objective: to identify the political, social, and economic values shared by british colonists and...
TRANSCRIPT
Ch. 5: Beginnings of an American
Identity
Objective: To identify the political, social, and economic values shared by British colonists and how these led to
representative government and an “American” identity
Interact with History
Pg. 132-133
Study the painting and the caption. Describe the expressions on the faces of the audience. What might Patrick Henry be saying?
Write a response.
The British colonies were shaped by
prosperity, literacy and new movements in religion and thought.
While reading, keep asking yourself “Is this something that united the colonists?” UNITY!
This is important today because it leads to the American identity that is continuously being formed.
Ch.5-1 Main Ideas
One American’s Story
Read on pg. 135
Colonies were thriving, better than in Europe,
because they were able to own land and use or $$$ell whatever it produced. – Once Native Americans were forced to give up claims.
Land Owners’ Perks: Prosperity Voting (City dwellers had to pay) Social Position: Large landowners=high in rank
Small farmers=middle rank; Non-landowners=low
Wealthy were still expected to help the poor
Land, Rights and Wealth
High Upper Middle Lower Middle Low
Large landowners
Small farmers Renters Indentured servants
Church officials
Tradespeople Unskilled workers
Slaves
Government officials
Wealthy merchants
Colonial Social Ranks
The more land you have, the higher your social ranking!
Enslaved African women helped raise cash crops Rural white women were “Farm Wives”:
“Farm”: tended a garden, raised livestock, harvested, and worked the fields
“Wives”: made products for the family (cooked, churned butter, made soap, etc.), bartered neighbors for goods and services
Women in towns and cities: Housework Ran businesses Tradeswomen
Women and the Economy
Restrictions on Women:
No right to vote No preaching No holding office No owning property without a husband’s
consent No claim to money - A woman’s money
belonged to her husband.
Women and the Economy
More children meant more workers! New England families had an average of 6-8
children. By 3-4, children would work by looking after
animals, gathering berries and watching younger children.
By 6, “breeched” boys helped their fathers at work as farmhands or learning their fathers’ trade.
By 11, boys left their fathers and became apprentices.
Young People at Work
Apprentices worked for free for 4-7 years on
contract then leave and start their own business. Apprentice Perks:
Food Clothing Lodging General education Training in a specific craft
Girls rarely apprenticed. They learned from their mothers and sometimes specialized skills.
Orphans were servants for their room and board until adulthood.
Young People at Work
Two things were valued in all colonies:
Land, wealth and hard work Education
Most children learned to read so they could read the Bible.
Only wealthy families’ children learned writing and arithmetic from private tutors or in private schools.
Mothers or “dame schools” taught poorer children until age 7.
Children’s textbooks centered around religion.
Colonial Schooling
History through Art
Pg. 137
This drawing shoes the inside of an 18th century one-room schoolhouse. What does the picture suggest to you about
colonial schooling? Write a response.
Colonial America had a high literacy rate,
measured by signatures. New England: 85% of white men were literate Middle Colonies: 65% of white men were literate South: 50% of white men were literate
Women were half as literate as men. Educated Africans were rare and teaching
them to read was illegal. Free blacks were kept out of schools.
Colonial Schooling
Purpose: United colonies together, broke down relations with
the Crown, spread ideas, and created a unique form of literature in America (captivity narrative).
In the 1700s and in a short 70 years, the colonies went from 1 local newspaper, the Boston News-letter, to 80 different newspapers.
Books were mostly imported from England, but colonists slowly published booksEx: Almanacs; Poor Richard’s Almanack (calendar, weather predictions, star charts, farming advice, home remedies, recipes, jokes, and proverbs)
Colonists also published: poetry, regional histories, autobiographies, captivity narratives (The Sovereignty and Goodness of God)
Newspapers and Books
By the early 1700s, many had lost their religious passion. In
the 1730s-1740s, a religious movement swept the colonies. Movement’s Message: Inner religious emotion was more
important than outward religious behavior. The Great Awakening Effects:
Brought traveling ministers against regular clerics’ teachings. Creating factions called “Old Lights” and “New Lights.”
Changed colonial culture by splitting congregations – some of which welcomed women, African Americans, and Native Americans.
“New Light” Thinking: brought greater tolerance for independent thinking.
The Great Awakening †
Jonathan Edwards, a well-known preacher, terrified
listeners but promised salvation. George Whitefield’s sermons drew crowds, he
raised funds, and started a home for orphans. Other ministers: taught Christianity and reading to
Native Americans and African Americans. Most Important Effect: By encouraging ideas of
equality and the importance of the individual over the authority of the church – colonists began to question the authority of the British government and led to REVOLUTION!
The Great Awakening †
An intellectual movement that emphasized
reason and science as the paths to knowledge. It’s appeal was mainly for wealthy, educated men.
The Enlightenment began in Europe with natural laws governing the universe. It also drew influences from Greek and Roman classical writings and the Reformation’s challenge of the Catholic church’s authority.
Most important effect: Natural rights and government by agreement
The Enlightenment ☼
Enlightenment Thinkers
Benjamin Franklin Self-made, self-educated man Used reason to improve society Proved lightning was a form of
electricity Invented the lightning rod to
protect buildings, the Franklin stove, and bifocals.
Organized a fire department, lending library, and a philosophical society
Helped draft the Declaration of Independence later on
John Locke English philosopher who
argued that people have natural rights to life, liberty and property
Also trained in medicine and was an advocate for empirical approaches in the Scientific Revolution
Locke challenged the belief that kings had a God-given right to rule
Roots of Representative
Government
Lesson 5-2: Pg. 141
Main Ideas:
• Colonists expected their government to preserve their basic rights as English
subjects• U.S. citizens expect these same rights,
such as the right to a trial by jury
Read One American’s Story
Pg. 141
The “rights of Englishmen” developed over
time and in 1215, a group of Englishmen forced King John to accept the Magna Carta. (Great Charter) The king needed the nobles’ $$$ The noblemen and freemen were guaranteed
rights to property, no taxes, trial with witnesses and a jury
Limited powers of the king Eventually all were granted these rights
The Rights of Englishmen
Parliament: the right to elect representatives to
government England’s lawmaking body model for representative
government Two Houses:
Members of the House of Commons (elected by the people) Members of the House of Lords (nonelected nobles, judges,
and church officials) The king and parliament were too far to manage the
colonies’ every detail English colonists elected assemblies (House of Burghesses and the General Assembly in Pennsylvania)
Parliament and Colonial Government
The king appointed royal governors to rule
colonies. Parliament passed laws that affected them. Colonists disliked these laws and clashed with
governors -- and conflicts grew in the late 1600s.
Parliament and Colonial Government
A Royal Governor’s Rule
King James II Threatened the colonies’
self-government with total authority EX: Navigation Acts and
Charles II charter revocation
Combined Massachusetts and other Northern colonies into New England ruled by Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros Ended representative
assemblies and town meetings were limited to once a year EX: Effects- colonists refused
to pay taxes “You have no more
privileges left you than not to be [sold] for Slaves.” – trial of the loudest complainers
Eventually, a revolution in England swept King James II and Governor Andros out of power!
Above: Edmund AndrosLeft: King James II
English Parliament vs. King James II
Goal: Overthrow the King Catholic agenda: King James and his newly
appointed Parliament tried to overturn anti-Catholic laws. He dismissed the previous Parliament in 1685. Effect: Protestant leaders were outraged!
Princess Mary, King James’ daughter and wife of William of Orange (ruler of the Netherlands), was offered the throne. Effect: King James fled the country at the end of 1688.
The Glorious Revolution was during King William and Queen Mary’s reign of England starting in 1689.
England’s Glorious Revolution
King William and Queen Mary upheld the English Bill of
Rights. An agreement to respect the rights of English citizens and
of Parliament. King or queen can’t cancel laws or impose taxes unless
Parliament agreed. Free elections and frequent meetings of Parliament must be
held. Excessive fines and cruel punishments were forbidden. People could complain about the royals to Parliament without
being arrested. **The govt. was to be based on laws made by Parliament,
not the desires of a ruler.** (English rights) After James’ fall, Gov. Andros was jailed and old govt.’s
were restored.
England’s Glorious Revolution
After the Glorious Revolution, Massachusetts
regained its self-government (elected assembly.) **Copy the diagram of Colonial Govt. on pg. 144** During the first half of the 1700s, England
interfered very little in colonial affairs – salutary neglect. (healthy or beneficial neglect)
Parliament passed many laws: Regulating trade, the use of money and
apprenticeships Rarely enforced by governors
Shared Power in the Colonies
John Peter Zenger vs. Governor William S. Cosby
New York Weekly Journal article criticized its governor who removed a judge and tried to fix an election
Issue: Freedom of the Press Libel- At this time, illegal to criticize the government.
Nowadays, libel means a published false statement damaging a person’s reputation.
Lawyer Andrew Hamilton defended Zenger claiming people had the right to speak the truth. Zenger was released!
Effect: United people further in the British colonies.
The Zenger Trial
