APUSH Ch. 4

Frontiers of Empire

Chapter 4 – 18th Century America“As the colonists became more British, they inevitably became more American as well.” (98)

Colonial Population• Doubled every 25 years. Why? Natural

reproduction was responsible for most of the growth

• Diverse – non-English Europeans began to settle in the backcountry

• The population consisted of people “forced” to migrate. African Americans were forced but so were convicted felons. They were from England, Scotland, & Ireland. Approx. 50,000 (Transportation Act, 1718). p. 99

Immigrants• Motives: own their land, become independent

farmers• Immigrants preferred to live with people of their

own background.• Scots-Irish – the largest group of immigrants who settled in PA; were squatters; challenged established authority; moved around a lot earning a reputation as a rootless people• Germans – 1st group came seeking religious

toleration; 2nd group came looking to better their material lives; were great farmers; tended to remain wherever they found unclaimed fertile land

Native Americans18th century – lived in the cis-Mississippian west (near the Mississippi River, the Old Northwest or the area around the Great Lakes)

Many Native Americans migrated to the western backcountry and joined existing confederacies of Indian tribes. Rather than isolating themselves from European colonials, the Indians interacted, traded, and compromised with Europeans as much as possible, effectively creating a “middle ground.” European trade goods, though desirable, often changed tribal organization and structure, eroding traditional roles. Additionally, disease continued to take its toll, claiming Native American lives.

Provincial (local) Cities• The 5 largest cities were Boston, Newport,

New York, Philadelphia, and Charles town.• Few colonists (only 5%) lived in cities.• Cities were considered port towns that served

as entrepots (a commercial/trade center) rather than places to live.

• Cities did influence colonial culture. Cities exposed the colonists to English goods and ideas. The upper class especially tried to emulate (imitate) Britain’s culture.

American Enlightenment(Age of Reason)

• The Enlightenment did not have the same effect on the colonists as it did in England. They welcomed experiments in science but defended their Christian beliefs.

• Colonists welcomed the new inventions that would improve their lives.

• The Enlightenment did influence colonial leaders and educated colonists to apply reason to solve social and political problems. It influenced how they thought about British authority.

Benjamin Franklin

• Became a symbol of material progress through human ingenuity

Colonial Economics• An abundance of land & the extensive growth

of agriculture accounted for their economic success.

• Most farmed (tobacco, wheat, or rice) and exported their crops, providing them with money to purchase items they wanted but could not make themselves.

• British restrictions: the White Pines Act forbade Americans from cutting white pine trees without a license in order to reserve the best trees for the use of the Royal Navy

An American Culture

• Trade with Britain helped to “Anglicize” American culture by exposing colonists to British manufactured goods

• Intercoastal trade – trade among the 3 regions of colonies, bringing colonists of different background into more frequent contact & the exchange of ideas and experiences.

The First Great Awakening• A series of religious revivals• Began in New England, 1730s, spread to VA• Sparked by Jonathan Edwards (Calvinist) – “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”• George Whitefield – denomination didn’t

matter; what did was that you were a Christian; appealed to attendants’ emotions

• “New Lights” – refers to colonists who attended the revivals

Impact of the Great Awakening1. Schools of higher learning were establishing

to train men to become preachers – Princeton

2. Encouraged people to question authority – to take an active role in their salvation

3. Slaves attended revivals – a democratic movement; Richard Allen established the African Methodist Episcopal Church

4. Brought colonists into contact with each other

Colonial Politics• The Colonists began to question British

politics, that maybe it didn’t really work for them; a sign that they were becoming more American than British.

• Britain’s constitution, not a written document, had 3 distinct parts which most thought represented the king, nobility, & common people. In reality, the constitution represented the interests of Britain’s landed elite only.

How was the structure of the English constitution interpreted by

the colonists? • The colonial governor corresponded to the

king.• The governor’s council to the House of Lards.• The colonial assemblies – the House of

Commons.

Why didn’t the British constitution work for the colonists?

• The colonists believed in separation of executive & legislative authority and did not believe in patronage, a practice found in Britain.

• The governor had enormous powers. They could veto laws, dismiss judges, and serve as military commanders in each province.

• Colonial Assemblies (legislatures/House of Burgesses) believed they had to right to protect colonial liberties. They controlled money bills. They did not cooperate with the governors.