Foundations of the American Revolution

Overview

• During this period, the foundations of the American Revolution were being laid.
• British colonies engaged in exchanges with Great Britain that encouraged stronger bonds but also resistance to British control.

Key Exchanges

• Political, Social, Cultural, and Economic Exchanges
  • These exchanges encouraged both stronger bonds and resistance.

Cultural Changes

• The First Great Awakening
  • Occurred in the 1730s and 1740s.
  • Influenced by English revival preaching.
  • A transatlantic phenomenon, occurring simultaneously in Britain and the colonies.
  • An evangelical movement, significant for the 1800s and 1900s.
  • Key figures: George Whitfield (British preacher) and Jonathan Edwards (American preacher).

British Governance

• Transatlantic Empire
  • British government aimed to unify colonies into a single Empire.
• Mercantilism
  • Policy emphasizing exports over imports.
  • Colonies were used to produce goods for global trade.
• Salutary Neglect
  • British rarely enforced their own laws.
  • Colonists grew accustomed to self-governance, creating tensions.

Development of American Slavery

• Slavery in the Colonies
  • Initially relied on indentured servitude, akin to debt slavery.
  • Shifted to African slave trade due to insufficient indentured servants.
  • Slavery prevalent in American South.
• Ideological Justifications
  • Racist ideology that God intended for white people to enslave black people.
  • This ideology became central to Southern identity by the 1860s.
• Focus on Slave Culture
  • Recent historical focus on the culture slaves maintained and developed.
  • Interest in their music, religion, and traditions.

Central Tensions

• British Empire was massive and culturally unified.
• American colonies began developing independent governing institutions.
• These tensions contributed to the American Revolution of the 1760s and 1770s.