Colonial Colonial Society on Society on the Eve of the Eve of

the the RevolutionRevolution

THE BRITISH MERCANTILE SYSTEM

MERCANTILISM = 16th – 18th century political/economic philosophy:Wealth = PowerWealth is measured in gold and silverSo…need to export more than import,

known as “favorable balance of trade”“favorable balance of trade”Role of American Colonies:

1. Provide raw materials, esp. for shipbuilding2. MARKETS - purchase finished goods3. Grow products that would otherwise have to

be purchased from other nations: e.g., tobacco, sugar, rice …

The most infamous of the laws to enforce mercantilism were the:

NAVIGATION ACTS, 1650s – BR laws originally aimed at what rival?

All commerce to & from colonies must be in British ships European goods destined to America must stop in British

ports first Certain enumerated goods can only be sent from the

colonies through England … not directly to European markets (tobacco, rice, indigo)

Certain goods (e.g., woolen cloth and beaver hats) forbidden from manufacture in colonies – why?

Benefits of Mercantilism:

1. SALUTARY NEGLECT! BR laws only loosely

enforced Smuggling abounds!

John Hancock is King of Smugglers (sugar)

2. Ready markets for specific products VA tobacco has monopoly

on BR market Tobacco growing in

England/Ireland prohibited

3. Protection by British Navy without much taxation

4. Trickle Down Prosperity Avg. American was better

off than avg. Englishman

The Downside of Mercantilism: Stifles economic initiative

Americans not at liberty to buy, sell, ship or manufacture under conditions most profitable to them

Perpetual indebtedness to mother country VA forced to sell in BR & thus at mercy of

BR buyers, who drive price down Perpetual debt cycle; planters mortgage

future crops to pay for English goods Resentment at being used for the benefit of

the empire England begins enforcing policies more

vigorously after 1763

“Revolution broke out because England failed to recognize an emerging nation when it saw one.” Theodore Roosevelt

Triangular Trade

Very profitable! More and more Americans demand more British supplies…British population is at a saturation point…don’t need more American goods disrupting balance of trade

B/C of mercantilist policies, Americans have to go through Britain for buying and selling of goods, means more $$$, leads to illegal smuggling with other nation’s colonies

Factors leading to an “American” Identity

Population Boom! By 1775 2.5 million, population doubling every 25 years (Franklin’s prediction was right!) due to high birthrate and immigration

Young population with average age of 16, mostly rural

Diversity- Population of America is not majority British born subjects, they are outnumbered 3 to 1

Groups are increasingly anti-British, German, Scot-Irish, Swedes, Dutch, Scots, French, etc. Middle colonies were most diverse.

Inter-marriage prevalent, America is a melting pot from the beginning

Factors leading to an“American” Identity

Colonial Class Structure Ability to move up, except for

slaves Much different than Europe b/c

no titled aristocracy and not a lot of landless poor

Most Americans were small farmers, in cities, artisans, shopkeepers, trades people, & laborers

In some places large gaps between rich/poor but really very few poor

Bottom was poor laborers, widows, orphans, slaves, convicts shipped from England

South had most rigid social structure

Working America

Agriculture was leading industry - tobacco in the south and bread basket in the middle

Ministry was most honored profession Physicians and Barbers=don’t get sick! Typical family? Americans enjoyed one of highest

standards of living in the world at the time

Other economic activities?

WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Curing tobacco

Colonial Social Networking

Social, political life revolved around the TAVERNS which served as place to stay for travelers and place to meet for locals.

Roads hard to travel and news slow to travel

CHURCHES very important for social networking too

Many laws regulating moral behavior, colonial punishments are a little different from today……

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.

Great Awakening

Church not as “hard core” as whenPuritans first landed Too much prosperity Problems with doctrines &

half-way covenant Too many denominations

1730s-40s - First Great Awakening is a religious revival that rocked the colonies!

Starts in Middle Colonies – PA & NJ George Whitefield-English born

revivalist: evangelical revivalist preaching that could move

anyone very gifted orator moved people to become saved and fill up collection

dishes Scaled theology down to comprehension of 12 yr. olds Even preaches that God IS responsive to good

intentions

More Awakening…. In MA - AmericanAmerican minister, Jonathan

Edwards Intellectual Fire and brimstone sermons “Sinners in the Hands of a Angry God”

God holding the unconverted over the pit of hell!!

Faith alone, not good works, will save you! Attack on increasing materialism

IMPACT OF GREAT AWAKENING: FIRST SPONTANEOUS MASS MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST SPONTANEOUS MASS MOVEMENT OF THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE!AMERICAN PEOPLE! – more sense of being American, unity

More direct relationship with God undermining old clergy

Many new denominations spring up/split in Congregational and Presbyterian churches between Old Lights / New Lights

Fostered religious toleration; missionary work with natives

People begin to believe disobedience to authority does NOT necessarily equal eternal damnation

New colleges founded (Princeton, William & Mary)

Colonial Political Structure

Religious and/or property qualifications exist in all the colonies

Colonists did recognize BR sovereignty but BR inefficiency & distance allowed them much freedom BR allowed colonists to make their own laws on local

matters & collect local taxes, BUT reserved right to veto actions if they were deemed against the national interest – KNOWN AS?

SALUTARY NEGLECT! ORGANIZATION OF COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS:ORGANIZATION OF COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS:

Governor – appointed by King or proprietor Legislature – 2 houses in all but PA Lower houseLower house chosen by the voters

Had “power of the purse”“power of the purse” (local taxes - paid Governor’s salary!)

Upper house – appointed by King to be advisors to Governor

Colonial Political Structure

All colonies were royal colonies by end of 17th cent.

Power flows from King to Parliament to Colonial Assemblies

Colonial legislatures could pass local laws and collect local taxes all of which could be overturned, but also held power of purse (paid the governor!)

Judges were appointed by the King but chosen from leaders of the colonial communities

KING

(Advisors: Privy Council)

Parliament

(PM, House of Lords & Commons)

COLONIAL ASSEMBLIES $$$$$

$$

(House of Burgesses, NE Town Hall

Meetings)

Land-owning white men can vote

The Enlightenment

European literary and philosophical movement

JOHN LOCKE! Men have natural rights – of life,

liberty and property that gov’t cannot take away

PEOPLE are the source of a government’s power and if gov’t fails to protect them, people have right to revolt

Has effect not only in politics, but also in religion

Education

Harvard first college in America For Puritan clergy William and Mary for better clergy in

South Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, &

Rutgers after the Great Awakening New England – major focus on

education Only area to provide for public education Important only for boys though and school

is very strict

American Culture

Ben Franklin first famous American in both America and in Europe - multi-talented with many scientific & cultural achievements…..such as? electricity, iron stove, bifocals, forms circulating electricity, iron stove, bifocals, forms circulating

library, idea of a lotterylibrary, idea of a lottery Colonial Press -important for spread of info &

has more freedom than in Europe John Peter Zenger Case over libel John Peter Zenger Case over libel over corrupt

governor; found not guilty – truth is absolute defense to libel

Arts: John Trumbull and Willson Peale

John Trumbull

Charles Willson Peale

Colonial Pastimes

Hard-working with little luxuries

Streets were dirty, not many baths

Card playing, horse racing, fox hunting, dances, funerals, marriages

Depended on religion and region as to what was socially acceptable

Marriage & Family

Marriage ages: Except in New England, girls preparing for

it by age 13 – unmarried by age 21 = “old maids”

Many men didn’t take the plunge until 30’s!

Marriages usually at home, not church LARGE FAMILIES – WHY?

No real birth control Need as many hands as possible for all the

work Disease killed off many kids (& moms) Paul Revere – 17 kids! Record: SC woman who had 34 children!

ColonialMedicine

Chief surgical technique = bloodletting (barbers)

Smallpox was great killer of the time – those who survived had pockmarks (Washington)

Outbreaks of typhoid fever from lack of public sanitation; dysentery from foul drink & uncooked food

Childhood diseases – measles, mumps, diphtheria, whooping cough – family with 10 kids could expect 5 to make it

Medical remedies were bizarre!