Chapter 3: Putting Down Roots: Families in an Atlantic Empire
Though the English colonies in North America were both developed in the 17th
century, contrasting motives and environments produced a set of New England and
Chesapeake colonies whose societies were nearly incomparable. Poor drinking water,
resulting in high mortality rates, and the plantation livelihood created an unstable
community for the Chesapeake colonists where families were often broken apart by death
of a spouse and/or children and towns other than for the colony’s government did not
exist. New England, settled by nuclear families, developed into a region in which a
community was centered on religion and tradition. A healthy environment and thus high
life expectancy added to this steady system in which most people survived as
independent farmers. As the African American population increased in British North
America, though small compared to that in the Caribbean and Brazil, African Americans
were treated less as indentured servants and more as slaves in fear of revolts such as the
Stono Uprising. As England adopted a policy of mercantilism over its colonies in the 17th
century, colonists expressed their discontent of this new control enacted over them. The
Navigation Acts, though initially met with protest, were strengthened to the point in the
early 1700s where it was cheaper for colonists to comply. Colonists were not so easily
ready to give up their control of government as unveiled in Bacon’s Rebellion, the
overthrow of Governor Andros, and Leisler’s Rebellion. Even with this common source
of grievance, the regions in England’s colonial North America remained starkly different
and independent of one another.
Key Terms:
1. Enumerated goods
2. Mercantilism
3. Bacon’s Rebellion
4. Leisler’s Rebellion
5. Navigation Acts
6. New Negroes
7. Stono Uprising
8. King Phillip’s War
Daily Life for New England and Chesapeake Colonists in the 17th Century
New England
•Life Expectancy=70
•Nuclear Families
•Social Mobility
•Leadership capability based on religious background
•Schools in towns of 15+ Families
•Yeoman farmers
•Community centered on church
Chesapeake
•Life Expectancy=43
•6:1 Male to Female 1640s
•Most traveled as indentured servants
•Rich sent to schools in England/Scotland
•Community life is nonexistent
•Plantation Owners are the ruling elite
•Tobacco-One crop system
•Black Population > white population
Both
•Dissent of English Control (i.e.
Navigation Acts)
•Political Revolt
•Bacon's Rebellion
•Leisler's Rebellion
DBQ: Analyze colonists’ reactions to the change in policy enacted by the British
government in the second half of the 17th century. Were these responses unified?
Document A: Excerpt from Navigation Act of September 13, 1660
“For the increase of shipping and encouragement of the navigation of this nation wherein,
under the good providence and protection of God, the wealth, safety, and strength of this
kingdom is so much concerned; (2) be it enacted by the king’s most excellent Majesty,
and by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the
authority thereof, that from and after the first day of December, one thousand six hundred
and sixty, and from thence forward, no goods or commodities whatsoever shall be
imported into or exported out of any lands, islands, plantations, or territories to his
Majesty belonging or in his possession, or which may hereafter belong unto or be in the
possession of his Majesty, his heirs, and successors, in Asia, Africa, or America, in any
other ship or ships, vessel or vessels whatsoever, but in such ships or vessels as do truly
and without fraud belong only to the people of England or Ireland, dominion of Wales or
town of Berwick upon Tweed, or are of the built of and belonging to any the said lands,
islands, plantations, or territories, as the proprietors and right owners thereof, and
whereof the master and three fourths of the mariners at least are English…”
Document B: Excerpt from Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People 30 July 1676
“1. For haveing upon specious pretences of publiqe works raised greate unjust taxes upon
the Comonality for the advancement of private favorites and other sinister ends…
2. For haveing abused and rendred contemptable the Magistrates of Justice, by
advanceing to places of Judicature, scandalous and Ignorant favorites.
3. For haveing wronged his Majesties prerogative and interest, by assumeing Monopoly
of the Beaver trade, and for haveing in that unjust gaine betrayed and sold his Majesties
Country and the lives of his loyall subjects, to the barbarous heathen.
4. For haveing, protected, favoured, and Imboldned the Indians against his Majesties
loyall subjects, never contriveing, requireing, or appointing any due or proper meanes of
sattisfaction for theire many Invasions, robbories, and murthers comitted upon us…
Nathaniel Bacon
Generall by Consent of the people.”
Document C: Edward Randolph condemns the Massachusetts Bay Company 12 June
1683
“…They continue to exact an oath of fidelity to themselves, notwithstanding the King's
orders to the contrary, and make such oath essential to the tenure of office and even
freedom of the Company… They have not administered the oath of allegiance to the King
to the inhabitants, though required by law and by their charter. They have invaded the
rights of the Duke of York, Lord High Admiral, by erecting an Admiralty Court of their
own…”
Document D: Orders For Sending Sir Edmund Andros To England (1689) by William of
Orange
“Whereas Sir Edmund Andros, Knt., late Governor of our dominion of New England, has
been seized by some people in Boston, and is detained under close confinement there,
together with Edward Randolph, John Trefrey, and divers others our subjects; who have
humbly requested us that they may be either set at liberty, or sent in safe custody into
England, to answer before us what may be objected against them: We do hereby will and
require, that the said Sir Edmund Andros, Edward Randolph, John Trefrey, and others
our subjects, that have been in like manner seized by the said people of Boston, and shall
be at the receipt of these our commands, detained there under confinement, be forthwith
sent on hoard the first shipp bound hither, to answer before us what may be objected
against them: and that you take care that they be civilly used in their passage from New
England, and safely conveyed to our royal presence.”
Multiple Choice
1. The Half-Way Covenant
a. Allowed baptized members of a Congregational church to become
members of the “elect” though they had not provided testimony of their
“election”
b. Describes a 17th century New England woman’s rights to her children but
not property
c. Gave voting rights to those who had grandparents, but not parents, who
were full members of the church
d. Represented New Englander’s growing tribalism and concern with the
spiritual needs of a family
e. Was a law forcing a bride’s family to contribute a dowry worth half of the
land contributed by the husband in a marriage
2. Slaves in the New World by 1700
a. Were able to maintain African culture on southern plantations
b. Were mostly held in South Carolina and Georgia
c. Held rights comparable to indentured servants
d. Could not be transported directly to Virginia
e. Were largely discriminated against because of the Stono Uprising
3. The 17th century Navigation Acts did all of the following EXCEPT
a. Encourage the expansion of shipbuilding in England
b. Eliminate the threat of Dutch merchants
c. Increase production costs for southern farmers
d. Add a plantation duty at colonial ports
e. Represent the new system of mercantilism imposed by England on other
countries
4. Bacon’s Rebellion
a. Drew support from slaves and poor servants
b. Was offset by Berkeley’s cruel attack on Native Americans
c. Resulted in the destruction of Richmond
d. Ended in Bacon’s hanging for treason
e. Had no intention of reforming the government
5. Which was NOT a product of the Glorious Revolution
a. Overthrow of Governor Andros
b. Maryland became a royal colony
c. Leisler’s Rebellion
d. Violent overthrow of the Bay colony’s governor
e. A new royal charter for the Massachusetts Bay colony
6. The regions of English colonies in the 17th century shared
a. Religion centered community lives
b. Inability to coexist peacefully with Native Americans
c. Higher population of whites compared to African Americans
d. One crop systems
e. Original acceptance of the Navigation Acts
Answer Sheet
Key Terms:
1.
Enumerated goods-Raw materials found in North American colonies that
were restricted to exportation only to England or its colonies by the Navigation
Acts of 1660.
2.
Mercantilism-English policy adopted in mid-17th century that led the
voices of the elite to guide commercial regulation in the colonies. It was built on
the theory that exporting more than importing led to greater national wealth and
became backbone of England’s desire to build a colonial empire.
3.
Bacon’s Rebellion-1676 rebellion against Virginia’s governor, Berkeley,
led by Nathaniel Bacon with the support of slaves and the lower class during
times of economic turmoil. Supporters were against the corruption in the
government and fur trade industry but were dispersed when Bacon died from
illness.
4.
Leisler’s Rebellion-After learning about the Glorious Revolution, Leisler
took control over New York’s government. When Sloughter was sent as a
replacement royally appointed governor and Leisler questioned his authority,
Leisler was executed as a rebel.
5.
Navigation Acts-Commercial regulations on colonists’ trade that served as
mercantilist policy for England and a way to make a profit off of the colonies
6.
New Negroes-slaves brought over from Africa who, in contrast to those
living/born in America, were not adapted to English culture/language. They more
often tried to regain their freedom by revolt or running away.
7.
Stono Uprising- In September 1739, a revolt of 150 South Carolina slaves
who murdered several plantation owners and then attempted to gain freedom by
marching to Florida. They were overtaken and killed by a local militia and further
convinced colonists of the dangers of the slave population.
8.
King Phillip’s War- Native American attempt to get rid of Europeans led
by Metacomet against New England colonists that resulted in the deaths of 1,000
Native Americans and colonists. The conflict left Massachusetts deeply in debt
and Native Americans pushed further off their land.
DBQ:
In order to effectively answer this DBQ, a student has to address both parts of the
question. In the analysis of the documents to describe colonists’ reactions, a student
should describe the shift to mercantilist policy by the English government and how this
led to increased government control over the colonies. One should expand on Document
A and the Navigation Acts, beyond the first part of these regulations as outlined in the
excerpt to include outside information on the regulation of enumerated goods and the
Staple Act. Documents B-C provide a basis for the evaluation of this increase in control,
including the appointment of royal governors in colonies such as NY. Outside
information on Bacon’s Rebellion, Leisler’s Rebellion and the overthrow of Governor
Andros should be brought in to better explain colonists’ reactions. The second part of the
question asks about the nature of this response. An appropriate response could argue
either way but would have to include supporting examples. A student supporting the idea
that the responses were unified might support it with the similarity in nature of the
opposition to an increase in English control while a student against the idea could argue it
with the fact that the rebellions were isolated to each region and were in response to
different problems with this newfound control.
Multiple Choice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
D
A
E
A
E
B
Works Cited
Document A
"Navigation Acts." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 27 March 2013.
Document B
"Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People." Constitution.org. Constitution Society,
2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Document C
"Edward Randolph Condemns the Massachusetts Bay Company 12 June 1683."
Let.rug.nl. University of Groningen, 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Document D
"Orders for Sending Andros." History.hanover.edu. Hanover College, 2013. Web. 28
Mar. 2013.