Passages - History 1301, Chapter 4

Chapter Outline

American colonists found themselves caught up in the changes brought about by the Enlightenment in Europe; new technology was important, but the concept of natural rights would be most important to the growth of republicanism in America.

A.  Newton and Locke:  In England, two Enlightenment theorists challenged traditional beliefs about human nature: Sir Isaac Newton enunciated universal laws governing the natural world, and John Locke used those concepts to develop his theories on government as a contract between the governed and their government.

B.  Education in the British Colonies:  Although education slowly gained in importance as time passed, schools were more numerous in New England than elsewhere, and it was there that Harvard, the first college, was established.

C.  The Growth of Science:  The study of various branches of science flourished in America, and men such as John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin exemplified the Enlightenment spirit in the colonies.

D.  Changes in Medical Practice:  The practice of medicine underwent changes during this period as well, as medicine became a more prestigious field and women were relegated to serving as midwives, especially to women who could not afford doctors’ hefty fees.

Between the 1720s and the 1760s, a religious revival known as the Great Awakening swept through Europe and then the colonies, sometimes threatening the prevailing social and governmental structure.

A.  Religious Diversity before the Great Awakening:  Prior to the Great Awakening, the Middle Colonies were the most religiously diverse, and the New England colonies were most homogeneous; during the revival diversity increased markedly.

B. Revivalism Takes Fire:  The English minister George Whitefield, known for his compelling presence in the pulpit, attracted followers from all levels of society and contributed to the spread of the revival onto the frontier.

C. The Awakening’s Impact:  Because of the revivals, some congregations broke apart and others began to challenge governmental authority over their churches, but a more positive outcome was the establishment of several new colleges.

The British colonies continued to grow during the 1700s, both through immigration and through the importation of more slaves, and these new settlers brought greater cultural diversity to America.

A.    German and Scots-Irish Immigrants:  German and Scots-Irish immigrants settled in Pennsylvania and the backcountry, or frontier, areas of the colonies, bringing their distinct cultures and becoming strong defenders of their new homeland.

B.    The Founding of Georgia:  Georgia, the last British colony, was established by James Oglethorpe both as a haven for the poor and as a buffer zone between the English and the Spanish to the south in Florida.

C.    The Growth of the African American Population:  The rising African American population also had a tremendous impact on the colonies, and their culture contributed new foods, music, and forms of worship even as newly arrived slaves rose up against their masters and attempted escapes.

D.    Native American Worlds in the Mid-Eighteenth Century:  Native Americans found their world in disarray, with white ministers attempting to convert them to Christianity and white settlers trying to wrest their land from them.

The colonists found themselves in the midst of numerous European wars during the mid-1700s, as events in Europe spilled over into America.

A.   The Southern Frontier:  On the southern frontier, the English traded with Native Americans more often than not, but they fought vigorously to oust the Spanish from Florida.

B.   King George’s War:  Colonists in New England, caught up in Britain’s conflict with France in King George’s War, were upset with their government when England returned the fort of Louisbourg to France.

C.   The Seven Years’ War:  With help from Native Americans, the French tried unsuccessfully to win control of the Ohio Valley from the British, in a conflict that became known as the Seven Years’ War.

D.   The Indians Renew War in the Ohio Valley:  After the Treaty of Paris brought the war to an end in 1763, significant numbers of Native Americans resumed the fight alone, prompting King George to issue the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

By 1763, the British colonists were becoming more confident of their abilities to defend and care for themselves in America, and they were convinced that they had earned the right to be treated as full and equal citizens of Great Britain.

A. The Economy:  Despite attempts by the British to control colonial trade, the colonists were experiencing a “consumer revolution” that encouraged smuggling and turned Britain’s attention even more to her American subjects.

B. Politics:  As time passed, the political situation in America became more complex, with occasional rebellions; for the most part, however, the people were law-abiding and mostly interested in gaining political representation – a concern that put the colonists at odds with England’s Parliament.

Conclusion: Numerous wars both in Europe and in America contributed to the major changes in attitudes that occurred among much of the American colonial population. Finding that they were successful and self-reliant, the colonists viewed Britain’s attempts to tighten regulatory control of their new lives with irritation, and the stage seemed set for an even more direct conflict.