Chapter 3
American Colonies in the British
Empire
 Mercantilism – An economic system
in which nations seek to increase
their wealth and power by obtaining
large amounts of Gold & Silver and
by establishing a favorable balance
of trade
 The British used the American
colonies to make Britain richer
 The colonies would grow raw
materials
 Such as Cotton, Tobacco, Timber,
Furs
 These materials would be
exported to Britain, refined into a
finished product, and sold to
other nations.
 (Look at page 67. Answer the
questions)
Navigation Acts
 Fearing competition from Spain and France, the
English Parliament passed the Navigation acts – a
series of laws that restricted colonial trade
 Terms of the Navigation Acts
 All Foreign trade had to be shipped in Colonial or
English ships
 All of these ships had to have English or Colonial crews
 All Foreign trade had to first be shipped to a port in
England
 Certain goods could only be sent only to England.
Opposition to the Nav. Acts
 Many colonial merchants –




(businessmen) resented the laws that
limited their trade.
As a result, there was a huge increase in
smuggling, or trading illegally.
After allowing smuggling for years both
King Charles II and James cracked
down on the practice.
As a result of its disobedience
Massachusetts colonial charter was
revoked and it became a royal colony.
James even questioned the lawfulness
of the Puritan religion (He was a
Catholic)
Glorious Revolution and a change
in policy
 Fearing a long line of
Catholic Monarchs,
Parliament invited William
of Orange and his wife
Mary (daughter of current
King James II), both being
protestants, to take over
the throne.
 As a result there was a
change in colonial policy
 Mainly in New England,
where King James had
cracked down on
Puritanism.
Salutary Neglect
 After the Glorious Revolution
England, relaxed its colonial
regulations and allowed the
states to govern themselves
 Salutary Neglect – England gave
colonies in America a large
degree of self government from
1700 until 1750’s
 This period was important
because it gave the colonists a
taste for freedom and
independence that would later
lead to the American Revolution
Sectionalism emerges
 As England loosened its reigns on the colonies
Northern and Southern colonies became more and
more different.
 The regions’ climate and economic activity were the
primary factors, but religion and culture did play a role
as well.
The South
 Since Jamestown the lifeblood of the Southern colonies was agriculture
 Why?

The soil was fertile and the climate was warm and rainy. Perfect growing conditions
 These conditions in addition to the success of earlier colonists caused many farmers and
aspiring famers to move to the south.

Cash Crop – a crop grown primarily for sale rather than use by the famer
 Ex: Tobacco, rice, indigo, (Later) Cotton
Southern famers gain wealth
 During the 1700’s many southern
plantation owners gained a lot of
wealth.
 Because of this they controlled the
south’s political and social
institutions as well.
 There was high demand for
agriculture products and it was
getting harder to recruit indentured
servants, so many planters turn to
African slaves to fill their labor
shortages.
 Different from indentured servants,
who would gain freedom after their
contract was completed, Slaves were
bound for life.
 This meant better profits for the
planters.
Origins of the Atlantic slave trade
 During the 1600’s Europeans and
Africans collaborated to establish a
lucrative trade network involving
slaves.
 Triangular Trade system – Trade
network that involved Africa,
Europe and the Americas.
 Slaves were sent from Africa to
America
 Raw Materials were sent from
America to Europe
 Finished products were sent from
Europe to Africa
 Middle Passage – The Voyage across
the Atlantic that brought millions of
African slaves to America
 Middle leg of the triangle.
Slave Experience
 Olaudah Equiano – An African slave sent
to the Americas, who gained freedom,
moved to Britain and later wrote of his
experiences.
 Once slaves arrived they were auctioned
off to the highest bidder.
 The slaves plus all of their descendants
would always be the property of the
owner
 The worst place a slave could be sent was
the Caribbean because it has a warm
climate and a year round growing
season.
 Slaves in the American South had a
much better life than those in the
Caribbean or South America
 There were two types of slaves Field
Slaves and house servants.
Southern Slavery
 During the late 1700’s slavery
grew enormously in the South
and became entrenched in
Southern Culture.
 Southern society and culture
was identified by slavery and
agriculture.
 Slaves has no political rights and
some were treated harshly, but
contrary to myths the majority
of slaves were not beaten.
The North
 The North’s economy was a lot more diverse than the South’s.
 Unlike the South, the North’s climate wasn’t suitable for growing
cash crops
 Why? Long, cold winters
 Rocky soil
 For these reasons there were only small farms in North
 The major economic activity of the North was fishing,
shipping, lumber, and manufacturing iron.
 Because trading was so important and Merchants
(traders/business men) and others stayed around coastal
towns.
 Cities grew. New York, Boston, Philadelphia had large
populations and were sophisticated cities.
Immigrants
 Most immigrants (people moving in) to the colonies
came to the North because it was more attractive to
them
 More job opportunities
 More cities/ urban socities
 The South was populated with planters and slaves to
fill labor needs.
 While there were slaves in the North, there wasn’t near
as many and slavery was not as imbedded in society.
 Slaves had more rights in the North
Salem Witch Trials
 Feb. 1692 in Salem Mass.
Several young girls accused a
Native American Slave of
being a witch.
 Later, the girls accused others
in the town of practicing
witchcraft.
 The townspeople created an
uproar and during the chaos
19 were hanged and over 150
were put in prison.
 The chaos stopped when the
town and courts realized the
girls were making all this up.
Enlightenment comes to America
 Enlightenment ideas spread rapidly to the colonies
from Europe and had a profound impact on the
Colonists’ education and learning
 Ben Franklin – Philadelphia Inventor who applied
enlightenment ideas of experimentation and reason
(Kite experiment-- electricity)
 Thomas Jefferson young Virginia lawyer and author
influenced by the Enlightenment
The Great Awakening
 1730’s & 1740’s Emotional
Puritan revivals swept
through New England.
 The meetings
emphasized the need for
salvation and
repentance..
 Johnathan Edwards…
 Several Universities were
formed as a resultPrinceton, Brown U
The French Presence
 Ever Since 1534, when French
explorer Jacques Cartier
explored the St. Lawrence River,
a small French population had
spread from Quebec to the
interior
 Most French were either Fur
traders or priests.
 Because the main goal of the
French was Fur, and not
colonization or building towns
and cities, they developed
friendly relations with the
Natives.
 These friendly relations led to
alliances with the Hurons,
Ottawas, Objiwas
The French & Indian War
 Since both the French and British
Empires were expanding in North
America, clashes between the two
soon involved both in a very
significant war.
 1754 French built Fort Duquesne
(modern Pittsburgh) on land
claimed by British.
 Virginia sent young 22 year old
George Washington and his militia
to deal with the French
 Washington surrendered, but the
French and Indian War had started
 The War pitted British Army +
American colonist vs. French +
its Indian allies.
North America in 1750
Course & Results of the War
 Early on the French soundly
defeated British attempts to take
its forts or drive its forces out.
 Things turned around for the
British when William Pitt put in
charge of the British govt.
 The decisive battle cam in 1759
as the British took Quebec from
Montcalm’s French forces.
 In the Treaty of Paris (1763), the
French officially surrendered
and British claimed land from
the Atlantic to the Mississippi
River
Effects of the war
Problems with Natives
1.
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Financial Problems for British
2.
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3.
4.
Natives lost their ally so they began to furiously attack British outposts .
Proclamation of 1763 – British banned all settlement west of the Appalachian
Mountains.
The French & Indian war was very costly and caused the British to tax
colonists to help pay for the war.
George Grenville appointed by king as Prime Minister to solve financial
problems
British send 10,000 more troops for “colonial protection”
Sugar Act
 Halved duty on Foreign molasses
 Put taxes on some specific imports
 Smuggling cases were to be tried in British courts rather than colonial courts
 ***Active British Involvement in government and day to day operations of the
American colonies.
Day 1
 Opener:
 DQ: Who is your favorite American president? Why?
 In-Class Schedule
 Finish Last of the Mohicans
 Video Review
 Homework
 Complete Video Review
Day 2
 Opener
 State Trivia -What two states were named for British
rulers?
 In-Class Schedule
 Notes SL 1-6
 Section 1 & 2 vocab
 Explorer map test
 Alabama Counties Map
 Homework
Day 3
 Opener
 “ Some people who were born on third base go through
life thinking that they have hit a triple”

Barry Switzer
 In-Class Schedule
 Section 2 Notes 7-12
 Triangular trade worksheet (geography app.)
 Equiano Reading
 Homework
Day 4
 Opener
 Quote: Few men have virtue to withstand the highest
bidder
 George Washington
 In-Class Schedule
 Section 3 Notes 13-17
 Jonathan Edwards reading
 Comparison chart of North and South
 Homework
Day 5
 Opener
 City Trivia- What East Coast city is the City of Brotherly
Love?
 In-Class Schedule
 Notes Sl 18-22
 Political cartoon North vs. South
 Homework
 Study for test
Day 6
 Opener
 When was George Washington inaugurated as the first
president of the U.S.A.? Why? Where was the capital
city?
 In – Class Schedule
 Ch 3 Test
 Chapter 4 Sect. 1 Vocab
 Homework
Video Review
 1 Page review on the following information
 Who were the 5 Main Characters
 Setting – Where is the movie set?
 What is the Historical backdrop?
 Summarize the plot
 Did you like the movie?
 Is it historically accurate in your opinion?