1. The Commercial North
Chapter 3
Section 3

2. Vocab
Enlightenment
Benjamin Franklin
Jonathan Edwards
Great Awakening

3. Commerce Grows in the North
Diversified Economy:
Farms in middle and northern colonies grew several crops
Sold surplus of food to West Indies
Ship building and iron production also became booming industries
the colonies economy grew 2x as fast as Britains

4. Northern Society is Diverse
Influx of Immigrants:
Northern colonies attracted a great deal of immigrants
Germans – PA, Scot-Irish – Philadelphia, Dutch – New York, Scandinavians – Delaware
Many came with families and started small farms or added to the North’s growing urban life
Why did more immigrants settle in the North?

5. Slavery in the North
Small northern farms didn’t require as much labor, so less incentive to have slaves
Slavery did exist in the North, especially in the middle colonies
Northern slaves had a few more rights than slaves in the south, however still treated as property and less than human.

6. Women in Northern Society
Extensive work and little rights
No voting, owning property, or keep wages
New England religion and law kept women under the control of their husbands

7. New Idea Influence the Colonists
The Enlightenment:
An intellectual movement based around the scientific laws of nature in the 1700s
European philosophers began to question how the world works outside of religious doctrine
Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both embraced the Enlightenment movement
Franklin- Kite Flying Experiment
Jefferson- “Natural Rights of Men”

8. New Ideas Influence the Colonists
The Great Awakening:
1700s religious rigor was in decline
Puritan Church was losing its grip on society
Jonathan Edwards; Northhampton, MA
Sought to revive religious intensity
Traveled around to create a religious revival
The Great Awakening brought many new colonists, Native Americans, and Africans into organized church

9. Effects of Enlightenment and Great Awakening
Both caused a questioning of traditional authority
Many churches were established during the Great Awakening: Princeton, Brown, Columbia, and Dartmouth
Caused colonists to question Britain’s authority over their lives