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