SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed. A. Explain the development of mercantilism and the trans-Atlantic trade.

Trans-Atlantic Trade Characterized by competition between European nations as they sought to increase power and gain wealth through mercantilism Involved colonies as locations that provided resources Leads to trading of slaves and expansion of institution of slavery in America

Economic Development Mercantilism: economic principle followed by European nations during colonial era Included concepts of: 1) acquire and maintain wealth to increase power in world 2) export more than imported (“favorable balance of trade”) 3) acquire colonies to provide resources needed by mother country

Mercantilism Mercantilism also inspired Parliament to control transatlantic trade with its American colonies by passing the Navigation Acts in the 1660’s. All goods shipped to or from British North America had to travel in British ships, and any goods exported to Europe had to land first in Britain to pay British taxes. Some goods could be exported to Britain only. These restrictions were designed to keep the colonies from competing against Britain. Some Americans responded by becoming smugglers.

Mercantilism Mercantilism inspired the British government to view its American colonies as sources of wealth that would make Britain wealthier & stronger. The more land the British could colonize in America, the less land in the New World there would be for France & other European countries. The more American goods the British could sell to other countries, the less money those countries would have for themselves. Great Britain would get stronger, & its European rivals would get weaker.

SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed. B. Describe the Middle Passage, growth of the African population, and African-American culture.

Middle Passage Refers to “trans-atlantic” journey made by African slaves (16th-18th centuries) One leg of the “Triangular Trade” that evolved across the Atlantic Ocean (Africa, Europe, Americas)

“Triangular Trade” routes in transatlantic trade

Pictures from Tom Feeling’s 1995 Book: “The Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo”

Growth of the African Population As tobacco farmers and other cash-crop farmers prospered, they greatly expanded the size of their farms. There were never enough workers available to plant, grow, & harvest the crops, so farmers turned to African slaves to do this work. Many white colonists believed every black person was a savage who needed to be taken care of by white people.

Growth of the African Population When the Virginia Company founded Jamestown in 1607, there were no African slaves in British North America. By 1700, however, there were thousands of African slaves throughout the British colonies. The vast majority of these slaves were located in the southern colonies, where they supplied the labor required to support the region’s agriculturally based economy.

Growth of the African population By 1768, the English slave trade had a figure of 53,000 slaves a year being shipped to the North American continent. Other slave traders included the French at 23,000, the Dutch at 11,000, and the Portuguese at 8,700 slaves being transported yearly from Africa. Estimates of up to 10 million slaves took the Middle Passage Voyage to reach the Americas.

The Middle Passage The sea voyage that carried Africans to North America was called the Middle Passage because it was the middle portion of a three-way voyage made by the slave ships. First, British ships loaded with rum, cloth, and other English goods sailed to Africa, where they were traded for Africans originally enslaved by other Africans. Then, in the Middle Passage, the slaves would be transported to the New World.

The Middle Passage The crew would buy tobacco and other American goods using profits they made from selling the slaves in the colonies, & they would ship the tobacco and goods back to Britain. This process was repeated for decades. It was said that people in the colonial port cities could smell the slave ships arriving before they could see them. The slaves were packed like bundles of firewood. About two of every ten slaves died during the passage.

African American Culture In America, slaves attempted to “make the best” of their lives while living under the worst of circumstances. Slave communities were rich with music, dance, basket weaving, & pottery making. Enslaved Africans brought with them the arts & crafts skills of their various tribes. Indeed, there could be a hundred slaves working on one farm & each slave might come from a different tribe & a different part of Africa.

SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed. C. Identify Benjamin Franklin as a symbol of social mobility and individualism.

Benjamin Franklin Scientist Inventor American Statesman Philosopher Musician Economist Printer Librarian American Individual

social mobility over class privilege.” Born January 17, 1706 Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. 20,000 people attended the funeral Benjamin Franklin : An American Life - Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that “rare Founding Father. The revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege.”

America: Land of the Self-Made Man Benjamin Franklin best exemplified and first publicized America as the land of the mobile society. "He is the prototype of the self-made man, and his life is the classic American success story — the story of a man rising from the most obscure of origins to wealth and international preeminence," one of his many biographers, Gordon S. Wood, wrote in 2004.

Benjamin Franklin (2c) Benjamin Franklin, along with George Washington, is the best known of America’s Founding Fathers. Franklin was born into a poor Boston family in 1706. At age 12, he became an apprentice to one of his brothers, who was a printer. At age 17, Franklin ran away to Philadelphia to start a life of his own choosing, independent from his family. A few months later he sailed to London to gain more experience in the printing business.

Benjamin Franklin (2c) He returned to Philadelphia in 1726 as an experienced printer, writer, and businessman. These are just some examples of how, throughout his life, Franklin sought ways to improve himself (individualism) & to rise in society (social mobility). Over his 84- year life, Franklin succeeded in making himself one of the world’s leading authors, philosophers, scientists, inventors, & politicians.

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” -- Thoughts by Benjamin Franklin from Poor Richard's Almanac.”

Albany Plan of Union

SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed. D. Explain the significance of the Great Awakening.

The Great Awakening Between 1720 and 1750 a widespread and intense revival of interest in religion occurred in the American colonies, a phenomenon that supporters called the Great Awakening.

George Whitefield The most famous contributor to this contagious religious response was the English itinerant preacher George Whitefield.

The Great Awakening Christian worship changed in the northeastern colonies in the 1730s & 1740s. Ministers said people would feel God’s love only if they admitted their sins. People were told that each believer should seek his or her own personal & emotional relationship with God, & that doing this was more important than the Puritan idea of congregations gathering together to hear intellectual sermons. These ministers attracted enormous audiences & often traveled from colony to colony to preach to anyone who wanted to listen, regardless of what church he or she might belong to.

The Great Awakening Christianity grew, although established churches lost members to the new way of Christian worship. Some preachers said American society had become as corrupt as the English society the colonists’ ancestors had escaped. As a result, some people started saying that America needed to cut its ties with Britain to keep its religion pure. Jonathan Edwards & George Whitefield were two of the most famous preachers of the Great Awakening.

Impact of the Great Awakening A. New colleges to train ministers--Princeton, Brown, Rutgers B. Divisions in denominations: differences between those who defined religion as a rational process (old lights) and those who focused on experience (new lights). C. Development of revivalism tradition in American religion. Future outbreaks: 1) Second Great Awakening in first half of 19th century--camp meetings and frontier revivals featuring emotional appeals and spontaneous religious expressions 2) Charles G. Finney and Dwight Moody--19th century urban revivalism with campaigns in many cities 3) Billy Sunday, Billy Graham and mass meetings--20th century revivalism

Geographic Regions & Economies New England: lumber, fishing, merchants Middle: wheat, “bread basket” colonies Southern: Plantation system, tobacco, rice, indigo