1. Chapter 2 The Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1750

2. Eight nobles (charter from Charles II) Edward James Oglethorpe
Southern Colonies
Colony Name
Year Founded
Name of Founder
Virginia
1607
Virginia Company
Maryland
1634
Lord Baltimore
North Carolina
1653
Virginians
South Carolina
1663
Eight nobles (charter from Charles II)
Georgia
1732
Edward James Oglethorpe 2 2

3. “Cash Crops” in the south included (clockwise from top left), Sea Island cotton, indigo, rice, and tobacco 3 3

4. MOST OF THE SOUTHERN COLONIES WERE PROPRIETARY AND/OR ROYAL
VIRGINIA HAD MAJOR CLASS DIVISIONS FROM THE BEGINNING WITH A VERY RICH ELITE WHO OWNED SLAVES AND TOBACCO PLANTATIONS COMPARED TO POORER PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE BACK COUNTRY
MARYLAND WAS FOUNDED BY CATHOLIC LORD BALTIMORE WHO INTEGRATED VIRGINIA’S EXPERIENCES WITH TOBACCO TO EXPAND THE INDUSTRY INCLUDING THE USE OF SLAVES AND INDENTURED SERVANTS
THE CAROLINAS WERE GRANTED TO LORDS LOYAL TO KING CHARLES II. THEY SEPARATED OFFICIALLY IN 1712, AND NORTH CAROLINA TENDED TO BE POPULATED BY SELF- RELIANT SMALLER FARMERS WHILE SOUTH CAROLINA WAS HEAVILY RELIANT ON SLAVE LABOR TO HARVEST RICE
GEORGIA WAS THE LAST COLONY AND LARGELY SERVED AS A BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN SPANISH FLORIDA AND THE ENGLISH COLONIES. ORIGINALLY SLAVERY WAS BANNED WHICH HAMPERED ITS INITIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 4

5. Bacon’s Rebellion 1676: The start of widespread use of slavery
Native Americans attacked colonists living in the Virginia frontier, an area populated primarily by poor settlers and indentured servants. Governor Berkeley denied the request for militia protection since the wealthy planters did not want to finance it.
Bacon raised his own army, 1/3 of which was made up of debtors and landless settlers. After Berkeley declared the army illegal they marched on Jamestown demanding a meeting with colonial leaders, and when denied set the town on fire. Bacon mysteriously died a month later and the rebellion ended, however this event symbolized the tension between the wealthy planters and frontier settlers, as well as the continuing struggle over land with Native Americans.
Increased tensions between Indians and settlers on the Virginia frontier led to all out bloodshed. These settlers, mainly poorer settlers and indentured servants, asked Governor William Berkeley for militia protection. However, wealthy planters, not wanting to finance assistance for poorer settlers on the frontier, influenced Berkeley to turn down the request of the frontier settlers.
Berkeley’s refusal to provide assistance angered many of the settlers, including Nathaniel Bacon, a former friend of the governor who hated Native Americans and wanted protection. In response to Berkeley’s refusal, Bacon created an army of his own, one-third of which was made up of landless settlers and debtors.
Berkeley declared Bacon’s army illegal. Bacon responded by marching on Jamestown demanding a meeting with colonial leaders. Bacon’s men set fire to the town, and many of the colonial leaders, including Berkeley, fled the town.
Within a month, however, Bacon died of a mysterious illness. After Bacon’s death, Berkeley was easily able to restore order.
While the rebellion was unsuccessful, it did highlight the emerging struggle between two social classes in the colonies… the wealthy planters and the frontier settlers. It also highlighted what would become a common theme during the American Revolution, a lack of self-government and taxation without representation. 5 5

6. Colony Name Year Founded Name of Founder
Religion was the driving force behind the creation of the Northern colonies
Colony Name
Year Founded
Name of Founder
Massachusetts
1620
Puritans
New Hampshire
1623
John Wheelwright
Connecticut
1635
Thomas Hooker
Rhode Island
1636
Roger Williams 6 6

7. Puritan Democracy Role of the Puritan faith in society
Puritans did not seek to create a “democratic” colony, however, they did spread political power more completely than in the mother country.
The Massachusetts Bay Company extended the right to vote to all adult males who were members of the Puritan Church.
Nearly 40% of the male inhabitants of the colony were therefore eligible to vote.
Puritan ministers could not hold office and did not have any political power
However, the church was supported with tax money, and church attendance was mandated by law
Puritan laws punished people for sins such as drunkenness, theft, and idleness
Puritan belief was that God required people to work long and hard, thus the “Puritan work ethic” 7 7

8. CONFLICTS WITH NATIVE AMERICANS INCREASED AS THE NUMBER OF EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS INCREASED
THE ROOT OF MOST CONFLICTS WERE OVER THE EXPANSION OF COLONISTS INTO NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS
ANOTHER SOURCE OF TENSION WAS THE CLASHING OF VALUES AND RELIGION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPANISH RESTRICTED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THROUGHOUT THEIR COLONIES WHICH LED TO ABUSIVE TREATMENT OF REBELLIOUS NATIVE AMERICANS.
ALTHOUGH BOTH SIDES ATTACKED EACH OTHER WITH VARYING RESULTS, ULTIMATELY THE EUROPEAN SETTLERS OVERWHELMED THE VARIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES, FRIENDLY OR NOT.
In 1637 Pilgrims destroyed a Pequot Indian fort located near Stonington, Connecticut, killing as many as many as 700 Indians in one single hour. This action started the Pequot War. 8

9. King Philip’s War
King Philip formed Indian alliance to combat Puritan rule
Used guerilla warfare tactics to attack New England settlements
Colonists responded by killing Native Americans (even those who were friendly to the whites)
Food shortages as well as disease and battle casualties wore down Indian resistance
Native Americans attacked 52 colonial villages, destroying 16 of them. 10% of colonial men of military age in New England were killed. Proportionally, more died in King Philip’s War than in the American Revolution or the Civil War.
Metacom’s wife and children sold into slavery. Metacom is killed in battle. His head was displayed at Plymouth by Puritans for 20 years after his death. 9 9

10. Penn’s “Holy Experiment”
KING CHARLES II GAVE AWAY THE MIDDLE COLONIES AS GIFTS TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Penn was determined to make his Pennsylvania a “holy experiment” in which no one would be considered aristocratic.
To ensure this, he gave each male settler 50 acres of land, and ensured their right to vote.
He also called for a representative assembly as well as guaranteeing freedom of religion.
Penn’s “Holy Experiment” 10 10

11. Mercantilism
Defined as the economic system practiced mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries by European nations.
Based on the belief that there was a limited amount of wealth in the world and the way to get the most gold and silver was to heavily regulate manufacturing, trade, and production within a country and its colonies.
Great Britain, for example, would purchase raw materials from the North American colonies at a low price determined by the British government. Then the colonies were required to purchase the finished goods manufactured in Britain at high prices also set by the British government. The North American colonies were only allowed to trade within the British empire.
This system led to bitterness on the part of the colonists who had very little input in their economic policies. 11 11

12. Colonies provided the following:
Role of colonies in a mercantile system
Colonies provided the following:
A powerful merchant fleet, necessary because goods, materials, and people needed to be transported from the colonies to the mother country.
A source of raw materials for the manufacturers in the mother country.
A market for the manufactured goods to be sold. 12 12

13. How mercantilism worked Colonial trade routes
Raw materials
Finished products 13 13

14. The Navigation Acts
Britain responded to illegal colonial trade by passing a series of laws known as the “Acts of Trade and Navigation”, or more commonly known, the Navigation Acts.
Beginning in 1651, these acts restricted colonial trade in various ways, including:
All goods traded to and from the colonies had to be shipped in either colonial or British ships
All crews of these ships had to be at least 75% British or colonial
Certain products (tobacco, sugar, rice, molasses, and furs) could only be sold from the colonies to Britain
Goods traded from colonies and Europe had to be unloaded at a British port
The British government recognized that selling of goods to other countries by the colonies posed a serious economic problem. In order to eliminate this, Parliament passed a series of acts officially called the “Acts of Trade and Navigation”, or more commonly known, the “Navigation Acts”.
The purpose of the laws was simply to restrict the flow of wealth from Britain to other countries.
The laws restricted trade in several ways. In one law, Parliament mandated that all goods traded to the colonies or to the mother country had to be shipped in either colonial or British ships. A full three-quarters of the crews of these ships had to be either British or colonial.
Another law restricted trade of certain protected goods to either the colonies or Britain alone. These goods could not be sold to any other nation. In addition, all goods traded from the colonies to European ports. In addition to providing jobs to British longshoremen, this law also provided a way that British customs agents could levy import taxes on those goods.
While it may have appeared on their face value that the Navigation Acts were unfair to colonial merchants, there were several benefits for them. Limiting the transporting of goods to British or colonial ships encouraged the growth of both the colonial and British shipbuilding industries. Also, because the demand for nearly all goods increased in the mother country, all colonial industries flourished. 14 14

15. Enforcing the Acts
Colonial merchants, particularly in Massachusetts, frequently tried to bypass the Navigation Acts.
They claimed that since the colony was chartered by a joint- stock company, they were not required to obey Parliamentary Acts.
King Charles II, tired of constant insubordination against his authority in Massachusetts, removed the corporate charter of the colony.
It was made a royal colony, under his strict control. 15 15

16. More rebellion from colonial merchants
The colonists, as required, sent large amounts of raw materials to Britain and also purchased a substantial amount of manufactured British goods.
They soon found that other countries were willing to pay more for the same products.
This resulted in many colonial merchants frequently selling goods to Spain, France, and Holland, even though it was illegal. 16 16

17. Salutary neglect What it was How it worked The reality
The period after the Glorious Revolution in which Parliament strengthened the Navigation Acts and toughened regulation of colonial trade.
How it worked
Smuggling trials were held in stricter Royal Courts and a Board of Trade was established to monitor trade.
The reality
British control actually decreased. As long as raw materials went to England and colonists bought British goods, the British did not enforce the Navigation Acts.
In fact the policy benefited both parties which is why it was given the name “salutary neglect”.
After the Glorious Revolution, Britain appeared to tighten its grip on the colonies, at least on the economic regulation of trade between the mother country and New England. This was done in several ways. First, smuggling trials were no longer tried in colonial courts, which were more sympathetic, but were now tried in more strict Royal Admiralty courts. In addition, a Board of Trade was created, with significant monitoring powers.
However, British control of colonial trade actually decreased. In the mind of most British lawmakers, as long as raw materials were flowing relatively smoothly into England, and colonists bought British goods, they were happy, and didn’t enforce the Navigation Acts or other economic restrictions. This policy was called salutary neglect because it benefited both England and the colonies. England enjoyed most of the economic benefits of mercantilism and could also save most of its military to check French aggression. On the other hand, the colonists generally could trade with any nation they desired and gain economic benefits. 17 17

18. British Crown Colonial Council Royal Governor
Hierarchy of Colonial Government
The Governor:
Spokesman for the King in the colony
Made sure Royal policy was carried out
Oversaw trade; could dissolve assembly
The Council:
Appointed by the Governor
Served as Governor’s advisory board
Served as highest court in the colony
The Assembly:
Had the authority to make laws
Could withhold Governor’s salary
Had the power to tax
British Crown
Colonial Council
Colonial Assembly
Royal Governor
As economic policies changed in terms of the British colonies, so did government policies and regulation. In all the colonies, the British Crown was supreme in all matters, but the Governor, appointed by the king, served as the spokesman for the King in the colony, and made sure policy was enforced. He also oversaw colonial trade, and had the power to dissolve the colonial assembly. However, the colonial governments (the council and assembly) wielded a great deal of power as well. The council, appointed by the governor, served as the governor’s advisory board and also acted as the highest court in the colony. The assembly had a great deal of power, with the ability to make law, and holding the authority to tax. They also paid (or could refuse to pay) the governor’s salary. They were also elected by colonial voters. 18 18

19. Reliance on slave labor
Why enslave Africans?
Reliance on slave labor
Difficult, if not impossible, to enslave Native Americans
Whites tended to feel culturally superior to Africans
Distance of Africa to “New World” tended to make Africans feel disconnected and made it more difficult for them to try to get home. Also they were unfamiliar with the terrain if they did escape
Whites, as Christians, felt an “obligation” to convert blacks to Christianity from their Muslim faith
Attempts to enslave Native Americans failed for both Spanish and British
Indentured servants were cheaper, but not cost effective in the long run
Slaves more expensive initially, but because they were not paid or granted their freedom ever it was more cost effective over time
Many saw Africans’ black skin as a sign of inferiority
Many whites sought to justify the enslavement of Africans. While some whites attempted to enslave Native Americans, this tended to be extremely difficult to do because Native Americans could more easily escape because they knew the countryside. This made African enslavement more attractive, since they would not know the territory as Native Americans would. In addition, whites could easily rationalize slavery because they felt culturally superior to black Africans. In their view, their language, music, government, and so on was more advanced than those in Africa, and therefore enslavement seemed more acceptable, to the point that many whites believed that Africans were not human, but were simply human-like creatures.
As Christians, many whites also felt that Muslims were inferior, and frequently endangered of not reaching salvation unless they would be converted. In the minds of some whites, the only effective way to convert these “heathens” was to enslave them. 19 19

20. Slave ship Brutal conditions in the Middle Passage
This diagram shows the typical layout of how slaves were packed in the hold of a slaving vessel.
Comfort and safety took a distant second to ensuring that a sufficient number of slaves would survive the voyage, providing the slavers a profit for their work.
This drawing of slaves on deck of a slave ship hides the unbelievably harsh conditions that the slaves endured during the Middle Passage between Africa and the Caribbean.
Slaves were frequently brutalized, mistreated and forced to live for weeks on end in individual spaces no larger than a grave with little food and water.
The toll of these conditions was horrendous.
A voyage which resulted in less than one-quarter of the cargo dying was considered successful.
As the southern colonies developed, it became obvious that a limited population would not provide free labor needed for shops and factories, similar to what had been developed in the New England and Middle colonies. The Southern colonies, with limited male population and very few cities and factories, lent themselves to reliance of slave labor over free labor and indentured servitude.
While slaves were more costly in the short term, they tended to have more economic benefit in the long run. While an indentured servant would eventually be able to earn their freedom, a slave was a slave for the rest of their lives. In addition, any children that slave would bear would also be subject to a life of servitude. 20 20

21. Slave Auctions
Slaves were better fed as they approached the New World in order to make them more “saleable”
Their bodies were oiled down to make their skin look more healthy, and hot tar would be used to fill “imperfections”, such as scars from beatings and whippings on board slave ships
Slaves would then be sold to the highest bidder
Ad for servants and goods from London for sale in Virginia 21 21