SlaveryMercantilismNavigation
Acts
Mercantilism
• Main economic theory of the time
• National self-sufficiency by amassing gold & silver
Mercantilism
• Strategy:• Colonies – raw materials• Mother country – manufactured goods• Mother country sells internationally
Mercantilism
• Balance of trade• Exports > imports?• If yes, gold reserves
Triangular Trade
Roots of African Slavery
• Jamestown – 1619• Slave coast trading – Dutch
– Involvement of Africans
Roots of African Slavery
• Justifications:–Bible–Economics–Social
Middle Passage
• Newly enslaved Africans’ trip from African continent to Americas
• Treated like cargo• Branded, packed tightly• Most died on trip
Layout of a slave ship
Artist’s idea of inside of a slave ship
Slaves arrive in Americas
• “Fattening up” for auction
• Auction prices–“Bucks” / women / children
Origins & Destinations of African Slaves, 1619-1760
Servitude to Slavery• VA – originally treated as indentured
servants • black pop in VA (1672) = stricter laws
– Slaves for life; permanent slave status passed on to children thru mother
– By 1700 – slavery based on skin color
Slavery in American South
• Higher price of indentured servants increased demand for slaves
• Number of African slaves in South:• 1690 – 13,000• 1750 – 200,000
Slaves in American South
• 80-90% were field workers• Plantations – oversaw by field bosses• Small farms – often worked beside owners
• Some trained as artisans & rented out
Slaves in American South
• Treatment• Murder of slaves = legal if owner
called it “punishment”
Resistance• Passive resistance
• Breaking tools• Faking illness• Work slowdowns
• Active resistance• Ran away – Maroons• Stono Rebellion (SC)
Regional Differences
• slaves in South/Chesapeake
• Easier to maintain African culture
• By 1720 –population self sustaining
Back to Mercantilism
Mercantilism
• Colonists commonly did business w/foreign countries
• profits for colonists• profits for England
Navigation Acts—1651
• 3 rules for colonies:–Only transport goods in English ships –All goods pass through an English port– “Enumerated” goods only sold to England
• Tobacco, sugar, rice
Benefits of Navigation Acts
• Some colonial businessmen profited• Shipbuilders• Tobacco English addiction
• Strong military protection• intercolonial trade
Costs of Navigation Acts
• Banned colonial manufacture of some finished goods
• Monopsony for enumerated goods– colonial profits
• English monopoly for finished goods– colonial prices
Reaction to Navigation Acts
• MA merchants defied rules• Puritans vs. king
• Unnecessary resentment between England & colonies
Salutary neglect
• Colonial inattention from England
• Concentrated on rivalry w/France
• Colonies self-rule if profit for Britain
Reaction to Navigation Acts
• 1684—King Charles II cracked down
• Revoked Massachusetts’ charter
• Reverted to royal colony
Dominion of New England
1686-1689• All New England set up as one colony
• Sir Edmund Andros named governor• Universally hated
Glorious Revolution
• King James ousted by William & Mary
• Colonists arrested Andros
• Parliament revoked Dominion of New England / restored individual colonies
Restoration of Massachusetts
• Massachusetts chartered again
• King selects governor
• Must have religious freedom
• Non-puritans must have representation