APUSH Ch. 4
Frontiers of Empire
Chapter 4 –
th
18
Century America
“As the colonists became more British, they
inevitably became more American as well.” (98)
Colonial Population
• Doubled every 25 years. Why? Natural
reproduction was responsible for most of the
growth
• Diverse – non-English Europeans began to
settle in the backcountry
• The population consisted of people “forced”
to migrate. African Americans were forced
but so were convicted felons. They were from
England, Scotland, & Ireland. Approx. 50,000
(Transportation Act, 1718). p. 99
Immigrants
• Motives: own their land, become independent
farmers
• Immigrants preferred to live with people of their own
background.
• Scots-Irish – the largest group of immigrants
who settled in PA; were squatters; challenged
established authority; moved around a lot
earning a reputation as a rootless people
• Germans – 1st group came seeking religious
toleration; 2nd group came looking to better their
material lives; were great farmers; tended to remain
wherever they found unclaimed fertile land
Native Americans
18th century – lived in the cis-Mississippian west
(near the Mississippi River, the Old Northwest or
the area around the Great Lakes)
Many Native Americans migrated to the western backcountry and
joined existing confederacies of Indian tribes. Rather than
isolating themselves from European colonials, the Indians
interacted, traded, and compromised with Europeans as much as
possible, effectively creating a “middle ground.” European trade
goods, though desirable, often changed tribal organization and
structure, eroding traditional roles. Additionally, disease
continued to take its toll, claiming Native American lives.
Provincial (local) Cities
• The 5 largest cities were Boston, Newport,
New York, Philadelphia, and Charles town.
• Few colonists (only 5%) lived in cities.
• Cities were considered port towns that served
as entrepots (a commercial/trade center)
rather than places to live.
• Cities did influence colonial culture. Cities
exposed the colonists to English goods and
ideas. The upper class especially tried to
emulate (imitate) Britain’s culture.
American Enlightenment
(Age of Reason)
• The Enlightenment did not have the same effect on the
colonists as it did in England. They welcomed
experiments in science but defended their Christian
beliefs.
• Colonists welcomed the new inventions that would
improve their lives.
• The Enlightenment did influence colonial leaders and
educated colonists to apply reason to solve social and
political problems. It influenced how they thought
about British authority.
Benjamin Franklin
• Became a symbol of material progress through
human ingenuity
Colonial Economics
• An abundance of land & the extensive growth
of agriculture accounted for their economic
success.
• Most farmed (tobacco, wheat, or rice) and
exported their crops, providing them with
money to purchase items they wanted but
could not make themselves.
• British restrictions: the White Pines Act
forbade Americans from cutting white pine
trees without a license in order to reserve the
best trees for the use of the Royal Navy
An American Culture
• Trade with Britain helped to “Anglicize”
American culture by exposing colonists to
British manufactured goods
• Intercoastal trade – trade among the 3 regions
of colonies, bringing colonists of different
background into more frequent contact & the
exchange of ideas and experiences.
The First Great Awakening
• A series of religious revivals
• Began in New England, 1730s, spread to VA
• Sparked by Jonathan Edwards (Calvinist)
– “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”
• George Whitefield – denomination didn’t
matter; what did was that you were a
Christian; appealed to attendants’ emotions
• “New Lights” – refers to colonists who
attended the revivals
Impact of the Great Awakening
1. Schools of higher learning were establishing
to train men to become preachers –
Princeton
2. Encouraged people to question authority – to
take an active role in their salvation
3. Slaves attended revivals – a democratic
movement; Richard Allen established the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
4. Brought colonists into contact with each
other
Colonial Politics
• The Colonists began to question British
politics, that maybe it didn’t really work for
them; a sign that they were becoming more
American than British.
• Britain’s constitution, not a written document,
had 3 distinct parts which most thought
represented the king, nobility, & common
people. In reality, the constitution
represented the interests of Britain’s landed
elite only.
How was the structure of the
English constitution interpreted by
the colonists?
• The colonial governor corresponded to the
king.
• The governor’s council to the House of Lards.
• The colonial assemblies – the House of
Commons.
Why didn’t the British constitution
work for the colonists?
• The colonists believed in separation of executive &
legislative authority and did not believe in patronage,
a practice found in Britain.
• The governor had enormous powers. They could veto
laws, dismiss judges, and serve as military
commanders in each province.
• Colonial Assemblies (legislatures/House of
Burgesses) believed they had to right to protect
colonial liberties. They controlled money bills. They
did not cooperate with the governors.