Life in the Colonies1607 – 1770

8.H.3 Competition for control of territories and resources in North America led to conflicts among colonizing powers.

Terms

Triangular trade – a trade route that exchanged goods between the West Indies, the American colonies, and West AfricaDiversity – variety or differenceExport – a good sold abroad (overseas)Import – a good bought from foreign marketsSmuggling – trading illegally with other nationsOverseer – a person who supervises a large operation or its workersCash crop – farm crop raised to be sold for moneyMilitia – a group of civilians trained to fight in emergenciesSpeculator – a person who risks money in order to make a large profitApprentice – an assistant who is assigned to learn the trade of a skilled craftsman

1700

1700 – approximately 250,000 Europeans

Europeans living in the colonies

Africans living in the colonies

1700 – approximately 28,000 Africans

1725 1750 1775

1775 – 2.5 million Europeans

1775 – more than 500,000 Africans

New England Colonies• Most people lived in well-

organized towns. In the center of town was a meetinghouse. This building was used for town meetings, church services and sometimes school.

• Farming was the main economic activity in these colonies. They practiced subsistence farming, they generally produced just enough to meet the needs of their families, with little leftover to sell or exchange.

• New England also had many small businesses. Large towns attracted skilled crafts-people like blacksmiths, shoemakers, furniture makers, and printers. Ship building was also very important to aid in the other major economic activity of fishing.

• As the hub of the shipping trade, New England linked Northern and Southern colonies with the West Indies and Europe.

Middle Colonies• The Middle colonies had

fertile soil and a slightly milder climate which allowed them to produce bigger harvests than in New England. Farmers here grew large quantities of wheat and other cash crops. Cargoes of wheat and livestock were sent to New York City and Philadelphia to help support the two largest cities in the American colonies.

New York City – 25,000 by 1770 Philadelphia – 28,000 by 1770

• Industry also existed in the Middle colonies in the form of commercial lumbering, mining, iron mills and home-based crafts such as carpentry and flour making.

• Most of the 100,000 German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania. Together with the Dutch, Swedish, and other non-English immigrants, they gave these colonies a cultural diversity and tolerance.

Southern Colonies• Tobacco and Rice were the

principal cash crop of the Southern colonies. Most of the tobacco was exported to Europe. Large plantations required many workers. At first indentured servants worked in the fields. When that became too expensive, Southern planters used enslaved Africans instead. Rice proved to be even more profitable than tobacco. This led to South Carolina and Georgia to have the fastest-growing economies.

• Slavery thrived heavily in the Southern colonies. Most enslaved Africans worked in the fields, while some did housework. Large plantation owners hired overseers to keep the slaves working hard.

• Slaves were not taught to read or write. They were not permitted to leave the plantation. Many were whipped for minor offenses and hanged or burned for serious crimes including attempting to run away.

English Colonial Rule• England viewed its colonies as

an economic resource. The colonies provided England with raw materials to produce finished goods which they sold to the colonists. To make money, England had to export, or sell abroad more goods than it imported, or brought from foreign markets.

• To make sure only England benefited from trade with the colonies, they passed the Navigation Acts.

• These laws directed the flow of goods between England and the colonies. They also prohibited the colonists from sending certain products, such as sugar or tobacco anywhere except England.

• Some colonists began smuggling, trading illegally with other nations. This will lead to conflicts between the colonies and England.

Colonial GovernmentCharter ColoniesConnecticut and Rhode Island

Established by groups of settlers who had been given a charter, a grant of rights and privileges. They elected their own governors and members of legislature.

Proprietary ColoniesDelaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania

Ruled by proprietors whom Britain had granted land. Proprietors were generally free to rule as they wished. They appointed the governor and members of the upper house. The people voted for members of the lower house.

Royal ColoniesGeorgia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia

Britain directly ruled all royal colonies. Parliament appointed a governor and council (upper house). The people elected the assembly (lower house).

The French and Indian War

The Rivalry• France and Great Britain had a long lasting rivalry in Europe• Both nations wanted to become the richest and most

powerful nation in Europe• They brought their feud with them to the colonies

Who fought this war?• The French and Indian War occurred when France and many

Native American tribes collaborated in order to fight the British.

• The French and Indians DID NOT FIGHT ONE ANOTHER.

What caused the war?• The British colonies were heavily populated and people

wanted to move into the Ohio Valley• The Ohio Valley was rich in fertile farmland and natural

resources• The French regarded the Ohio Valley as their territory• In the 1740’s, the British began building forts in French

territory• The French retaliated by destroying the British fort and

then building more forts of their own…very close to British territory

• The British began to fear that they would be completely encircled by French territory

The Natives Take Sides• Both the French and the British knew that whoever received

the most help from the Natives during the war would win

The French and the Native Americans• Since the beginning of the colonies, the French had a better

relationship with the Native Americans• The Native Americans often helped the French raid British

settlements• Ex: The Abenaki people attacked the British frontier post at

Deerfield, MA

The Iroquois Confederacy

• The Iroquois were the most powerful group of Native Americans in the east.

• Its base was in New York• Iroquois remained independent by trading with the

British and the French• By playing the British and French against one another,

the Iroquois dominated the area around the Great Lakes• The Iroquois came under great pressure when the British

began moving into their territory in the Ohio Valley• They reluctantly gave British special trading rights and

became reluctant allies with them• This alliance disrupted the balance of power between

the French and the British

George Washington’s First Command

• In 1754, Washington became a lieutenant in the British army

• He was in charge of a militia that was ordered to build a fort at the location where the Ohio River formed (present day Pittsburgh)

• The French beat him to it, naming their fort Duquesne

• Washington traveled a little further and built Fort Necessity

• Washington’s militia were outnumbered, but they attacked the French scouts anyway

• The French surrounded Washington, forcing him to surrender

• In spite of his loss, Washington became a hero in the colonies

The Albany Plan of Union• Representatives from the New England Colonies, New York, Pennsylvania and

Maryland met to discuss the threat of war• Wanted the colonies to work together to defend themselves from the French• Hoped to persuade Iroquois to take their side• It called for “One general government” for all American Colonies• No one accepted the plan because they were unwilling to give up any of their

power

Sending in Troops

• In the fall of 1754, Great Britain sent troops to America to assist the colonists with the war

• General Edward Braddock was sent from England to drive the French out of the Ohio Valley

Braddock Marches to Ft. Duquesne

• In June 1755, Braddock and 1,400 red-coat soldiers and militia men marched to Ft. Duquesne

• They were ambushed by the French and the Native Americans• Because of their marching style and red uniforms, British were easy

targets for the French and native sharpshooters• 1,000 were killed or wounded, including Braddock• Washington marched the survivors back to Virginia

Britain Declares War on France• After hearing of Braddock’s defeat, Britain

declared war on France• The war was called the 7 years war in Britain• The first few years of the war were disastrous for

Great Britain• Native Americans killed settlers, burned

farmhouses and crops, and drove families back towards the coast

• The French captured many British forts

Pitt Takes Charge

• Things get better for Britain when William Pitt became Prime Minister

• Pitt pledged full financial support to the colonists to pay for the war

• Pitt wanted to gain the Ohio Valley as well as conquer French Canada

• The British attacked, retaking control of Louisbourg. They also gained control of of several other French forts, including Duquesne

The Battle of Quebec• Quebec’s high altitude made

attacking the city nearly impossible

• John Wolfe, a British officer, found a way in 1759.

• Wolfe’s troops spotted a poorly guarded path leading to the city and attacked, climbing up the hill all night

• The next day they surprised and defeated the French army.

• John Wolfe died in the battle

The Treaty of Paris• The falling of Quebec and the capture of

Montreal a year later ended the war• The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763

• Allowed France to keep its islands in the West Indies, but it forced the French to give Canada, and its land east of the Mississippi River to the British

• France’s ally, Spain, was forced to give Florida to Great Britain

• In return, Spain gained the Louisiana Territory and the port of New Orleans

As a result of the Treaty of Paris…

• France no longer had power in North America• The continent was divided between Great Britain and Spain• The Mississippi River was the boundry

Trouble on the Frontier

• The Native Americans were still living in the disputed land

• The Natives in the Ohio Valley were dealt a blow when their French allies left (They lost their trading partners and allies)

• The British raised prices of their goods and refused to pay rent on their forts like the French did

• British soldiers began moving further into Native American territory

Pontiac’s War• Pontiac was an Ottawa Chief that lived

near Detroit• He recognized that the British were

destroying the Native American way of life• He tried to unite Indian tribes to fight the

British• In Spring 1763, Pontiac put together an

alliance of tribes• They attacked the British fort at Detroit, as

well as many others around the Great Lakes

• These rains were called Pontiac’s War• Pontiac called off the attacks when he

heard that the Treaty of Paris had been signed

• Colonists retaliated by attacking peaceful native settlements

The Proclamation of 1763• To prevent more fighting,

the British banned any more westward expansion

• No one could move west of the Appalachian Mountains without the King’s permission

• The proclamation brought peace between Great Britain and France/Native Americans

Why is any of this important?

• William Pitt taxed the colonists in order to pay for the huge debt that he accumulated in order to pay for the war

• The Proclamation of 1763 angered the colonists because they wanted to explore the west for its natural resources ($)

• George Washington emerged as a successful military leader

• These are all events that led to the American Revolution

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