Colonial Life

• Britain had 32 colonies yet only 13 revolted non rebels were often more wealthy and more populous

• Colonies had rapid population growth, outnumbering the British → foreshadows shift in power

• Melting pot, most people live in rural areas, allowed for social mobility

• Scots Irish forced to move west

  • Paxton Boys: Scots Irish protest of Quaker's lenient policy towards the → Indians increased tensions

  • Regulator Movement: rebellion in North Carolina against eastern elite domination of the colonial affairs and unfair taxation.

• slaves led to the creation of an African American culture

RESISTANCE: Slavery

• NY slave revolt: led to the death of 9 whites, which 21 blacks were executed for

• Stono rebellion: blacks tried to march to Spanish Florida to freedom but were stopped → shows how easily controlled slaves were compared to indentured servants

Triangle trade: trade between the colonies, Europe and Africa/South America → increased dependency on slaves

Molasses Act: taxes on molasses imported from French West Indies, hoped to stop colonial trade with other countries besides Britain → wasn’t effective

The First Great Awakening (1730s - 1740s)

• People were becoming less religious; Puritan church had elaborated theological doctrines and refused to make more inclusive membership rights → The First Great Awakening was an attempt by the Church to maintain their power.

• Arminianism: belief that an individual's actions determined their eternal fate, NOT divine decree

• Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

  Described the landscape of hell in detail and warned of how easy it would be for God to just drop them into hell if they were not religious and God-fearing

• Old Lights were the orthodox church members who disapproved on the theatrics of the sermons during the Great Awakening

• New Lights were preachers like Jonathon Edwards and Geroge Whitefield who used emotional sermons to inspire a religious revival

Impact of the First Great Awakening:

• led to many conversions, sects were split between whether or not to encourage the emotionalism in religion (those who did welcomes more members)

• increased the variety of denominations and their competitiveness

• led to new wave of missionary work among Indians and black slaves (teaching them to be obedient to their masters)

• religious revival across all denominations increased

Miscellaneous

• A slave named Phyllis Wheatley became a published poet despite never having a formal education shows how colonial literature was not restricted to the elite like in Europe

• Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac had catchy phrases that emphasized morality and common sense shaping American character

  • also had scientific contributions shows how Americans aren't just blindly following religion, more experimentation

• Zenger trial: Journalist named John Peter Zenger criticized the royal governor of New York in his newspaper and is put to trial for seditious libel-ruled not guilty, paving the way for the 1st amendment and freedom of the press to express negative opinions, true or not,

• Colonial legislatures consisted of an upper and lower house. Upper house council appointed by King or proprietor; lower house chosen by voters in self-governing colonies.

  • royal authority seen as bothersome, but underrepresented poor backcountry people despised the colonial elite more

• Royal Colonies: controlled by governors appointed by the King → more direct control.

• Proprietary Colonies: King granted charters to companies or individuals who would decide how to run the colony → less interference