Notes: Mercantilism & Colonial America
Mercantilism Definition: The system used by England to control trade in its empire Using mercantilism, a mother country will become wealthy if they export more than they import The main reasons to have colonies were: To get raw materials from the colonies To extent military power and influence To sell products to the colonists To sell finished goods to the colonists
Triangular Trade Definition: Trading networks in which goods and slaves moved among England, the American colonies, and Africa Countries export, or send away, goods they don’t need Countries import, or bring in, goods they don’t have.
Triangular Trade Ships from Europe brought : iron, cloth, rum, & guns to Africa. Africans needed these “European” goods and traded them for Africans (slaves). The ship set sail for the Americas, where the enslaved people were exchanged for sugar, tobacco, or some other product. The final leg brought the ship back to Europe.
Middle Passage The Middle Passage was the forced transportation of African people from Africa to the Americas as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Sometimes slaves were allowed to move around, but most ships kept them shackled, or chained Slave exports doubled during the 1700s Slave labor was used in the southern British colonies to grow crops for export Tobacco Sugar Rice
Life on Slaving Ships Enslaved people were fed one small meal a day with water. About 25% of slaves died from: Malnutrition Dehydration Scurvy Smallpox Dysentery
Navigation Acts Definition: England’s laws restricting colonial trade These were laws passed by Parliament Colonies could only trade with England for certain items Colonial traders had to use English ships and pay port taxes when they landed in English ports
Great Awakening Definition: A religious movement that became widespread in the American colonies in the 1730’s and 1740’s All types of people participated Various Races, genders, classes People from all of the colonies met each other, worshipped together, wrote letters At revivals ministers talked about spiritual equality and how everyone should seek forgiveness for their sins or be punished This message got some people thinking about social and political equality