Unit three: Growth of the American colonies, n.p. 1
• With the founding of Georgia in 1732, the last of the
original 13 colonies was settled.
• But in between
the first
permanent
English
settlement at
Jamestown in
1607 and the
settlement of
Georgia 126 years
later, many things
would change for
the colonies.
From a rugged, undeveloped wilderness, the American
colonists managed to carve out a life for those willing to
take a chance, dare to make the treacherous transAtlantic voyage, and make a new life for themselves in this
New World.
• But this transition was far
from easy…
• During the first 50 years or so
of colonization, life in English
America was hard.
• A high proportion of those
who sailed for the American
shore died within the first
year because of the
hardships of the voyage.
• Indian attacks—starvation
from crop failures—
disastrous fires—epidemics
of smallpox, dysentery,
malaria, diphtheria, yellow
fever—ALL TOOK A
TREMENDOUS TOLL ON THE
AMERICAN COLONIES.
Unit three: Growth of the American colonies, n.p. 1
• By the 18th century, conditions for colonists in
America were much improved.
• Epidemics were still common so the health of the
colonists was still uncertain, but this was also
true in Europe.
• Prosperity became widespread in colonial
America due to cheap land, a ready market for
colonial exports, and the assurance that hard
work and perseverance would pay off.
• What particular product—especially in the
Middle and Southern colonies—would provide
economic salvation for the colonies?
Unit three: Growth of the American colonies, n.p. 1
• As the English colonies in America grew, _____
trade
between the colonies and with other countries
increased.
• As the “mother country,” England wanted the
majority of the benefits of this trade.
• The colonies in America were important to
England for 2 main reasons:
1. The colonies supplied England with _____
food and
raw _________.
materials
____
2. The colonies __________
purchased large amounts of
English goods.
Unit three: Growth of the American colonies, n.p. 1
• To ensure that England was the main benefactor of
colonial trade, Parliament passed the Navigation
Act of 1651, requiring that all colonial exports
_______
must be carried on English ships.
• This act was a tremendous aid to Britain’s shipping
industry (its main purpose was to eliminate Dutch
competition from colonial trading routes), but many
colonists resented these new laws.
• In what way would this act adversely affect the
colonies?
• Cut the colonists out of the profit gained—British
exports and not colonial exports.
Unit three: Growth of the American colonies, n.p. 1
• For the most part—England left the colonies alone.
• In the mid-1600s (1640-1660), the English ignored the
colonists for another reason.
English _____
Civil
• From 1640-1660, because of the _______
War England paid very little attention to her
_____,
American colonies.
• A.K.A.: “The English Revolution”—
• Provoked by the behavior of King Charles I (big believer
in the “Divine Right” of kings—did not hold himself
accountable to Parliament.
– Also a big supporter of the Anglican Church, alienating
many….?
– Protestants
KING CHARLES I
OLIVER CROMWELL
• The war itself was between the King’s army and the
Parliamentary Armies led by Oliver Cromwell.
• After the armies of Charles I were defeated, he was convicted of
treason and executed.
• Cromwell governed
England until his death in
1658.
• After the death of
Cromwell, Charles II (the
son of the beheaded King
who spent the previous 9
years in exile in France )
was restored to the
English throne.
• 1st cousin of whom?
• Louis XIV of France
• As the internal conflicts • ____________
Mercantilism (def): Economic
in England settled down
policy under which government
with the end of the
exercises control over
English Civil War,
________
industry and _____
trade in
England’s focus shifted
accordance with the theory
to economic matters
that a nation’s ________
exports
and back to one of her
should outweigh its ________.
imports
main sources of
• The rulers of England believed
revenue…
that the colonies could produce
raw materials not only for
• Her American colonies.
England’s own use, but also for
• Which brings us back to
England to sell to other countries.
the economic concept
of…
• In 1660, King Charles II approved
• After 1660, when
a stronger version of the earlier
King Charles II began
Navigation Act:
to supervise his
 Colonial ______,
_______, and
sugar tobacco
empire more closely,
_______
cotton could be sold ONLY TO
he learned it was
ENGLAND.
much easier to keep
 Any (other) colonial products sold
tabs on the colonies
to another country were required
and their activities if
ports
to pass through English ______
he did it through the
and pay ______.
taxes
royal governors that
he himself
 All colonial trade had to be
appointed.
carried on English ______.
ships
• England—not the only European country to adhere to the
policies of mercantilism and as various countries adopted these
theories, relations between them began to change.
• Intense rivalries developed over trade routes and territory.
• This time period: Very instrumental in the eventual formation of
the American system of government as a tradition of SELFGOVERNMENT was established in the colonies.
• From LAST UNIT: basically 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLONIES IN
AMERICA: 1) ROYAL 2) PROPRIETARY 3) CHARTER
• Over time, because of the need of the King to oversee his
colonies, several if the CHARTER and PROPRIETARY colonies
were transformed into ROYAL colonies with royal governors
APPOINTED by the English government.
• By the early 1700s, most
colonial governments shared
a similar pattern of
government:
 The King appointed a
governor who acted as
_________
chief executive.
Colonial legislature
 ________
_________ served
under the governor
 Legislature included an
advisory _______
council (mostly
________
wealthy landowners
appointed by the King.
_______:
Courts Patterned after those of England
_____
Local ____________:
governments Mainly for purposes of
collecting taxes
TYPES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Town
New England Colonies: “______”
County
Middle Colonies: “_______”
Southern Colonies: “_______”
Parrish
• As “Chief Executives,” the colonial royal governors wielded a great
deal of power—they could call and dismiss the legislature, veto any
act passed by the legislature, served as Commander-in-Chief of the
armed forces, sat on the colony’s Supreme Court, could grant
pardons, appoint and fire judges, pass out land grants, regulate
colonial trade, and held supremacy over many religious affairs.
• The legislature had the right to initiate all funding bills, created and
passed laws regarding defense and taxation, and called assemblies.
• At face value, who held the majority of power in the colonies—the
Royal Governors or the colonial legislatures?
• With the “POWER OF THE PURSE”—the power to set and administer
salaries to ALL public officials and all funding…
• The colonial legislatures (not the governors) dominated
colonial governments. (ADD TO BOTTOM OF NOTE PACKET)
• The governors had to depend on the legislators to get paid.