Front Back
dramatic population increase
from about 1/4 million in 1700 to more than 2 million in 1770
Natural increase
births far outstripped deaths
immigration
in the seventeenth century, most immigrants had come for England in the eighteenth century, fewer than 10% came from England Scots-Irish German African
The majority of non-african immigrants settled where?
the Mid-Atlantic and Southern backcountry
Pennsylvania
settle in 1681 William Penn's proprietary colony imaged as a haven for Quakers persecuted in England Originally settled by Quaker immigrants extremely radical protestants Practiced religious toleration for ideological reasons German immigrants whopper often Lutheran, Moravian, Amish,…
Why was America referred to as "Best Poor Man's Country?"
most fertile and most easily available land plentiful employment opportunities Grew many crops: Wheat and flour milling (major export) Philadelphia second largest city in the British Empire Opportunities for craftsmen important import
Who is in the South?
Anglicans
Who is in the North?
Congregationalists (Also known as Puritans)
T/F It was an inconvenience that America practiced religious toleration
False. What often started as a matter of convenience would later become a cherished American ideal.
Rhode Island (1636) was initially founded by _____________ whose beliefs would not allow him to compel religious conformity.
Roger Williams. Although he was horrified by some of the religious radicals who eventually settled there…
Maryland (1634) was initially established as a haven for who?.
Catholics. The crown would not have put up with Catholics excluding Protestants, even if an all Catholic colony had been feasible.
What state tolerated everyone?
New York. Impossible to compel religious conformity
Why was the deep south, like South Carolina and Georgia, scared? Why'd they want more settlers?
Protestants and Jews worshipped there, and Spanish Catholics were close by in Florida. But they were particularly vulnerable since majority of its population was enslaved.
1689 Toleration Act (English)
forbade persecuting Protestants. –Not legally binding on the colonies but set a precedent
Germans settlers
•were often members of pietistic sects (Moravians, Amish, Mennonites etc.)
Scottish and Scots-Irish immigrants
•Presbyterian
French immigrants
•Protestant Huguenots or Catholics
What happened as the colonies were becoming more populous and more diverse?
they were also becoming much wealthier
Why wasn't it possible to determine a per capita income?
because much of the colonial economy did not operate on cash (specie)
What do we see when measuring in exports/imports?
We know overall wealth grew tremendously because of evidence from the British customs records
Eighteenth-century colonial wealth was dependent on what?
slavery
T/F wealth was evenly distributed by region andy individual family
False. Wealth showed mostly with those who were slave owners
T/F Tremendous influx of material goods was about more than wealth
True. Also provided a connection with English material culture AND a common language of goods between the colonists themselves.
T/F Seventeenth-century material culture was generally popular
False. It was sparse and utilitarian, it wasn't till 1720-1740 (and accelerating about 1760) that refined British goods began to flood the American market
Part of the consumer revolution experience was
choice using the same goods as one's neighbors Negotiating status and to expose those who didn't know what to do with it
Why is important that British goods became a central part of american culture?
Because of the protests leading up to the Revolutionary War.
Southern land
fertile soil
New England land
thin and rocky
Regional Economies
regionally uneven distribution of wealth
T/F By the eighteenth century, regional economies still didn't depend on slavery
False. By the eighteenth century, all regional economies depended to some extent on slavery
Navigation Acts
Intended to funnel lucrative trade with the colonies through England •All goods traveling to or from colonial ports had to be transported on British ships with primarily British crews –Colonies counted as British ports –Supported English shipping and helped ensure that import/export ta…
Major Regional Export: Chesapeake
tobacco to England (enumerated good)
Major Regional Export: North Carolina
– naval stores
Major Regional Exports: Lower South
– rice and indigo to England (enumerated goods)
Major Regional Exports: New England
– fish to the West Indies
Major Regional Exports: Middle Colonies
– grain to the West Indies and Southern Europe
T/F Slavery was legal and existed in every American colony
true. Textbook describes the Southern Colonies as “The Land of Slavery” which is misleading
Lower South
–In many areas slaves outnumbered free white people –Initially banned in Georgia (1733) but legalized by popular demand in 1751
Chesapeake
–White majority but large plantations (as well as many small farmers) depended on slave labor
Exports and Slavery New England and the mid-Atlantic
–Slaves accounted for a small percentage of the population –Slave trading was an important part of the economy
Exports and Slavery
–Grain which went primarily to the West Indies to feed slaves and to southern Europe
Exports and Slavery New England
–Fish to feed slaves in the West Indies –Became increasingly involved in the slave trade
Exports and Slavery Chesapeake
–Tobacco (grown primarily by slave labor)
Exports and Slavery Lower South
–Rice and Indigo (grown almost exclusively by slave labor)
Almost _________ slaves were imported into the American colonies in the eighteenth century.
300,000
Average mortality rate of about 15%. Does or does not take into account those who died while being marched to the coast from the African interior?
Does
By the eve of the Revolution, the colonies as a whole had gone from being a place in which.....
.....some people held slaves to being one which depended heavily on slavery for its wealth.
The Seven Year War
Or, How a Decisive Victory against the French undermined the British Empire in North America (The highlights tour)
French and Indian War was...
..part of the larger Seven Years War –Engulfed much of Europe, India, the Caribbean, eastern North America
French and Indian War was inadvertently started by who?
George Washington and his ineffective attempt to get the French out of the Ohio Valley
Who was crucial to deciding the Seven Year War?
The Indians
Many Indian nations, including the powerful Iroquois Confederacy decided...
To side with the French, even after being persistent asking for their help.
Albany Plan
Made by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Hutchinson to limit colonial government. Instead the British officials appointed two Indian commissioners
What was happening at the beginning of the War?
French were more prepared for war and had the support of most of the region’s Indians •Britain Sent low number of troops and few supplies •Britain Refused to listen to colonists’ advice of how Standard European military tactics would be ineffective
What was the turning point in the French and Indian War?
William Pitt becomes Prime Minister
Why was Pitt a big deal?
•Added massive resources to the war •Treated the colonies like allies by reimbursing war expenditure, did not demand
Why did the British end up winning?
Because of New British strategy With New France’s inability to retain the allegiance of their Indian allies
What was the colonies' Positive reaction from winning the 7 year war?
Pride in British victory They were part of the war
What was the colonies' Negative reaction from winning the 7 year war?
British soldiers’ distain for American troops •Harsh discipline in the British army •War had cost the colonists dearly in terms of lives and resources
What happened to the British after the 7 year war?
massive debt (doubled their national debt) Felt the colonists should also pay (the consumer revolution made the British think that they could well afford it)
Pontiac’s War (1763-64)
•Remember the French surrendered; the Indians did not •Attacked a series of British forts near the Great Lakes •British changed tactics and distributed the gifts which were an important part of diplomacy
Proclamation of 1763
•Keep the colonists and Indians apart •Indian war is expensive •Indian Reservation in the Ohio Valley •English sovereignty and Indian lands
How did parlaiment pay for victory?
Taxes, Boycotts, and a massacre
Lord Grenville and the Sugar Act (1764)
Salaries of British customs officials cost 4x the revenues brought in French molasses was highly taxed to keep American colonists from buying it ◦Molasses is a by-product of sugar production ◦Rum is made from molasses ◦French don’t like rum so French molasses was cheap And so America…
Lord Grenville’s Solution?
Lower the tax on French molasses. It won’t keep the colonists from buying it, but it might mean importers actually pay the tax.
How did the colonists react to the solution?
The lower tax was not enough to make smuggling unprofitable AND the act tightened the enforcement of customs regulations ◦Harder to bribe officials ◦Trials were no longer local ◦Any British member of the navy could act as impromptu customs officials
Why was Grenville lucky?
Only affected importers and New Englanders who made the rum.. other than that people just questioned it
The Stamp Act
A tax on anything that needs a stamp
Why the stamp act was different
•Affected most colonists – most people used paper at some point in their daily lives •Direct tax (internal) •Evoked broad popular response •Never implemented
Why did the colonist question the taxes?
–Virginians were British subjects –Virginians had always taxed themselves –Did anyone but the Virginia legislature have the right to tax Virginians? (No.)
What were some of the responses of the colonist after the stamp act?
•Formation of the Sons of Liberty •Andrew Oliver’s effigy •Destroying the future stamp office •Lt. Gov. Thomas Hutchinson’s House destroyed •Crowds in other colonies followed suit
Why was the Stamp Act repealed in 1766?
They couldn't sell a single stamp because there weren't many stamp officials left
The Declaratory Act
In other words "it was repealed, but you still lose"
What did Charles Townsend learn from the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act about the colonists?
•Learned from the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act that “external” taxes could be made to work but “internal” taxes offended American sensibilities •So he developed a series of new import taxes in 1767
The Townsend Act
small taxes on what might be considered luxury items
Do people even today feel like the rebel against the Townsend Act was fair?
no. it was extreme because they were under parliaments rule, and they have debt, and Townsend made taxes as easy as possible on the colonies
Starting in Boston, towns up and down the east coast began to initiate ______________ and _________________ agreements.
“non-consumption” “non-importation” If Britain insisted on taxing Americans without their consent, Americans would retaliate by refusing to buy British goods.
Were boycotts a success or a fail?
Boycotts turned out to be a good idea. British trade with the colonies fell by 40%.
Why did boycotts work?
Because the American market was important to British manufacturers ◦By the 1770s almost all free colonists purchased English consumer goods ◦England sent about ¼ of its exports to the American colonies by the 1770s Directed pressure on English merchants who had influence in Parliam…
Why did the boycotts work?
Served to unite colonists across regional, ethnic and even economic lines Provided tangible proof of commitment across colony lines Forced both men and women to take a public stand ◦A person’s politics became visible in what he/she drank, wore and bought ◦Agreements people signed or r…
How did the boycotts work? Male.
If you are a man who is opposed to the Townsend Acts, you sign the agreement and force anyone else you can to sign it too. Might also meet at the liberty tree in Boston, hold parades, and sing songs about and make toasts to liberty (and often get fairly liquored up in the process).
How did the boycotts work? Female.
We the undersigned inhabitants of some town pledge not to buy British manufactures until the offensive taxes have been lifted. Spinning Bees
Home Manufactures Never Replaced British Goods
Did not have the technology for fine ceramics or glass Could not grow their own tea – although they could substitute local herbal teas Probably did not have enough sheep and flax in the colonies to make all of their own clothes even if they had had enough people willing to do it For th…
What made a powerful political statement?
Drinking local herbal tea or publicly wearing homespun (Because those things were products of female labor, they allowed women to make public political statements in ways they had been unable to before.)
When did Parliament repealed all of the Townsend duties except for the tax on tea.
after blood was shed and Lord North became prime minister
Putting Boston in its Place
•Long history as a “mobbish” town and the leader in most of the post-1765 protests •At the request of Gov. Francis Bernard, British government sent four regiments of troops to Boston
Liberty Incident
–Crowds attacked customs officials who seized a ship owned by John Hancock –Patriot leader and suspected smuggler
Massachusetts Circular letter
arguing that the Townsend Duties were unconstitutional and subverted the proper role of governor and governed Coordinating with other colonies
British Troops in Boston
•Almost universally unpopular •Standing armies were traditionally considered a hallmark of tyranny •British soldiers tended to show little respect for people they considered provincial •Soldiers also competed for work with ordinary men, and work was becoming scarce in Boston
What happened on March 5, 1770
a crowd of colonists gathered outside of the customs house in Boston And began to heckle a lone sentry who stood guarding the king’s treasury…
Boston Massacre” or “Bloody Riot on King Street” (5 Mar 1770)
First martyrs of the revolution Townsend repeal did nothing because of this massacre
T/F Things calmed down for a while
True. American colonists went back to buying British goods, and the British government refrained from imposing any new offensive taxes.
The Imperial Crisis Intensifies
From the Tea Party to Lexington and Concord
Tea Tax before the Tea Act
After 1770 the tea tax was the only Townsend duty still in force Some smuggled Dutch tea Everything was fine except that the British East India Company was losing money
Tea Act (1773)
Gave the East India Company special status allowing them to sell tea directly to American consumers Lowered the duty on tea Made English tea cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea Made tea cheaper than Englishmen in England could buy tea
What was the colonists deal about the Tea Act?
A design to reduce them under absolute despotism as many colonists saw it
Why did they feel under absolute despotism?
Townsend Acts had shown that England was willing to take Americans’ property for its own benefit without their consent Standing army stationed in the colonies The Tea Act mandated that colonists could buy tea only directly from England and at a set price
Boston Tea Party
And so in Nov 1773 three hapless ship captains sailed three ships into Boston harbor. Led by Sons of Liberty (esp. Sam Adams) Decided to destroy the tea
Boston Tea Party
100-150 men disguised as Indians boarded the ships, took axes to the tea chests and dumped the tea into the harbor Leaders remained at South Church for “plausible deniability” 2000 people stood silently on the docks watching the destruction and providing protection
Coercive Acts (1774)
Closed Boston harbor Any royal official accused of a capital crime was to be tried in England Allowed soldiers to be quartered in private homes Augmented the Massachusetts governor’s authority and made the council appointed rather than elected Replaced royal governor (Thomas Hutchinso…
Quebec Act (1774)
Allowed continuation of French civil law in Quebec Made Catholicism legal in Quebec Gave Quebec control of disputed lands including the Ohio valley How could great Britain allow a bunch of Frenchmen under their jurisdiction this sort of liberty while denying liberty to American colon…
The Colonists referred to the Coercive Acts and the Quebec Act together as the ________________
Intolerable Acts.
First Continental Congress (1774)
Purpose was to formulate a united response to the Intolerable Acts Representatives from 12 colonies met at Philadelphia (all but GA) Goals: Agree on exactly which liberties they claimed as British subjects Agree what powers Parliament should legitimately have over them
The Result
•Produced a declaration of rights •no new rights” but asserted that each colonial government had sole right to legislate for and tax each colony Affirmed England’s right to tax the colonies for the regulation of trade •Called for a Continental Association Local committees of safety …
What happened when Gage planned to seize arms and ammunition hidden at Concord, Massachusetts?
Gage had a security leak Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the Massachusetts countryside to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock to hide; also that there was to be an attack on the hidden weapons at Concord Revere managed to warn Hancock and Adams although he was captured soon af…
The British troops arrive at Lexington
About five miles from Concord Met with 70 armed men on the village green Somebody fired – 8 Americans dead Troops continued to Concord but the arms had already been removed Skirmish at Old North Bridge As the British marched back to Boston, American snipers killed or wounded 273 Brit…
What was the first battle of the American Revolution?
Lexington and Concord
Why were the American colonists so reluctant to declare independence? (19 Apr 1775 – 4 July 1776)
They wanted liberty but supported slavery
Who was showing sign of a revolt?
Virginia
In March 1775, the Second Virginia Convention met at St. John’s church in ________________ to discuss the wisdom of _________________ to __________ against the ____________
Richmond, Virginia raising a militia defend themselves British military. (the resolution passed)
Dunmore’s Proclamation, Nov 1775
"I do hereby further declare all indentured Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able and willing to bear Arms"
How many slaves joined the British?
3000 are known to have evacuated with the British from New York at the end of the war
How many slaves joined the Patriots?
Washington initially forbade it Manpower shortages Roughly 5000 black men served Many were free men Some slaves served in exchange for freedom Freedom for slaves was usually associated with the British army
The prospect of breaking with the symbolic father, __________, raised the specter of all sort of _________________.
King George hierarchy breaking down
Who said : “The spirit of _________ had spread where it was not intended.”
Liberty Thomas Hutchinson
What brought about the basis for the American government through most of the Revolutionary War?
American delegates met in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress.
Olive Branch Petition
a negotiation for peace (July 1775)
How did Britain reply to the Olive Branch Petition?
King George III declared (before Parliament) that the colonies were in open rebellion and, therefore, outside of his protection
What has happened by the time the Second Continental Congress voted for independence?
Concord and Lexington Battle of Bunker Hill George Washington had assumed command of the army George III had declared the colonies in open rebellion
Who were appointed to write the DOI? by who?
Five men, one being Thomas Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress
Why did the war seem to be going well at first?
•Great Britain was powerful •Americans were ill-trained, ill-supplied •¼ of all adult male white colonists served at some point, many served relatively short enlistments •Colonies were not used to cooperating with one another in military matters •Continental army and state militias te…
“Domestic Insurrections”
Absconding slaves and the constant fear of slave revolt Most Indian nations sided with the British Undetermined number of loyalists In many places the Revolution took on the character of civil war
The Three Major Military Events of the Revolutionary War about which I Want You to Know
•Battle of Lexington and Concord •Battle of Saratoga •Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Saratoga (1777)
American forces were in real need of reinforcement France had been sending some aid secretly Would not openly support the soon-to-be United States or send troops until they had some indication that the Americans might win Sept 1777 American forces under Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morga…
T/F In response, France allied with the British forces, sending troops and supplies.
False. They allied with the colonies, and Spain allied with France in order to protect its American holdings.
Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 Last major battle of the Revolution (but two years before a peace treaty was signed) Yorktown is on a peninsula British Gen. Cornwallis marched his men there, expecting reinforcements from both the north by land and by sea
American Victory at Yorktown
Cornwallis’s army received no reinforcements and his army was already weakened by smallpox French navy (instead of the British navy) showed up in the Chesapeake Bay Cornwallis, caught between American forces on land and French forces on the bay, was forced to surrender There would be p…
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Britain recognized American independence and agreed to withdraw troops Relocated the boundary between the US and Canada British agree to return escaped slaves who had served behind British lines Many British commanders refused to do it American delegation agreed to recommend compensat…
What did the Americans have going for them?
Shorter supply lines Military became more professional over time (particularly after Valley Forge and von Steuben in 1778) Help from France Ammunition and supplies from the beginning Commitment to direct military support after the Battle of Saratoga Crucial at Battle of Yorktown Def…
What were Britain's Disadvantages?
Much longer supply lines Early in the war, generals were instructed not to alienate the populace British government wanted a settlement French and Spanish entry into the war created a number of new fronts Protest in Britain Many opposed the cost of the war, had family and friends in …
T/F Rather than a true federal government, the Articles of Confederation provided for a “firm league of friendship.”
True. Individual states were jealous of their autonomy and wanted to avoid any form of government which might end in tyranny.
Articles of Confederation
Drafted by John Dickinson (PA) and revised by the Continental Congress over the course of a year Approved by the Continental Congress in Nov 1777 BUT the Articles could not be put into force until they had achieved the unanimous consent of the 13 new states
What were some Powers Under the Articles?
Conduct War Negotiate for Peace Conduct foreign relations Regulate interstate trade Oversee a postal service Adjudicate disputes between states (especially land disputes)
What were the Structure Under the Articles
Delegates were to be chosen by state legislatures Each state got one vote (could send as many 7 delegates) Legislature also had judicial functions Getting the states to agree Majority for routine decisions Major decisions (like declaring war) required 2/3 Amending the Articles requi…
What did the Articles Not Have?
An executive branch hence, no power of enforcement A judicial branch Power to tax Remember there is a war going on! It was a good way to avoid tyranny while getting nothing done.
The logic of republicanism excluded __________, ________, and _____________…
married women slaves poor men It did not necessarily exclude single women or black men with property.
Legal Changes to Slavery
Explicitly by state constitution, 1777 (abolished slavery) MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS, VERMONT 1780-1804, children become free 18 to 28 (gradual emancipation) PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, NEW JERSEY Eased restrictions on emancipation but did not require emancipation (in…
Who is Elizabeth Freeman?
Slave to Hannah and Col. John Ashby in western Massachusetts. Sued for and won her freedom in 1781.
T/F Neither ___________________ nor judicial decisions ended slavery immediately, and didn't erode the institution of slavery anywhere.
gradual emancipation laws False. they did erode the institution of slavery north of Maryland. (For the first time it becomes possible to talk about a “free North” and a “slave South.”)
What was Jefferson's Plan for the Northwest Territory
Called for the land to be surveyed and divided in an orderly manner US government should give away land in small parcels in order to encourage the growth of yeoman farmers Thwart land speculators and discourage large concentrations of wealth Suggested creating nine to fourteen separate…
Northwest Ordinance, 1787
Provided a mechanism by which territories carved from northwestern lands could become independent states Rejected status as an imperial power Made promises about equitable treatment for buying Indian land, but these were usually ignored Prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Ordinance
Reduced the number of potential states from 9-14 to between 3 and 5 Early governments were appointed by federal government And there would be no giving away land (the government was too heavily mired in debt to seriously consider it) It was a far cry from what Jefferson had hoped for.
End of 1780's The central government was
Mired in debt Not yet able to realize money from Western land sales Unable to enforce their requests for money from the states
End of the 1780s the states were
Mired in debt Most were hesitant to overtax a population already burdened by massive inflation
What were some Controversial taxes coming out of Boston?
Legislature was dominated by coastal, commercial interests Interested in restoring international credit by paying off debt as quickly as possible Trade was Boston’s lifeblood Raised taxes to help pay off that debt Required that taxes be paid in specie rather than depreciated paper mon…
T/F Four long years of property taxes which farmers in the western part of the state were finding increasingly difficult to pay.
True
What were some Western Conventions
Organized by groups of towns Many wanted revisions to the state constitution, including the dissolution of the upper house of the legislature Many called for the capital to move closer to the center of the state in order to be more responsive to its people
Shay’s Rebellion, 1786-87
March 1786 – Massachusetts added the central government’s tax requisition to the already heavy tax bill 1786 – between 2000 and 3000 armed men marched on county courthouses and shut them down (kept them from foreclosing on mortgages) Judges were forced to agree to refrain from holding c…
Putting Down the Rebellion
January 1787 the rebels learned that the army was marching toward them Tried to liberate guns from a federal arsenal but a militia band loyal to the state got there first Skirmish at Springfield armory February 1787 Bowdoin’s army surprised the rebels 150 prisoners 2 executions 1000…
And what did the Disqualification Act entail?
Prohibited about 4000 rebels from Voting Holding office Serving on juries Three year term shortened to one year for those who showed “good behavior”
Shay’s Rebellion was a sign that republics could be as tyrannical as monarchies, for others the rebellion signaled what?
a weak central government which was unable to suppress rebellion within its borders.

Access the best Study Guides, Lecture Notes and Practice Exams

Login

Join to view and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?