1. Chapter 3: Colonial Life
The Big Picture: For more than 100 years, England’s colonies in America grew steadily. Over time, the colonies developed their own economies, political systems, traditions of local government, and sense of self-reliance. But as time wore on, serious strains between the colonists and Britain began to appear.

2. Chapter 3 Section 1: Political Life in the Colonies
Main Idea: British mercantilist policies and political issues helped shape the development of the American colonies.

3. Mercantilism
Mercantilism: a nation’s power is directly related to its wealth and its ability to maintain a favorable balance a trade (exports exceed imports)
the purpose of colonies was to advance mercantilism through supplying raw materials cheaply and serving as a market for the mother country
This will lead to the adoption of enormous trade restrictions which will stunt the growth and freedom of colonial business.

4. Navigation Acts: series laws to control colonial trade
Only certain goods could be sold in England
ships had to be British with British crew
all goods had to pass through England to be taxed
merchants had to pay taxes to tax collectors
The laws did increase revenue for England, but cost quite a bit to enforce
Colonists resented English interference with trade and began smuggling with other nations that offered them better prices and goods

5. The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights
The Dominion of New England
Under the Restoration, many Puritans in the New England colonies refused to recognize Charles II as their king
New England was also more likely to engage in smuggling and competition in industries like ironworks
To exert more control, the crown took over New Hampshire and then made Massachusetts a royal colony in 1684
When Charles II died, his brother James II came to the throne and created the Dominion of New England, a colony that included New Jersey, New England, and New York
Sir Edmund Andros was appointed governor; he treated the colonists like children

6. Glorious Revolution & Reaction
Catholic James II was unpopular in England too
1688- Parliament invited his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William to rule England
Power transferred peacefully (known as the Glorious Revolution)
Before being crowned, William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights placing limits on the power of the monarch and giving Parliament free speech and the power of taxation
In the colonies, Andros was arrested and sent back to England
The Dominion of New England was ended; Massachusetts remained a royal colony, but it and New York gained an elected assembly

7. Government in the Colonies
Steps to Self-Rule
Some colonists claimed the English Bill of Rights applied to them too, but that was not true
Some colonies like Massachusetts took small steps towards self-rule by coining its own money
1643: New England Federation was formed in which each member controlled its own internal affairs, but cooperated in other matters like defense
Neglect By England
Power shifted from the crown to Parliament with the Glorious Revolution; they focused on domestic issues and largely ignored the colonies (called salutary neglect)
There was a Board of Trade that handled colonial affairs, but they largely let colonial assemblies and governors take care of day-to-day governance

8. Colonial governments in the 1700s
New England used town meetings to handle colonial issues
Other colonies had a county or parish government; most colonists saw these local governments as a basic right
Most colonial assemblies were bicameral with an elected lower house and the governor’s council as the upper house (they were appointed like the governor)

9. Chapter 3 Section 2: The Colonial Economy
Main Idea: A commerce-based economy developed in the northern colonies, while the southern colonies developed an agricultural economy.

10. Northern Colonial Economies
Farming and Natural Resources
Soil in New England was thin and rocky with short growing seasons
Most colonists practiced subsistence farming: producing enough to feed their family only
Farming was more successful in the middle colonies where they focused on grain and livestock production
Major natural resource was timber used in the shipbuilding industry (major part of NC: where the nickname ‘Tarheel State’ comes from)
Shipbuilding had the single largest workforce
Whaling and fishing were also big industries

11. Industry, trade, and commerce
Colonial industry was not supposed to compete with English goods, but they were expensive, so colonists began making their own goods but industry remained small
Trade was more lucrative with ports in Boson, NYC and Philadelphia flourishing
Most famous trade route was the triangular trade between Africa (slaves), American islands (molasses), and England (rum)
Middle Passage: journey made by slaves transported from West Africa to the West Indies
Trade was more complex than the simple ‘triangle’ with many markets and goods being shipped across the Atlantic

12. Triangular Trade and Middle Passage

13. Southern Colonial Economies
The Plantation System
Southern colonies focused on cash crops: products grown to be sold; they included tobacco, indigo, and rice
NC in particular focused on tobacco and naval stores (rope, tar, turpentine)
As tobacco grew in importance, it led to the development of the plantation system in VA and MD (large farm focused on one crop with a large unskilled workforce- usually slave)
Most farms had workforces of less than 30 (plantations were rare)

14. Rice, Indigo, and small farms
Rice and indigo flourished in SC
Cultivating rice was done in swampy fields, which made it difficult and dangerous (mosquito-born illness)
It was done almost exclusively with slave labor, especially since rice cultivation had been done in West Africa
Indigo was a blue dye used in military uniforms and men’s coats
Plantations formed the basis of the Southern economy but most Southerners were small famers called yeoman who grew smaller scale crops (tobacco, corn, wheat, vegetables) and may own 1-2 slaves

15. The Impact of Slavery The African Slave Trade
By the 1600s, attempts to enslave Native Americans and the use of indentured servants were abandoned to focus on African slavery
Most slaves were sent to the Caribbean and South America (only 5% came to North America)
Conditions on slave ships were horrific (people were packed into tight spaces with no food, water, or bathroom)
Most increase in slave numbers in America came through birth (1760: 250,000 slave in America)
In the North, numbers were small and concentrated in cities
In the South, numbers were larger and concentrated on plantations (actually outnumbered whites in SC by mid 1700s)

16. Continuing and Resisting Slavery
Most American colonists felt they were superior to Africans and slavery was seen to be life-long; children born to slaves were automatically slaves
Some were able to earn money to buy their freedom, but this was rare (usually only an option for skilled workers)
Slavery was cheaper than hiring servants and was justified through the existence of slavery in Africa
Slaves were portrayed as happy servants but often engaged in revolt and sabotage
Largest slave revolt of the colonial era was the Stono Rebellion: 1739, 100 slaves in SC seized weapons and killed several before being captured

17. Chapter 3 Section 3: America’s Emerging Culture
Main Idea: Enlightenment ideas and the Great Awakening brought new ways of thinking to the colonists, and a unique American culture developed.

18. The Enlightenment and the American Colonies
Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution
Enlightenment: philosophical movement that focused on a search for knowledge and the use of reason
Scientific Revolution: use of the scientific method to observe and experiment with the natural world
Newton discovers several laws of gravity and Linnaeus develops a method for classifying plants and animals
Thinkers wanted to transfer the scientific method approach to other aspects of life like society, law and government

19. The Enlightenment in Europe and America
John Locke writes Two Treatises of Government (1690) arguing that all people have natural rights, that a government is bound to protect (life, liberty, property)
He claimed that people entered a social contract with their government and that if the government did not protect their rights, the people had the right to revolution
Montesquieu proposed dividing government into branches to prevent abuse of power
The colonies were influenced by Locke believing their rights should be protected by the king
Thomas Jefferson was deeply influenced by Locke and would include many of his ideas when writing the Declaration of Independence.

20. The Great Awakening Changes in Religious Attitudes
Many Enlightenment thinkers were deists: they believed in God but not traditional Christianity
Christianity taught that humans were basically sinful, but Enlightenment argued that people were basically good
Puritans became concerned at a decline in religious participation and fervor and an increased focus on material wealth

21. A revival of religion
To bring people back to the church, clergy launched the Great Awakening in the 1720s and 30s in New England
Jonathan Edwards was a revival preacher who used reason and rational thought to emphasize a personal relationship with God and the coming suffering for those who did not accept Christ (‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’)
George Whitfield was a traveling preacher who held open-air meetings to appeal to emotion and emphasizing God’s love
Church membership increased, linked colonies together and encouraged the creation of Princeton, Brown, Rutgers, and Dartmouth Colleges

22. The Colonies Become More Diverse
Non-English Colonists
New York and Pennsylvania were very diverse
Early 1700s, Scots and Scots-Irish emigrated to the middle colonies and the Carolinas (tended to be Presbyterian and distrust the English government)
Religious unrest led to large numbers of German, Jewish, and Huguenot (from France) immigrants
Many German immigrants were skilled artisans who settled in cities and ran farms
The New American
Crevecoeur claimed in Letters from an American Farmer that coming to America made immigrants new people, not merely Europeans living in America

23. Life in Colonial America
Cities and Popular Culture
Cities were centers of culture with libraries, plays, concerts, and mail services
Life was easier for women in cities than in rural areas (usually ran homes and had more time for writing letters and reading)
Work was done in social setting (quilting bees, barn raisings)
Visiting neighbors for music, dancing and talk was common in all of the colonies

24. Communications and African-American Culture
Printers served as publishers for newspapers, books, and pamphlets
Benjamin Franklin improved the mail system to encourage the flow of printed ideas
Newspapers were the most popular and common way to spread ideas and news throughout the colonies
many were careful not to disagree with royal officials, but some were bolder
John Peter Zenger: (1764) was arrested for criticizing the governor of NY in his paper
won his case in a big victory for freedom of the press
Enslaved Africans developed their own culture, especially on plantations, based on oral tradition and Christian beliefs

25. Chapter 3 Section 4: The French and Indian War
Main Idea: The French and Indian War established British dominance in North America but put a strain on the relationship with the colonists.

26. France in North America
first permanent settlers from France were fur traders in Quebec
They also claimed the Mississippi River basin and named it Louisiana after King Louis XIV
France developed alliances with the Algonquians and Hurons and helped fight their enemy, the Iroquois Mohawks
They had forts and outposts throughout the interior
France and England form alliances with Native Americans
The power struggle between the 2 nations and their allies meant constant battles along the frontier of the colonies

27. Spain and England Clash
Spain and England clash over control of La Florida (includes modern GA and parts of SC)
English settlers push further south expanding plantations
By 1700, Spanish control was centered around St. Augustine and Pensacola

28. The French and Indian War
Iroquois League
Native Americans fought on both sides; the Iroquois League sided with the British (6 united tribes centered around New York)
The league had a constitution and council of leaders
Their unity allowed them to resist European takeover
Although most NE natives allied with the French, the league still saw Europeans as enemies
Lasted from between France and Britain over control of North America (part of the larger Seven Years’ War in Europe)

29. The Albany Plan
Fighting breaks out over control of Fort Duquesne; George Washington and his militia are unable to take the fort
Later representatives from New England, NY, PA, and MD meet in Albany to gain support from the Iroquois and achieve unity
Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union was the first attempt to unite the colonies (was not approved)
Would have dealt with military and Native American issues

30. The War Continues Early on the war goes badly for the British
Washington becomes a hero despite few wins
William Pitt becomes British secretary of state in 1757 and takes control of directing the war
British force colonials to fight, seized supplies, and put soldiers in civilian homes
Many colonists resented their treatment by the British government
Eventually the British were able to prevail in the war
Treaty of Paris (1763) ends both wars; Britain gets all French land east of the Mississippi, including Canada; they also get Florida from Spain
Spain gets control of Louisiana and its port at New Orleans

31. Effects of the War Colonial Benefits/Costs Pontiac’s Rebellion
Colonists experience economic boom from producing war supplies
Colonists learn to work together
War was very expensive; King George III takes the throne in 1760; he and his Prime Minister Grenville decide colonists should help pay the debt
Pontiac’s Rebellion
Natives resisted British take over of the Great Lakes region
1762 tribes united under Pontiac attempted to take over British forts and settlements to drive the British out but it failed when the French refused to help
The rebellion ended in 1766

32. Effects on Native Americans
The Proclamation of 1763
Americans began flooding into the Ohio Valley after the war
To avoid conflicts with Native Americans, the British government drew a line down the Appalachian Mountains and forbid settlement west of them in the Proclamation of 1763
Effects on Native Americans
Native Americans on both sides of the conflict suffered and lost land
The British felt their allies hadn’t helped enough and did little to help them after the war