Transcript The Development of New England Colonies

Colonial
Regions
Backcountryran along the
Appalachian
mountains
English Colonies Population in North America:
• 1700: 257,000
• 1750: 1,170,000
NE-Atlantic Trade

Three types of trade:
1.
2.
3.

Trade with other colonies.
Direct Exchange of goods with Europe.
Triangular trade
Triangular trade- the transatlantic system of trade in which
goods, including slaves, were exchanged between Africa,
Europe, and the Americas.
Navigation Acts

Because New England made profits from trade, England wanted
to receive part of those profits so England instituted the
Navigation Acts.
Navigation Acts- 1651
1.
2.
3.
4.
All shipping had to be done on English ships or ships made in the
English colonies.
Products such as tobacco, wood, or sugar could be sold only to
England or its colonies.
European imports to the colonies had to pass through English
ports.
English officials were to tax any colonial goods not shipped to
England.

Merchants ignored the acts: led to smuggling- importing or
exporting goods illegally.

Also had trouble preventing pirates from interfering.
African Americans in New England

Few slaves in New England, slavery not economical in this
region of small farms and short growing seasons.

Some slaves were hired out to work on docks, shops, or
warehouses.

Occasionally some enslaved persons were able to buy
freedom- could become a merchant, sailor, printer,
carpenter or landowner.

New England was home to more free blacks than any other
region, but were still not treated equally.
Changes in Puritan Society

Gradual decline of the Puritan religion.
Caused by:
1.
Drive for economic success conflicted with Puritan views
2.
Competition from other religious groups (Baptists, Anglicans)
3.
Political changes- a new royal charter granted religious freedom for
all.

Vote based on property ownership, not church membership
Middle Colonies

Good Conditions attracted immigrants



German farmers created advanced farming methods.
Produced cash crops
After harvesting corn, wheat, rye or other grains—they were
taken to the gristmill—where they were ground into flour.

These were built on rivers and used water power.
The middle colonies were nicknamed “the breadbasket”
Middle Colonies-Cities

Excellent harbors were the perfect site for cities– New York
City (Hudson River), Philadelphia (Delaware River)


They exported cash crops and imported manufactured goods
The wealth of Philadelphia and NYC brought public
improvements:



Buildings
Paved roads
Streetlights (oil)
Diversity and Tolerance

The early settlers to the middle colonies—The Dutch and the
Quakers—helped to promote tolerance.

Quakers
Insisted on the equality of men and woman

First to raise voices against slavery
Tolerant attitude of most people, did not prevent slavery in the
middle colonies.
Southern Colonies

South’s soil/climate allowed for year-round growing—ideal
for rice and tobacco.

Required much labor to produce these cash crops.

In the 1660s, planters began using more enslaved Africans on their plantations.


By 1750, 40 % of the South’s population were enslaved Africans.
The turn to slavery made plantation owners with a large
number of slaves even wealthier.

New social class—THE PLANTER CLASS

They were a small part of the South’s population , but held the
most economic and political power in the South.
Life Under Slavery

Planters hired overseers to watch and direct the work of
slaves.


Overseers punished slaves who they thought weren’t doing
their full share of work.
Slaves lived in small one-room cabins furnished with sleeping cots; Typical food for a week
might be a small basket of corn and a pound of pork

In spite of brutal conditions, many kept customs and beliefs
from their homelands

These customs and beliefs became the basis of African-American
culture.
Slave Rebellions

Africans fought their enslavement in several ways:




Working slowly on purpose
Damaging goods
Pretending not to understand orders
Open Rebellion

Stono Rebellion- an uprising of slaves that led to planters
making stricter slave laws (couldn’t leave the plantation without
permission, slaves were not allowed to meet with free blacks)

Backcountry
The region of dense forests located near the Appalachian
Mountains

Settlers


First made a living trading with Native Americans
Farmers began to move to the region and built log cabins to
shelter their families.
The desire for land led many Backcountry settlers to move
westward.

The move west led to more encounters with Native Americans—
and even the Spanish and French.