Colonial Foundations

I. Colonies to Independence

A. Thirteen English Colonies

1. New England

a. Settlements in :

i. Plymouth Colony, 1620

ii. Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630

iii. New Hampshire, 1623

iv. Connecticut, 1636

v. Rhode Island, 1636

b. less fertile soil

c. colder climate

d. small farms with crops for own use

e. maritime occupations:

i. sailing

ii. fishing

iii. shipbuilding

2. Middle Colonies

a. Settlements in:

i. New York, 1625

ii. Delaware, 1638

iii. New Jersey, 1664

iv. Pennsylvania, 1681

b. uncleared forest

c. fertile soil

d. small and large farms

i. wheat

ii. oats

iii. corn

iv. grains

e. trade between Northern and Southern Colonies

f. different religious groups settle in colonies

i. Pennsylvania for Quakers

ii. Maryland for Catholics

3. Southern colonies

a. Settlements in:

i. Virginia, 1607

ii. Maryland, 1632

iii. North Carolina, 1663

iv. South Carolina, 1663

v. Georgia, 1732

b. plantation systems of large farms develop

i. tobacco

ii. rice

iii. indigo

iv. labor force = indentured servants and enslaved Africans

B. Democracy in the Colonies

1. colonies based on England and their ideas

2. English Magna Carta signed in 1215

a. Limited the kings power

b. King could not take away property or imprison nobles except by law of land

c. King must follow laws

3. Virginia House of Burgesses 1619

a. Elected representatives

b. Helped run the colony

c. Basis for law making bodies

4. Mayflower Compact 1620

a. Established the idea of self-government

b. Power came from the consent of the governed

c. Done due to the fact that original charter from king was to settle in Virginia and not good.

5. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639

a. Constitution of the towns of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield

b. First constitution to set up a government

c. Set up an assembly

d. Basis for the US Constitution

C. Mercantilism in the Colonies

1. Great Britain followed the policy of mercantilism

a. Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country

b. Colonies sold Great Britain raw materials

c. Great Britain sold colonies manufactured goods.

2. As trade increased so does Britain’s interest in colonies

3. Triangular Trade Route

a. manufactured goods go from Great Britain to the colonies

b. Slaves go from Africa to West Indies (Caribbean)

c. Fish, lumber, grain go from North American colonies to West Indies

d. Sugar, Molasses and slaves go to North American colonies from West Indies

e. Rum and Iron go from North American colonies to Africa

f.

North American Colonies

Sugar and molasses go from West Indies to Great Britain

D. French and Indian War (1754-1763)

1. Between Britain and France

2. over colonies and trade routes

3. fought in Americas between French controlled Canada and British Colonies

4. Some colonists join fighting with British army

5. Britain eventually wins

a. BUT it cost money

b. British look to colonies for money

c. Begin putting taxes

E. American Revolution 1775-1783

1. Britain imposes taxes on the colonies

a. 1765 Stamp Act (require people to buy special stamped paper)

b. 1767 Townshend Acts (taxes imports and stations troops at colonial ports to protect customs officers

c. 1773 Tea Act (shuts out colonial tea companies and gives East India Company special concessions)

d. 1774 Intolerable (Coercive) Acts (tightened control over Massachusetts by closing Boston Harbor and quartered (sheltered) troops in houses)

2. Each British Act leads to colonists reactions

a. Stamp Act Congress (gave a list of grievances to king) and boycotted British goods

b. Protested “taxation without representation” and organize boycott imported goods

c. Boston Tea Party : colonists poured 15,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor

d. First Continental Congress meets to draw up a declaration of colonial rights

3. Peaceful solutions

a. 1774 First Continental Congress calls for boycotts of British goods

b. 1775 Second Continental Congress offers to negotiate with King, The Olive Branch Petition. He refuses

c. 1776 Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense calling for separation from England and convinces many

4. Armed conflict escalates over time:

a. 1770 Boston Massacre : British troops stationed in Boston are taunted and pelted with rocks and snow. They fire into the crowd and kill five men

b. 1175 British march to Concord, MA from Boston to seize colonial weapons. Colonial troops fight them at Lexington and Concord

5. Declaration of Independence

a. Committees set up to draft it

b. Formally adopted on July 4, 1776

c. Primary reason: explain and justify split with England

d. Natural Rights: unalienable

i. Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

e. social contract: consent of the governed. People give right to govern

f. inspired other countries like France

6. Fighting the War

a. Colonists lose many battles due to lack of funds, supplies, and leadership

b. Colonists win key battles:

i. Trenton, NJ (1776)

ii. Saratoga, NY (1777

c. French support the Americans

d. With French fleet’s help, Colonists get British to surrender in 1781 at Yorktown, VA

7. Treaty of Paris (1783)

a. British recognize the United States as independent

b. Hand over land from Mississippi to Atlantic Coast from Great Lakes to Florida

II. The Early Nation

A. The Articles of Confederation

1. weak centralized government

2. states have the power

3. COULD NOT:

a. Collect taxes

b. Settle disputes between states

c. Control trade

d. Enforce laws

4. No national executive

5. No national court

6. NO national money

7. Major Problem: Shay’s Rebellion (1785)

a. debtors and farmers wanted cheap money to pay debt

b. put down by the states troops

8. Major Accomplishments: Northwest Ordinance 1787

a. Took the area north of the Ohio River and south of the Great Lakes and divided it into smaller areas

b. Set up procedures for their admission into the union.