Chapter 3
The American Colonies
Take Shape
Immigration and Slavery
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Push – Pull factors
– Push – negative, causing you to leave
– Pull – positive, drawing you to one area
Immigrants – Germany, Scotland, Ireland
 Indentured Servants – passage paid in
return for work contract
 Portugal - African slave trade
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Middle Passage – journey from Africa
Different languages and cultures
MOST went to West Indies
Strong immune system
http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/the-valueof-tobacco
Slavery cont.
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Triangular Trade
North – smallest
number; farmhands,
dockworkers, house
servants
Middle & South –
tobacco, sugar,
indigo, rice
Phillis Wheatley – Af.
American poet
Government
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English tradition of democracy
Magna Carta – 1215
– Reduced power of king
– Needed consent of nobles to pass laws
– Parliament – bicameral legislature (2 houses)
Self rule in colonies – local govts., town meetings,
etc.
1689 – Glorious Revolution – William and Mary signed
English Bill of Rights
– Guarantees freedoms from Magna Carta
– Habeas Corpus – cannot hold someone w/out
charge
– Jury Trial
Economic Relationship
Salutary Neglect – England trades with
colonies and allows self-rule (ignores)
 Mercantilism – System of trade – mother
country exports goods in exchange for
gold and silver
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– Both sides benefit
– England benefits the most – sells more than
they purchase
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Navigation Acts – only English ships could
trade with colonies, specified certain
products could only go to England, had to
use an English port and pay duties (taxes)
New Ideas
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Enlightenment – European ideas that all problems
could be solved by human reason
Scientific Revolution – used observation &
experimentation
Challenged thinking about religion, science,
government; apply natural laws & reason to gov.
Challenged ideas of unlimited government,
proposed “natural” rights of people, basic human
(inalienable) rights, govt. by the consent of the
governed (the people)
Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau
Benjamin Franklin inspired by Enlightenment –
scientist, inventor, writer, “Renaissance Man”
http://www.history.com/videos/the-eventful-lifeof-benjamin-franklin
New Ideas cont.
 Great
Awakening – Revival of
religious fervor; power of individual
 Evangelical preachers traveled
preaching
 Rejected Enlightenment/Secular
ideas
 Jonathon Edwards, George Whitefield
 Led to formation of new churches,
independent thinking
Wars of Empire
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Worldwide struggle for empires
N. America – France vs. England
French & Indian War (1754)
– Indians allied with French (some w/English)
– Washington – young British soldier
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Treaty of Paris 1763 ends war – British win
control of N. America (& Canada)
Flood of British settlers into Indian lands
Pontiac’s Rebellion – uprising against settlers;
ran out of ammunition, defeated
Made peace in exchange for Proclamation of 1763
(no settlers west of Appalachian mountains)
Aftermath
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Revealed split between British & colonists
British wanted greater control
Wanted colonists to pay for war
Albany Plan of Union (Benjamin Franklin)
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First attempt to unite colonies
Failed – colonies didn’t want to give up authority
Timeline – Jamestown 1607 – Georgia 1733
British first supported then changed - didn’t like idea of
united colonies
This war is the beginning of the trouble between
the British and the colonists – will lead to
REVOLUTION!