Neglect (“beneficial neglect”), in which Parliament didn’t strictly enforce the Navigation Acts (it was too expensive)

Then, from , England fought and defeated France in the “French and Indian War”. The war was over territorial control over the Americas. Wars are expensive, and because MERCANTILISM was the driving force behind England’s settlement of the Americas, the English government chose to strictly re-enforce the Navigation Acts and levy taxes against the colonists to help pay for the war.

Question: How are the colonists going to respond – follow the laws of their country or protest?