The Colonies Mature: 1650-1750

Chapter 1 Sections 4 and 5

The South and Slavery

• From Servitude to Slavery in the South– Warm climate=good for crops, not good for

people– Low population=not a lot of workers– Solution: early to mid 1600s=indentured servants– Headright system-rich got richer, not a lot of land

for the poor– Freed servants (freedmen) became disgruntled,

result was Bacon’s Rebellion 1676

The South and Slavery (cont.)

• Bacon’s Rebellion 1676– Defeated by the colonial govt of Virginia– Effects: wealthy planters turned away from servants to

slaves, why?• How to treat slaves? As servants??• 1670 South Carolina colonized, English brought

African slaves with them, plus their slave codes—African slaves would be treated as property (chattel) not as people

• By 1700 slaves had surpassed servants in the South

Slave Society in the South

• Slaves taken from all over west coast of Africa• Not monolithic• New African American culture was the fusion of many

different African cultures plus European influences• North America was not the focus of the slave trade

(Caribbean, S. America) about 5%• Americans=poor couldn’t afford many slaves, had to

protect their “investment”• Naturally reproducing slave population in America

Comparing/Contrasting the 3 Colonial Regions: the South

• Economy: all about cash crops– Tobacco (MD, VA, NC)– Rice and Indigo (GA, SC)– Dependent upon slavery (after 1676)– Large farms (plantations)

• Society– Not a lot of big cities (each plantation was like a mini city)– People isolated from one another—not a big sense of community– Because of plantations and slavery—big gap between rich and

poor (elitist, not egalitarian)– Large numbers of African Americans but otherwise not very

ethnically diverse

The South (cont.)

• Religion– Not very important in the South (more concerned

with material things) – Mostly Anglican– Religious toleration of some kind in all colonies

• Government– Representative govts (House of Burgesses 1619)– Dominated by the wealthy (elitists)

New England• Economy

– Too cold/too rocky for farming cash crops– Small farms due to climate also due to religious beliefs– Turned to the sea: fishing, trading, ship building, ship building

industries (logging, etc)• Society

– Dominated by Puritan beliefs, strong sense of community, dominated by small towns and cities

– Big families (lots of kids+small farms=no need for more labor=no servants/slaves)

– Only way to be fully accepted in New England society was to be a member of the Puritan Church

– Lots of small equally sized farms=very egalitarian society– Almost entirely English=not diverse

New England

• Religion– Left England for religious freedom—freedom for

themselves not for anybody else– Puritanism, no other religions tolerated*

• Government– Very democratic (town hall meetings) – Needed land to vote but almost everyone had land– Problem: needed to be a part of the Puritan

church to vote and hold office* (undemocratic)

Middle Colonies

• Economy– Bread colonies– Grew wheat raised cattle to sell to New England

and the Caribbean– Big families, medium to small sized farms=not a

real big need for servants or slaves– More farming centered than NE, but more

industry than the South– Big cities (NYC, Philadelphia)

Middle Colonies

• Society– Egalitarian (like New England) – Diverse ethnically

• Religion– Religious toleration/separation of Church and State in all

colonies except NY– Very diverse in terms of religion (most diverse region)

• Government– No religious qualifications– Land qualifications but land = easy to get

Colonial Government

• All colonies had representative government • Colonial Governments consisted of 3 parts:– 1) Assembly elected by the people—controlled taxes made

most laws– 2) Governor—appointed by the king (or the owner of the

colony)—ran day to day affairs of colony represented the King (or the owner) (assembly controlled their salary)

– 3) Upper House/Council—appointed by the Governor helped the Governor run the day-to-day affairs of the colony, had to approve laws passed by the assembly

• So why is this important?

Colonies Mature: Growth of Trade

• Trade: centered in New England but involved all of the 3 colonial regions– Trade between colonies and England – Trade between the colonies and other European

countries– Trade between colonies and Africa/Caribbean

(triangle trade)

• Mercantilism: – The amount of gold in the world is essentially fixed– A nation increases its power by increasing its stockpiles of gold– Gold is increased by minimizing imports (buying) and

maximizing exports (selling)– Colonies=way to supply raw materials without sending gold to

a foreign country & buy English products• Mercantilist Policies—make sure that trade involving

America benefitted England not necessarily the colonies (Navigation Acts)

• Why is this important?

Efforts to Control Trade: Mercantilism

• Enlightenment occurring in Europe beginning in the late 1600’s, active in the colonies as well

• Applied reason and logic to political world (rationalism, logic))

• John Locke major political thinker– contract theory of government, natural rights

• Reason and logic will be applied to almost every aspect of society—including religion—led people to become less religious

Colonial Culture: Enlightenment

• Major religious revival• Began in New England– Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry

God”– George Whitefield

• More emotional than previous religious movements• Reaction to the intellectualism of the enlightenment• Colony-wide movement—helped set the stage for

the Revolution?????

Great Awakening: 1730’s-1740’s

• By the mid 1700’s only about half of the colonists in British North America were of British descent– English-49%– African-19%– Scottish-7%– German-7%– Scots-Irish-5%– Irish-3%– Dutch-3%– Other European-9%

• How would this mixed ethnicity impact how the colonists viewed themselves?

• How could this help lead to revolution?• What type of events help to lead to a sense of national identity, have you

seen any in this lecture?

Colonial Culture: American Identity?

Ethnic Diversity in the Colonies