3.2

Explore how English traditions influenced the development of colonial governments. Analyze the economic relationship between England and its colonies. Describe the influence of the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening on the 13 colonies.

Government in the Colonies England’s Economic Relationship With the Colonies New Ideas Affect the American Colonies

Unlike the kings of France and Spain, the English monarch were bound to uphold the Magna Carta. This was a document forced on King John to accept back in The Magna Carta protected English nobels by limiting the king’s ability to tax them and giving them due process. (right tot trial)

The council of nobles continued to advise the English monarchs, this gave the council of nobles more power. This evolved into what is now known as the lawmaking body of Parliament. English Parliament became a bicameral, or two house legislature. English men with land could vote on who would be elected within the house.

In 1685, James II became king of England and tried to rule without Parliament. James II was an open Catholic in a land that has developed into a protestant majority. The new king tightened control over the New England Colonies by revoking their government charters. Also he combined New York and New Jersey into a larger colony known as the Dominion of New England.

The Dominion replaced the colonies elected assembly and brought about a Crown appointed governor- general and council. This angered the colonists, who insisted on their right to refuse to pay taxes unless approved by their own elected representatives.

In 1689 King James II was overthrown in England in a coup called the Glorious Revolution. The plotter replaced him with two Protestant monarchs. (King William and Queen Mary) The two monarch promised to cooperate with Parliament and to support the Anglican church.

William and Mary also agreed to sign an English Bill of Rights. This was a document guaranteeing a number of freedoms and restating many of the rights granted in the Magna Carta. The rights included habeas corpus, the idea that no one could be held in prison without being charged with a specific crime.

The English Bill of Rights also stated that a monarch could not keep a standing army in times of peace without Parliament’s approval. A lot of the colonist claimed loyalty to the two new monarchs. The Compromise was harder in New York due to Jacob Liesler. England allowed its colonies local self rule; but in return the colonies had to help the crown with wars against France and Spain.

The policy of mercantilism holds that a nation or an empire could build wealth and power by developing its industries and exporting manufactured goods in exchange for gold and silver. This policy encouraged monarch to minimize imports from rival empires and to drive those rivals out of colonial markets. The key was to sell more than purchasing, the empire could build wealth in gold and silver that way.

The English regarded colonial commerce as the key to imperial power. By controlling colonial trade they could collect more taxes on imported goods. This allowed them to build up a better navy and eventually defeat the Dutch and French. The Navigation Acts only allowed English Ships with English Sailors trade with English Colonies.

All importing from Europe in the colonies had to come from England. Doing this promoted dramatic growth for England’s colonial commerce and the Nations prosperity. Initially this made things economically difficult for the colonies because they weren’t getting all the goods they needed while the English program was getting up and running. However, in the end they were able to get better quality goods at a lower price.

Expanding the transatlantic commerce produced more and cheaper goods to the colonies and the American colonies consumed 10 percent of British manufactured goods. By 1772 that number rose to 37 percent. This was initially great until the colonies got to the point where they were importing more than exporting and their debts began to rise. This made the colonist begin to feel uneasy.

During the 1600 and 1700s Europe experienced an intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment. Enlightenment mean that all problems could be solved through human reason. Certain philosophers and scientist begin studying the natural world and concluding that people have natural rights given by god and not a monarch. (John Locke, Isaac Newton)

Enlightenment inspired people such as the successful printer named Benjamin Franklin. He began experiments and invented a number of devices. During this time church played an important role not only in religious was but also social and political ways.

The Great Awakening happened during this period and it was led primarily by Jonathan Edwards. He was a turn or burn type of preacher who was famous for his sermon titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The Great Awakening also pushed that you could find your own salvation.

For a while colonist split between following the preaching of the Great Awakening or going with the ones who did not. Preachers often preached it was about the personal relationship with God rather than the church rules. This pushed some people towards the Great Awakening because many believed that if they could choose their method of worship, they could decided on their form of government.