Problems in the Colonies

Bacon’s Rebellion 1660 – Gov. Berkeley governs a successful Jamestown colony, exercising complete control over the House of Burgesses. Berkeley only allows his friends into the HOB. Once he and his friends control the government, Berkeley exempts them from taxes and limits voting only to those who own property. These new policies anger Jamestown’s backcountry and tenant farmers.

Bacon’s Rebellion Frustrated backcountry and tenant farmers become even more angered when Berkeley refuses to authorize military action against the Natives. Natives had been attacking frontier farmers trying to expand west into Native land. Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy landowner whose farm had been attacked, took up the cause of the small-time farmers before Gov. Berkeley. Bacon raises an army of 1,000 men, attacks the Natives, restores the rights of the farmers, and displaces Berkeley from power.

Bacon’s Rebellion Why were the backcountry and tenant farmers angry in Jamestown in the 1660s?

Slavery in the Colonies Between 1450 and 1870, roughly 10-12 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas. The voyage from Africa to the Americas became known as the Middle Passage. Breakdown: 3.5 million to Brazil 1.5 million to Spanish colonies 4 million to sugar plantations in Caribbean 500,000 to North America

Triangular Trade Three-way trade route that exchanged goods between America and two other trading partners.

Mercantilism Economic theory that a nation’s power depends on its wealth. European nations, especially England, started stockpiling gold and silver to become wealthier. The easiest way to become a wealthier nation was to take advantage of the colonies financially.

Navigation Acts 1660 – King Charles I imposes the Navigation Acts on the colonies in order to make more money for England. Law required all colonial imports and exports to . . . Only be carried on English ships, With a crew that was at least ¾ English, And sold only to England or other colonies. Goal: Keep the money in England.

Staple Act 1663 – King Charles again doles out laws aimed at getting money from the colonies, taking away the rights of colonial businessmen. All goods being imported into the colonies must physically go through England, be taxed, and placed on English ships for travel. Staple Act costs businesses a lot of money. Once the goods arrive in the colonies, they are more expensive, as businesses try to make up for their losses.

Dominion of New England Many colonies began violating the rules of the Navigation Acts and Staple Act – smuggling, lying, etc. Fed up with colonial law-breaking, King James II groups several colonies into one royal colony – run absolutely by the King. MA, Plymouth, RI, CT, NJ, NY