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OLITICS OF AN

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MPIRE

Ch.3

T HE B RITISH E MPIRE

  “A magnificent superstructure of American commerce and naval power on an African foundation.”  Malachy Postlewhyt “We have within ourselves and in our colonies in America an inexhaustible fund to supply ourselves.”  English pamplet

1660-1713

 Much political independence for colonies prior to 1660.

 After restoration came more political control  The Restoration Colonies  Carolina, NJ, NY, PA, GA, NH, Nova Scotia

C AROLINA

 Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina set up manorial system  Fantasy due to socioeconomic status of inhabitants  Rebellion in Albemarle (1677) and Indian warfare until 1720’s

P ENNSYLVANIA

 William Penn  Refuge for Quakers (Society of Friends)   1681 Wanted to restore original spirituality and simplicity to Christianity  Followed teachings of George Fox and Margaret Fell  “inner light” of grace and understanding

P ENNSYLVANIA

 Frame of Government (1681) applied Quakers’ radical beliefs to politics of colony  Religious freedom, no established church, political equality for men

M ERCANTILISM

   Extended mercantilism to America through Navigation Acts Revenue Act of 1673 to pay customs officials  Imposed a “plantation duty” on American exports of sugar and tobacco Many colonists refused to obey new laws   Massachusetts Bay punished- England refused its claim to New Hampshire and established a new royal colony there 1684 revoked charter of Massachusetts Bay

K ING J AMES II

 1686- Revoked charters of Rhode Island and Connecticut and merged them with Massachusetts Bay    Created the Dominion of New England Later added NJ and NY to it No town meetings, must follow Church of England, challenged land titles  King James II later ousted in Glorious Revolution

U PRISING IN M ARYLAND M ASSACHUSETTS AND

 April of 1689 Puritans seized Gov. Edmund Andros of Dominion of New England and sent him back to England  William and Mary disbanded the Dominion of New England and created royal colonies  Poor farmers in MD opposed taxes on tobacco and removed Catholic governor  English officials supported it and suspended Lord Baltimore’s proprietorship

L EISLER ’ S R EBELLION IN NY

  Leisler rebelled against Dominion of New England and ousted Lt. Gov. Nicholson Initially supported, Leisler became unpopular when he imposed new taxes and imprisoned political rivals  Royal Gov. Sloughter had him tried for treason, hanged, and decapitated

I MPERIAL W ARS AND N ATIVE P EOPLES

 Between 1689 and 1815 Great Britain and France fought series of wars that extended to America  War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713)     GB vs. France and Spain Carolinians attacked Spanish FL with Creeks Spanish attacked Charleston Creeks and Yamasees attacked Carolinians over repayment of debt in 1715

I MPERIAL W ARS AND N ATIVE P EOPLES

  New England- Catholic Mohawk and Abenaki attacked Protestants  New England settlers attacked French settlements and gained Nova Scotia in 1710 Iroquois Policy of Peace  “Aggressive Neutrality” for the sake of the fur trade

I MPERIAL S LAVE E CONOMY

 South Atlantic System   Centered in Brazil and West Indies Linked entire empire  Sugar most profitable crop    1750 American sugar and tobacco was ½ of British exports Slave trade was lucrative business Devastating to African population  Marriage, slave wars, creation of militaristic states

M IDDLE P ASSAGE

 Slaves revolted on at least 2,000 voyages   Nearly 100,000 died from revolts and 1 million from diseases Retained customs because of constant influx of Africans

S LAVERY IN C HESAPEAKE

    Due to Bacon’s Rebellion plantation system emerges  1720 Africans are 20% of population 1692 VA prohibited sexual intercourse between English and Africans 1705 law defined nearly all Africans as slaves By 1750 slaves were nearly 35% of the population

S LAVERY I N S OUTH C AROLINA

 More severe than in Chesapeake  Rice farming much harsher  Violent discipline like that of Caribbean  Slaves made up 80% of the population  Thousands imported

A FRICAN A MERICAN R EBELLION C OMMUNITY AND

  Some owners preferred diversity because of possible revolts Africans identified by tribes  Eventually merged ethnic groups and created new languages and merged customs  Denied education, material goods, violently punished  Stono Rebellion of 1739 in SC  Slaves promised freedom in Spanish FL   Slaves killed whites near Stono River and marched to FL Militia killed many but left South Carolina in fear

N ORTHERN M ARITIME E CONOMY

  New England farmers provided West Indies with bread, wheat, corn, fish, lumber, etc. and port cities grew Bills of Exchange- credit from London merchants  Hurt economy in North America

T HE E MPIRE 1713-1750

  After 1690 there was another period of lax administration After Glorious Revolution colonial governments also attempted to reduced royal officials’ power   Refused to pay governors, took over taxation system and government appointments Unpopular laws were taken care of by angry mobs

S ALUTARY N EGLECT

 British colonial policy during reigns of George I and II (1714-1760)  Allowed rise of American self-government   Relaxed supervision of colonies to focus on trade and defense Walpole: “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

G EORGIA

 Created as a “refuge for Britain’s poor”   Really to protect SC from Spanish FL Fighting between Spain and Great Britain became part of War of Austrian Succession (1740 1748)  Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle gave French fortress of Louisbourg in exchange for Georgia

A MERICAN E CONOMIC C HALLENGE

 Navigation Acts  Laws against American manufacturing of textiles and iron products  Laws largely ignored and traded directly with French West Indies   Led to Molasses Act of 1733 (again, largely ignored) Lack of and need for colonial currency led to its creation   Currency Act of 1751 Parliament felt it needed tighter control on colonies…. Big mistake.