NEXT
Section 1
Early American Culture The British colonies were shaped by prosperity, literacy, and new movements in religion and thought.
Land, Rights, and Wealth
NEXT
• Cheap farmland, many resources give colonists chance to prosper
1SECTION
• Property owners, landowners, city dwellers who pay fee could vote
Early American Culture
• American colonies have three classes:- high rank—large landowners - middle rank—small farmers - low rank—servants, slaves, hired workers
• Colonial women hold the same rank as their husbands or fathers
Women and the Economy
NEXT
1SECTION
• Enslaved African women help raise cash crops
• Women in towns do housework, some run inns, businesses
• Also work in fields, barter with neighbors for goods and services
• Most white women are farm wives: do housework, tend gardens, animals
• Women could not own property without husband’s permission
• Women could not vote, preach, or hold office
Women working in Colonial Tin ware shop (18th century).
Young People at Work
NEXT
1SECTION
• Colonial families often large; more children means more workers
• Work free 4—7 years; receive necessities, training; then work for wages
• At age 11, boys often become apprentices—learn trade from craftsmen
• At age 6, boys are “breeched,” help father at work
• At age 13 or 14, often sent to households to learn specialized skills
• Girls rarely apprenticed, learn household skills from mother
A potter and assistants working in Colonial America (18th century).
Colonial Schooling
NEXT
1SECTION
• Most children are taught to read to understand Bible
• Textbooks emphasize religion
• Poor children learn reading from mother or “dame schools”
• Only children from rich families learn writing, arithmetic
• Educated African Americans rare; illegal to teach enslaved to read
• Colonial America has high literacy rate
Newspapers and Books
NEXT
1SECTION
• Many newspapers appear in colonial America
• Captivity narratives popular, about colonists captured by Native Americans
• Almanacs, regional histories, personal stories are popular
• Most books come from England; gradually colonists publish own books
The Great Awakening
1SECTION
• Many colonists lose religious passion; religion seems dry, distant
• Jonathan Edwards is a popular preacher involved with Great Awakening
• In 1730s, 1740s, the Great Awakening religious movement is influential:- emphasizes inner religious emotion - deemphasizes outward religious behavior
Continued . . .NEXT
NEXT
1SECTION
• Great Awakening encourages equality, right to challenge authority
• Great Awakening changes colonial culture:- congregations argue about religious
practices, split apart - many join other Protestant groups - some groups welcome women - some groups welcome African Americans,
Native Americans • Inspires George Whitefield; sermons raise
money for home for orphans
continued The Great Awakening
English evangelist George Whitefield giving a sermon (18th century).
The Enlightenment
1SECTION
• The Enlightenment emphasizes knowledge through reason, science
• Enlightenment begins in Europe; scientists discover natural laws
• Benjamin Franklin is famous American Enlightenment figure
Continued . . .NEXT
NEXT
1SECTION
• English philosopher John Locke says people have natural rights: - rights to life, liberty, property - natural rights protected by government - if government fails, people have right to
change it• Ideas about natural rights, government
influence Europe, colonies
continued The Enlightenment
NEXT
Section 2
Roots of RepresentationColonists expected their government to preserve their basic rights as English subjects.
The Rights of Englishmen
NEXT
2SECTION
• In 1215, King John is forced to accept Magna Carta (Great Charter)
• Over time, rights of Magna Carta are granted to all English people
• Magna Carta grants rights to English noblemen and freemen: - cannot have property seized by king or his
officials - in most cases, cannot be taxed unless
council agrees - cannot be put on trial without witnesses - can be punished only by jury of peers
Roots of Representation
King John signs the Magna Carta in 1215. Illustration after Alonzo Chappel.
Parliament and Colonial Government
2SECTION
• Parliament—England’s chief lawmaking body has two houses: - members of House of Commons are elected
by the people - members of House of Lords are nonelected • English colonists form representative assemblies like House of Commons
Continued . . .NEXT
NEXT
2SECTION
• English colonists govern themselves in some ways
• Passes laws that affect colonies • Parliament has no colonial representatives
• Colonists dislike these laws, clash with king-appointed royal governor
• England has authority over colonial governments
continued Parliament and Colonial Government
A Royal Governor’s Rule
NEXT
2SECTION
• James II becomes king (1685), imposes strict rule on colonies
• Andros ends representative assemblies; colonists refuse to pay taxes
• Appoints royal governor Edmund Andros to rule dominion
• Combines Massachusetts and Northern colonies into one dominion
Sir Edmund Andros, British Colonial governor in America.
England’s Glorious Revolution
2SECTION
• English Parliament overthrows King James, appoints William and Mary
• Change in leadership is called England’s Glorious Revolution (1688)
Continued . . .NEXT
NEXT
2SECTION
• William and Mary uphold the English Bill of Rights (1689): - monarch cannot cancel laws, - cannot impose taxes unless Parliament
agrees - free elections, frequent meetings of
Parliament - excessive fines and cruel punishment
forbidden - people can complain to monarch without
being arrested
• American colonists claim these rights
• Establishes government based on law, not on desires of ruler
continued England’s Glorious Revolution
Shared Power in the Colonies
2SECTION
• After Glorious Revolution, Massachusetts regains self-government
• Governor, his council, colonial assembly share power
• Still have king-appointed royal governor
Continued . . .NEXT
NEXT
2SECTION
• Royal governor can strike down laws
• England has little involvement in colonial affairs—salutary neglect
• If governor blocks law, assembly might refuse to pay him
• Colonial assembly responsible for governor’s salary
continued Shared Power in the Colonies
• Governors rarely enforce certain laws; colonists feel independent
NEXT
2SECTION
• John Peter Zenger—publisher of New-York Weekly Journal
• Stands trial; jury says he has right to speak truth
• At the time, illegal to criticize government in print
• In 1735, he prints criticism of New York’s governor
• Is released; colonists move toward freedom of press
The Zenger Trial
Journalist John Peter Zenger acquitted in libel case (1735)—a victory for freedom of the press.
NEXT
Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War forced France to give up its North American colonies.
Section 3
The French and Indian War
France Claims Western Lands
NEXT
• French claim territory from Appalachian range to Rocky Mountains (1682)
3SECTION
• Main French settlements along the St. Lawrence River in Canada
The French and Indian War
• Colony of New France’s population about 80,000 (1760)
• British colonies’ population more than a million settlers (1760)
• Many Europeans in New France work as fur traders
A French trader visits a Native American family.
Native American Alliances
NEXT
3SECTION
• English compete with French for furs
• Series of wars between French, English, and Native American allies
• Huron, Algonquin peoples allies of French; Iroquois allies of English
• Native American groups compete to supply furs to Europeans
• Final war is the French and Indian War (1754—1763)
Conflict in the Ohio River Valley
3SECTION
• British fur traders move into Ohio River Valley (1750s)
• French refuse to leave, capture English fort, rename it Fort Duquesne
• French build forts to protect region; Virginia colony upset, claim region
• French destroy village and British trading post to keep British out
NEXT
War Begins and Spreads
NEXT
3SECTION
• George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French troops (1754)
• Iroquois refuse to ally themselves with British
• Seven Years’ War is worldwide struggle for empire between Britain, France
• French and Indian War part of larger Seven Years’ War
• Benjamin Franklin’s plan to unite colonies—Albany Plan of Union
• Colonial legislatures defeat this plan
Braddock’s Defeat
NEXT
3SECTION
• British send General Edward Braddock, two regiments to Virginia
• Braddock killed; second-in-command Washington miraculously survives
• Braddock and his troops defeated by French and Indian troops (1755)
Interactive
The British Take Quebec
NEXT
3SECTION
• By 1759, British control six French forts
• British commander James Wolfe, French commander Montcalm killed
• Finally, British troops sneak up cliff path, attack fort in morning
• For two months British unable to capture the fort at Quebec
• British defeat French at Battle of Quebec; turning point of war
British troops disembark and climb cliff path in attack on French Quebec (1759).
The Treaty of Paris
NEXT
3SECTION
• Britain, France battle in other parts of world three more years
• Treaty of Paris:- Britain claims all of North America east of
the Mississippi - France gives New Orleans and Louisiana
territory to Spain - Britain gives Cuba, Philippines to Spain for
Florida - ends French power in North America
• Seven Years’ War ends in 1763; British win
Pontiac’s Rebellion
NEXT
3SECTION
• British settlers move onto Native American lands
• This starts deadly outbreak; Native Americans retreat
• British give Delaware war leaders smallpox-infected blankets
• Native Americans attack settlers, destroy forts—Pontiac’s Rebellion
• British issue Proclamation of 1763: - forbids colonists to settle west of
Appalachians - angers colonists who thought they had won
right to settle