Overview
This lecture covers the creation of Anglo-America (1660–1750), focusing on the interactions among European settlers, Africans, and Native Americans, the rise of slavery, colonial economies, social hierarchies, and political changes within the British colonies.
Colonization and Land Use
- English colonists mainly settled as farmers, often clashing with Native Americans over differing land ownership concepts.
- Native Americans practiced communal land use and seasonal farming, while Europeans believed in individual land ownership.
- Competition for land led to repeated conflicts between settlers and indigenous peoples.
Mercantilism and Trade Policies
- England adopted mercantilism, aiming to maximize national wealth by controlling colonial trade.
- The Navigation Acts restricted colonial trade to British ships and markets, enriching England.
- These policies boosted the colonial economy and diminished Dutch control over Atlantic commerce.
Expansion of English Colonies
- England gained control of New Netherlands, renaming it New York, and founded colonies like New Jersey, Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
- English rule sometimes reduced rights for women and free Black people but promoted religious tolerance in some areas.
- The Iroquois Confederacy allied with the English through the Covenant Chain.
Growth of Slavery
- Labor shortages and plantation economies led to increasing reliance on African slavery, first in the Caribbean and then in North America.
- Slave codes legally defined Africans as property and set slavery as a hereditary, lifelong condition.
- Atlantic slave trade became central to colonial economies, especially in the South.
Political Change and the Glorious Revolution
- The Glorious Revolution (1688) established Parliamentary supremacy and Protestant succession in England.
- Rebellions in the colonies followed, leading to restored or altered colonial charters and greater religious tolerance for Protestants.
- “Salutary neglect” allowed colonial legislatures significant autonomy.
Society, Economy, and Immigration
- Colonies became more diverse with increased African, German, Scots-Irish, and other European migration.
- Slavery concentrated in the South, while most free colonists were small landowning farmers.
- Colonial cities grew as centers of trade and craftsmanship; artisans operated in hierarchical systems.
Social Hierarchies and Daily Life
- Wealth concentration increased, with Southern plantation owners and urban merchants forming colonial elites.
- Most white colonists owned land, unlike in England, and defined freedom through economic self-sufficiency.
- Workhouses addressed urban poverty, but no aid was given to free unemployed Black people.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Mercantilism — Economic policy where the government regulates trade to increase national wealth.
- Navigation Acts — British laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England.
- Covenant Chain — Alliance between English colonists and the Iroquois Confederacy.
- Slave Codes/Black Codes — Laws defining slavery and restricting rights of Black people.
- Salutary Neglect — British policy of minimal interference in colonial affairs.
- Glorious Revolution — Peaceful overthrow establishing Parliamentary rule over the English throne.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the impact of mercantilism and the Navigation Acts on colonial economies.
- Study the causes and effects of the rise of slavery and slave codes.
- Prepare for discussion on increased imperial control and growing colonial resistance in upcoming chapters.