The Thirteen Colonies Focus Question: How did the 13 colonies develop economically? Do Now: Please hand in your web-quest.

Mercantilism An economic policy used by European nations during 17 th and 18 th centuries. Acquire colonies and use them to benefit the economy of the mother country.

Mercantilism Maintain a favorable balance of trade Exports>imports=$$$ Gold and silver

Navigation Acts, These British laws established 3 rules for colonial trade. 1.Trade to and from colonies could be carried only on English colonial-built ships, operated by English or colonial crews. 2.All goods imported into colonies could pass only through ports in England. 3.Specified or “enumerated” goods from colonies could be exported to England only. Tobacco was 1 st enumerated good, list was expanded.

Impact of the Navigation Acts Positive EffectsNegative Effects New England ship building prospered. Chesapeake tobacco had monopoly in England. English military forces protected colonies from attacks by French or Spanish. Colonial manufacturing severely limited. Chesapeake farmers received low prices for crops. Colonists had to pay high prices for manufactured goods from England. The Navigation Acts had negative consequences for British-colonial relations. Resentment build up in the colonies against these laws. Colonists often defied the Navigation Acts.

Economic Differences between North & South NORTHERN COLONIESSOUTHERN COLONIES Commercial economy Small farms, several crops Diverse economy- fishing, lumber, ship building, etc. Plantation economy Cash crops- tobacco, rice Labor intensive There were 2 sources of labor: indentured servants and slaves.

Indentured Servitude Before 1680s indentured servants provided much of the labor. Indentured servants had their fare across Atlantic paid in full by their master. A contract was written that explained length of service- typically 5 years. Head-right system- For each laborer brought across Atlantic, master was awarded 50 acres of land (VA and MD).

Indentured Servitude Upon completion of contract, servant received “freedom dues” land, money, clothes, or food. Since best land was already claimed by wealthy land owners, former indentured servants moved westward. Land was less productive and there was a constant threat from Native Americans. Led to event called Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676.

From Indentured Servants to Slaves Increases in wages in England reduced the supply of immigrants (indentured servants) to colonies. Large plantation owners were disturbed by Bacon’s Rebellion. Increased need for cheap, unskilled labor on plantations. Colonists came to rely increasingly on slaves brought to the New World from Africa.

The Institution of Slavery By 1750, half of Virginia’s population and 2/3rds of South Carolina’s population were slaves.

Triangular Trade & Atlantic Slave Trade

Slave Laws As numbers of slaves increased, colonists adopted laws to ensure Africans would be held in bondage for life and their slave status would be inherited by their children. Racism and slavery became an integral part of American colonial society.

Virginia Slave Codes Whereas some doubts have arisen whether children got by an Englishman upon a Negro woman should be slave or free, Be it therefore enacted and declared by this present grand assembly, that all children borne in this country shall be held bond or free only according to the condition of the mother…. Why was this law especially significant after the abolition of the slave trade?

How was indentured servitude similar to slavery? How was indentured servitude different from slavery?