1. Government, Religion, & Culture in the Colonies
7th Grade
Unit 2
Ch4, Section 2

2. Main ideas
The Colonists drew their ideas about citizens’ rights and how to govern from Great Britain.
Great Britain viewed its North American Colonies as an economic resource.
Three types of Colonial Government styles developed as the Colonies grew: Charter; Proprietary; Royal Colonies.

3. English Colonial Rule
England established a style of government over a number of centuries that gave certain citizens a say in law making:
The Magna Carta in 1215 (Limited the power of the monarch – King John – and allowed a parliament of nobles to form.)
The English Bill of Rights 1689 guaranteed:
Certain rights to citizens: trail by jury; freedom of speech; protection of the law.
Certain jobs could only be performed by Parliament – and not the monarch: set taxes; raise armies; make laws
Toleration Act of 1689 gave greater freedom of religion to English citizens.
American colonists shared this heritage with the English, and as the Colonies grew, Colonists adopted these ideas about citizens’ rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, representative government and protection of the law.

4. Colonies as a Resource
Britain saw her Colonies as an economic resource—a source of raw materials. What raw materials were produced in the Colonies?
The idea emerged that the Colonies were there for the benefit of Britain.
We can explain this by looking at the concept mercantilism.
Economic theory adopted by powerful nations
Wealthy and powerful nations needed to increase their supply of gold
This could be done by ensuring their trade balance with other nations was favorable to them
Powerful nations acquired colonies where they could cheaply import raw materials, and secure markets in the colonies to export their finished goods.
Rice, cotton, indigo, wheat, rum, sugar, tobacco, wood.

5. To make certain that England was the only one to benefit from trade with the colonies, Parliament passed the Navigation Acts between 1651 & 1673
Laws directed the flow of goods between England and the colonies
Colonial merchants could not use foreign ships to send goods to England (even if they were cheaper)
Prevented colonists from sending sugar and tobacco outside the English empire
Colonists ignored and began smuggling

6. Colonial Government
The English colonists brought with them ideas about government that had been developed in England for centuries
Heart of the English system were 2 principles:
Limited government
Representative government
Would greatly influence the development of the U.S.
The Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215 established the principle of limited government
Power of the king/government was limited
Provided protection against unjust punishment and against loss of life, liberty, and property except according to law

7. Types of Colonial government
Charter Colonies
Proprietary Colonies
Royal Colonies
Examples
Connecticut; Rhode Island
Delaware; Maryland; Pennsylvania
Georgia; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; N. Carolina; S. Carolina; Virginia
Role of Britain
Granted charter to form a settlement.
Had the right to approve the elected governor.
British government granted land to individuals who wanted to form a colony.
British government directly ruled them.
King appointed the governor and council (upper house)
Governor and council did as British gov’t wanted.
Role of Colonists
Elected their own governor.
Elected the members to their legislature.
Governor could not veto acts of legislature
Proprietors owned the colony.
They were free to rule the colony as they wished.
Proprietors appointed the governor and upper house.
Lower house of legislature was elected by colonists
Colonists elected the lower house (assembly)

8. Colonial legislatures only gave some people a voice in government
Right to vote given to white men who owned land
Women, indentured servants, landless, and African Americans could not vote
Higher proportion of people involved in government than anywhere else in the European world
Gave Americans training for when colonies would become independent

9. An Emerging Culture
A religious revival known as the Great Awakening swept through the colonies from the 1720s to 1740s
New England & Middle Colonies ministers called for “a new birth”, to return to the strong faith of earlier days
Led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield
Led to the formation of many new churches
Baptist, Methodist, & Presbyterian

10. Religion, education, and the arts contributed to a new American culture
Family formed the foundation of colonial society
Men were formal heads of the households—managed the farm and represented the family in community affairs
Women could attend church meetings, but could not speak, vote, or serve as clergy
Sons were arranged to serve as indentured servants for farmers or as apprentices
Married women were considered under their husbands authority and had few rights
Widows and unmarried women could run businesses and own property, but could not vote

11. Most colonists valued education
Children taught to read and write at home by their parents
New England and Pennsylvania set up school systems
Ensure everyone could read and study the Bible
1647, Massachusetts Puritans passed a public education law—community with 50 or more households must establish a school supported by taxes
1750, New England had very high level of literacy
85% of men, 50% of women could read
Many colonial schools were run by widows or unmarried women
Middle Colonies had schools run by the Quakers and other religious groups
By mid-1700s, colonists were influenced by the Enlightenment
European movement that knowledge, reason, and science could improve society
In the colonies, interest in science increased
Observed nature, staged experiments, published findings
Ben Franklin was best known American scientist of the time