US History EOC Intensive Review: Colonial America

Introduction

• Focus on preparing for the EOC with a review of US history.
• Begin with Standard 1.1 concerning Colonial America.

Motives for Colonization

• Religious Motives:
  • Predominantly in New England.
  • Religious freedom sought by Puritans and separatists.
• Economic Motives:
  • More prevalent in the southern colonies.
  • Middle colonies had a mix of both motives.

The 13 Colonies

• New England Colonies:
  • Massachusetts as representative.
  • Settled for Religious Freedom (not necessarily religious toleration).
• Mid-Atlantic Colonies:
  • Pennsylvania as representative.
  • Limited diversity; Maryland for Catholics, Pennsylvania for Quakers.
• Southern Colonies:
  • Virginia and South Carolina as representatives.
  • Economic motives predominant.

Religion in Colonial America

• New England:
  • Religious freedom sought by settlers.
  • Leaders like John Winthrop emphasized creating a "city on a hill."
  • No religious toleration; dissenters like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson exiled.
• Mid-Atlantic:
  • Diverse religious practices; more tolerance.
  • Quakers in Pennsylvania, Catholics in Maryland (Toleration Act for Trinitarian Christians).
• Southern Colonies:
  • Predominantly economic motives, with the Church of England as the established church.

Society and Economy

• New England Society:
  • Egalitarian with clergy as the dominant class.
• Southern Society:
  • Hierarchical, landowners as the dominant class.
  • Economy driven by Plantation slavery.

English Political Traditions

• Magna Carta & Parliament:
  • Symbolize taxation by consent and representative governance.
• Traditions in Colonies:
  • Popular and representative government.
  • New England: Town meetings as a form of popular government.
  • Southern Colonies: House of Burgesses as a representative body.

Economy of the Colonies

• New England:
  • Commerce-based; shipbuilding, fishing.
• Mid-Atlantic:
  • Staple crops like wheat and corn on family farms.
• Southern Colonies:
  • Cash crops, predominantly harvested by slave labor.
  • Triangular Trade: Colonies for raw materials, Europe for finished goods, Africa for slaves.

Mercantilism and Navigation Acts

• Mercantilism:
  • System governing trade; colonies trade with the mother country.
• Navigation Acts (1651):
  • Legislation for mercantilist economy.
  • Strict enforcement was lax (salutary neglect), leading to tensions post-French and Indian War.

Conclusion

• Next segment will discuss English traditions of government.