Converging Identities, Diverging Interests, 1680s-1740s
I. Trade & CommerceII. PoliticsIII. Culture
IV. ImmigrationV. SlaveryVI. Conclusions
Trade and Commerce I. Mercantilism A. Regulations
1. English language/crews 2. Trade through England; taxed 3. Subsidies to protect British products
II. Cash crops A. Rice, sugar, tobacco, indigo, cottonIII. Manufactured imports A. Sold back to colonies
PoliticsI. Glorious Revolution, 1680s A. Liberal monarchy B. “Salutary Neglect”II. Representation A. Virtual vs. Actual B. Colonial governorsIII. “Contentment” thru 1740s
Age of Enlightenment
I. Science & philosophy A. Rxn to Christian fundamentalism B. Natural laws C. Rationality & reason D. Improve mankind E. John Locke &
Isaac Newton F. Impact on Politics
Religious ChangeN.E.: Puritan, but more
politically liberal
South: Weak Anglican Church
Middle: Most diverse
First “Great Awakening” 1720’s-1760s
I. Religious revivalism A. Reaction to Christian fundamentalism &
Puritanism B. “Populist/Frontier” tendencies C. Diversity D. Caused many churches to split up
Revivalism and George Whitefield
I. Whitefield A. Tent gatherings B. Mass conversions II. “New Lights” A. Converts B. Anti-authoritarianIII. Democratic
Immigration
1700: 290,000 colonists
1750: 1.5 million High birth, low mortality Death rate 20% lower than BR Land, crops, trading No large famines
Scots-Irish
I. Scotland/IrelandII. Indentured
servants A.
Convicts/dissentersIII. Push-pull factorsIV. Community culture A. Carolinas
Benjamin Franklin“Why should the Palatinate Boors be suffered to swarm into our settlements, and by herding together establish their languages and manners to the exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion ? (Palatine=Southern Germany)
Immigration by 1760
Faster in SouthSquatting in the “backcountry”Chain migrationRegional differencesNative lands
Colonial Slavery
A. Labor costB. Native Resistance
& Disease
C. Access to landD. Race and slaveryE. InvestmentF. Plantations
The Middle Passage
African tradersBarracoons6-8 week tripUp to 25% died60% from “gold coast”5% to colonies
Early Resistance
Stono Rebellion, 1739South CarolinaAngolaDozens killedIncreased fear and oppression