1. US History Chapter 1 Section 3
Colonial Life

2. Main Idea
The American colonies developed politically, culturally, and economically

3. Reading Focus
How did political and economic events lead to the beginnings of self-government in the colonies?
How did the colonial economy differ in the North and the South?
How did the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening contribute to America’s emerging culture?
What were the causes and effects of the French and Indian War?

5. Beginnings of Self-Government
Colonists felt the British taxed them unfairly so they began to smuggle items into colonies (very popular method)
Rising tensions surfaced between colonists and British-colonists felt they should be able to make money to profit themselves
Mercantilism: widely used by GB- “As a nations power derived from its wealth”
Great Britain passed Navigation Acts- which restricted trade among colonists
Angered Americans

6. Colonial Self-Government
Some colonists resisted Royal rule and tried to maintain their established assemblies “ Heavy British Persuasion”
Even though British officials were involved in colonial policy, they really did not rule that strictly (Salutary Neglect)
Local governments were more influential than British officials

7. Colonial Government Each colony had a governor
> Royal- governor appointed by the Monarch
> Proprietary- governor chosen by the proprietor
(Governor’s council chosen the same way)
Colonists government modeled after Parliament
Bicameral (2 houses)
Governors Council Elected Assembly
(Upper) (lower)

8. Colonial Economy Northern- Commerce based Southern- Agricultural Based
North- Subsistence Farming only because of terrain / relied heavily timber, textiles, and iron- Had plentiful harbors for trade (part of the Triangular trade)
South- Small farms and some large plantations (Rice, tobacco, small farms yielded livestock, beef, pork, corn, wheat, fruit, and vegetables)

9. Impact of Slavery
As Britain and Spanish settlers established their labor –intensive plantations and haciendas. The demand for workers increased
-Old Way-Indentured Servitudes / Native Americans
-New Way- Africans
Middle Passage- Great human suffering as
thousands of Africans were kidnapped and
shipped to America
Both North and South housed Africans, but it was more abundant in the south…………….WHY?

12. America’s Emerging Culture
The Enlightenment- the belief that logic and reason (tools of science) could be used to improve society law, and government
GB- John Locke wrote “The Two Treatises of Government” (1690) “Government had the duty to protect citizen’s natural rights such as life, liberty, and property
French- Baron Montesquieu believed powers of government should be divided so that one group wouldn’t be too powerful
Social Contract
Hey wait……isn’t that where we got our ideas from for our constitution?

13. The Great Awakening
1730- Jonathan Edwards (Puritan Clergy) was a member of the Great Awakening
This was a large American Revival held in order to gain more people back to the church (many believed Enlightenment thinkers corrupted society)
Great Awakening did make church more accessible to the colonists and membership grew
Immigrants poured in by the thousands- Scots, Scots-Irish, Germans, Jews

14. Life in the Colonies Paved streets (lit by oil lamps) Busy ports
Libraries
Plays
Newspapers
Schools
Major cities began to grow (New York, Philadelphia, Boston)

15. French and Indian War 1756-1763 (7 Year War)
Power struggle between Great Britain, France, and Spain sparked constant turmoil and battles over territorial rights in the new frontier
France had a large fur trade business in Central North America and had built alliances with the Algonquin and Huron Indians
There was disputed territory over the Appalachian region between Great Britain and France
Early part of war favored France-
> unfamiliar territory to GB
>Indians allied with France
> GB lost many Soldiers
William Pitt took over as British Military Commander and forced colonists to fight for GB / housed Soldiers in colonist’s homes
Treaty Of Paris
1763 ended War

16. French and Indian War Battlegrounds
Hot Spot
Battles fought from Virginia to Nova Scotia
GB- Iroquois / Cherokee
France- Algonquin / Abenaki / Mohawk / Ottawa / Shawnee / Wyandot

17. Impact of War
French and Indian War dramatically changed boundaries in North America
This war prompted colonies to unify under Benjamin Franklin’s “Albany Plan” (first attempt to unify colonies)
GB gained all of France’s land east of the Mississippi River and into Canada but Spain got Louisiana
GB plagued with a huge war debt and thought the colonists should help pay for the war
GB influence on Midwest territories prompted conflicts with the Indians (1762- Pontiac’s Rebellion)
GB develops Proclamation of colonists could not settle on lands west of the Appalachian Mountains (colonists ignored this proclamation)

19. Colonists be like: “Hmmm…maybe we can venture westward”