Origins of a New Nation and The American Colonies

1. Origins of a New Nation and The American Colonies US / AZ History Chapter 3

2. Indentured Servant • A form of debt bondage common during the early colonial period in Virginia and the Middle Colonies. • The laborer is under contract of an employer for some period of time, usually seven years, in exchange for their transportation to the Americas, food, drink, clothing, lodging and other necessities. Original Indentured Servant Contract, 1736 AD

3. Triangular Trade • 17th and 18th Century trade between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas. • Europe sent manufactured goods and rum south to West Africa • West Africa shipped slaves to the Americas (The Middle Passage) • The Americas sent raw materials, such as gold, lumber, furs, and sugar back to Europe

4. Middle Passage • The second portion of the Triangular Trade during which shippers carried African slaves across the Atlantic Ocean to the American Colonies. • During the two month voyage slaves faced brutal treatment. They were branded with hot irons, chained, and packed in to crowded and unsanitary conditions. It is estimated that 10% of those who were transported died before reaching the Americas.

5. Stono Rebellion • One of the earliest known organized acts of rebellion against slavery. • On September 9, 1739, South Carolina slaves gathered at the Stono River to plan an armed march for freedom. At the Stono Bridge they seized weapons and ammunition from a store at the Stono River Bridge and killed two storekeepers. They raised a flag and proceeded south towards Spanish Florida, a well known refuge for escapees. They burned 7 plantations and killed 20 whites. The Governor rallied a mob of plantation owners and slave-holders to counterattack the slaves. The next day, mounted militia caught up with the group numbering 80 slaves. Forty-four of the slaves were killed in fighting before the rebellion was suppressed. The captured slaves were then decapitated and their heads were spiked on every mile post between that spot and Charles Town.

6. Salutary Neglect • An undocumented British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws. This policy was meant to keep the American colonies obedient to Great Britain. • Policy lasted from 1607 to 1763 • Was based on the belief that if no restrictions, such as taxes, were placed on the colonies then they would grow more rapidly. • As a result of this policy, colonists were shocked and angered when Great Britain began to enforce taxes and restrictions in the years prior to the American Revolution.

7. Navigation Acts • A series of laws passed by British Parliament beginning in 1651 which restricted the use of foreign shipping by the British colonies in North America. • The laws angered many colonists, who had not been consulted when the law was made and who lost a great deal of money due to high British shipping costs

8. Great Awakening • Also known as the First Great Awakening, took place in the 1730’s and 1740’s both in England and the American Colonies. • Begun by Protestant preachers in New England, the movement spread throughout the British Colonies in North America, leading to a dramatic increase in church attendance. • Preacher emphasized the importance of having personal spiritual experiences through Bible Study, Prayer, and Baptism.

9. French and Indian War (1754-1763) • The last major colonial war between the French and British. • The war was fought around the World, not just in the Americas • At the end of the war the French gave up control of Canada and all of North America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River • During the war colonists fought along side British soldiers, and many gained a hatred for them because of their behavior. • After the war colonists were forced to pay the cost of the war in the Americas, further increasing their anger with England

10. George Washington (1732-1799) • Born into a wealthy, plantation owning family in Virginia • Educated in reading and writing by his father, joined the Virginia Militia in his teens • During the French and Indian War Washington fought alongside the British, attaining the rank of Brigadier General • During the War Washington was introduced to Indian style fighting methods, methods he would use as the leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

11. Proclamation of 1763 • Law passed by parliament forbidding British Colonists from establishing settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains. • The Law angered colonists, who were quickly running out of land due to increasing population.