English Colonial Expansion Section 3

 After Columbus sails from Spain in 1492, King Henry VII of England enters contest for American colonies.  John Cabot: explored the coasts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and possibly New England.  Gave England first claim in North America.

 Sea Dogs: an adventurous group of English sea captains.  Included Sir John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh.  They challenged Portuguese and Spain monopolies of sea trade.  Sir Francis Drake sailed west from England across Atlantic ocean.  Continued around South America to west coast of North America.  Crosses then crossed Pacific and Indian Oceans, rounded South Africa, and returned to England. (1 st English sea captain to sail around the globe).  They were best known for plundering foreign ships.  Angered King Philip II of Spain  Philip protests to Queen Elizabeth  Queen Elizabeth supports Sea Dogs.  Sea dogs help defeat Spanish Armada.

British in India  British East India Company: trading group that Queen Elizabeth I grants a charter to. This group over 260 years:  Build and expand overseas trade w/out gaining territory.  Set up trading posts in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras in India.  Shaped and applied Britain’s colonial and commercial policies.  Only dealt with local rulers which they would win their support by:  Helped those who were weak  Used force without hesitation  Bribery

 Mid 1700’s, British East India Company established trading posts in Malaya and East Indies, as well as India.  Increasing contact and conflict with French traders who had built similar company.  Rivalry led to open conflict  Company became dominant European trade interest in India.  Extremely powerful and wealthy  Strong support in Parliament.

British in America  Slow to establish in North America  Explored to find the Northwest passage.  Henry Hudson: one of first to search for Northwest Passage.  Sailed on behalf of Dutch. Charted much of coast of eastern North America and explored river that is named after him.  Next year, on behalf of the English. Explored bay in the northern Canada also named after him.

British Settlements  British settled along eastern coast of North America  Private companies and individuals founded first colonial settlements.  1607: established Jamestown, in what is now Virginia.  First permanent English settlement in North America.  1620: settlers founded Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts.  Reasons for settling:  Greater political or religious freedom  Better lives for their families  English brought slaves which was Popular in Southern colonies and West Indies.  Colonies ruled from home country  Some sort of representative assembly

Mercantilism and the British Colonies  Mercantilism: colonies existed for the economic benefit of home country.  To become wealthy, must export more goods than it imported  Parliament passed laws to enforce policy beginning in 1650’s.  Colonists to sell certain products only to Britain.  Discouraged colonists from manufacturing their own goods.  Colonists resented British trade regulations:  avoided paying taxes whenever they could  Smuggling became respectable occupation  British government did not try hard to enforce trade restrictions.

The Enlightenment Section 4

Crusaders of the Enlightenment  1700’s: Age of Enlightenment: apply scientific method and use reason to explain human nature logically.  Rationalism: truth can be determined solely by logical thinking.  Thinkers of the Enlightenment:  Believed in natural law  Objects in nature were expected To act in ways that were predictable.  God created world and natural living things.  Live in harmony, people must live Natural law  Secularism: view that downplayed importance of religion.  Individualism and Secularism would effect views of separation of church and state in government.

 Philosophes: Thinkers of the Enlightenment  Not only philosophers, but critics of society.  Wrote to one another and published books, plays, pamphlets, and newspapers.  Encyclopedia: handbook describing the ideas of the Enlightenment that became the most famous publication of the period.  Denis Diderot: He and co-editor Jean d’ Alembert published first edition in 28 volumes.  Leading philosophers contributed to articles covering everything in society.  Criticized the church, government, Slave trade, torture, taxes, and war.  Diderot imprisoned for works  Encyclopedia spread through Europe.

Political Criticism  Baron de Montesquieu: published “The Spirit of the Laws”  Described the perfect government  Stated that Britain had the best  Strength: Three govt. branches Balance of power (Influence of U.S.)  Voltaire: exemplified the spirit of Enlightenment  Wrote stinging satires on French Monarchy, nobility, and religious Controls on Churhc.  Critical on intolerance and attempts To supress freedoms  Wrote “Philosophical Letters”  Gave credit to British political system.  Wrote “Candide”  Ridiculed prejudice, bigotry, and oppressive government.  Became champion of religious freedom and freedom of thought.

 Jean Jacques Rousseau: published “The Social Contract.”  People are naturally good, but education, environment, and laws corrupt them. People could only preserve their own state by choosing own government.  Popular Soverignty: Government must be controlled and created by the people.  Most philosophers favored Enlightened Depotism: absolute monarch would rule, but according to principles of Enlightenment.  Mary Wollstonecraft: early spokesperson for women’s rights.  Ideals of equality should be extended to women as well as men.