1660-1763
 By 1670, there were approximately 55 000 whites living
in New England
 The ‘Indian’ population, estimated to have been 120
000 in 1570, had shrunk to 70 000 in 1620, and barely
16 000 by 1670.
• In 1675-6, Metacomet,
leader of the Wampanoag,
united with the
Narragansett and Nipmuck
to attack the white colonies
of New England.
• 20% of English towns in
Massachusetts and Rhode
Island were burned, and 5%
of the adult whites were
killed.
• The attacks ended with Metacomet’s death.
• The natives paid a heavy price – up to 25% of the New England natives were
killed from famine and disease as well as the battles themselves.
• Many of the survivors were sold into slavery, including Metacom’s wife and 9year-old son.
• New England natives were forced to accept their dependent status and lived
on the margins of white society
• They had lost land and people, and would see the integrity of their traditional
cultures dwindle.
 Relationships between the settlers and natives were
built on trade. The natives would give furs for iron
utensils and cloth blankets.
 Within a few generations, the erosion of traditional
artisanal skills created greater dependence on the
colonists.
 Culture was also lost due to the fur trade.
Warriors of the Micmac
in Nova Scotia claimed
that they no longer knew
“whether the beavers
were among our friends
or our enemies.”
(see pages 75-76 and 97 in the textbook)
The Road To Revolution
 Important concepts to understand:
 How Parliament sought to tighten political control over
the colonies
 Why colonists resorted to political protest against
British policies
 For the most part, the British attitude toward the
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colonies was that they existed to provide England with
goods from the New World.
For a time, salutary neglect was policy – this was
meant to limit the number of regulations on the
colonies in order to allow them to flourish.
As the colonies grew, so too did their desire for
independence and self-sustenance
To avoid dealing with the relatively lenient laws that
WERE in place, many merchants would just smuggle
goods.
Eventually, Parliament decides that it must get
involved and begin enforcing its laws.
 In 1651, Parliament passed the Navigation Act,
whereby all goods shipped between England and the
colonies had to be carried in ships build either in
England or the colonies.
 This would limit trade with other countries
 In 1660, Parliament lists “enumerated articles” such as
tobacco, cotton, sugar, and indigo, which could be
shipped only to England. This lowered prices for
plantation owners, as it limited demand despite everincreasing supply (and led to the rise of huge
plantations, as they were the only ones that would be
truly profitable). It also limited the growth of the
colonial economy, because they couldn’t sell their
product to the Dutch, who offered the most money.
Other Trade Acts:
• 1699 – The Woolen Act –
Forbids the export of
wool from the American
colonies
• 1732 – The Hat Act –
forbids the export of hats
from the American
colonies
• 1733 – The Molasses Act –
•
Puts a heavy tax on the import of sugar and molasses.
Helps the British West Indes plantation owners.
1750 – The Iron Act – restricted the manufacture of
iron in America.
 This policy of mercantilism (or the belief that strict
control of foreign trade is necessary for a country’s
survival) slowed the development of the colonies.
 The Americans were crafty, however, and were prone to
bribing the deputies whose role was to enforce the laws
and collect taxes in their name.
 The Revenue Act of 1762, however, put an end to
deputies standing in place of those whose job was to
enforce the laws and collection of taxes and tariffs.
 In 1763 England sent 10 000 troops to North America
 To prevent the rebellion of 60 000 French in Quebec
who had just lost the French-Indian war, and who had
had to cede North America to the British.
 To protect the colonies from the Spanish, who wanted
Florida back
 To protect the Proclamation line, which in 1763 was
established as a border between the natives and landhungry whites
 The British had amassed significant debt in fighting the
French for control of North America. In 1754, their
national debt was 75 million pounds. By 1763, that
number had increased to 133 million.