V. EARLY COLONIAL LIFE

1

• V. EARLY COLONIAL LIFE
• ECONOMY
• NEW SOCIETY
• DEMOCRACY
• LITERATURE

2
A. ECONOMY



MERCANTILISM
-Englands dominant economic philosophy
(17th/18th centuries) -to protect English
industry and promote Englands
prosperity -subordination of the colonial
economy to the mother country -Salutary
neglect (or not paying attention when people
broke the laws) led to illegal trade with other
countries





1/7
3
  NAVIGATION ACTS RULES FOR COLONIAL TRADE
(1650-1673)  1.   TRADE CARRIED ONLY ON
ENGLISH/COLONIAL SHIPS WITH ENGLISH/COLONIAL
CREWS. 2.   ALL GOODS IMPORTED TO COLONIES
(EXCEPT PERISHABLES) PASS ONLY THROUGH ENGLISH
PORTS 3.   SPECIFIED ENUMERATED GOODS EXPORT TO
ENGLAND ONLY.
Negative outweighs the positive! Impacts the
relationship with the colonies RESENTMENT RISES
(SMUGGLING HAPPENS)
ADVANTAGE SHIPPING PROSPERS TOBACCO MONOPOLY
MILITARY PROTECTION
DISADVANTAGE MANUFACTURING LIMITED LOW PRICES
FOR CROPS COST OF ENGLISH GOODS
2/7
4
THE SLAVE TRADE EXPLODES AFTER MONOPOLY OF THE
ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY ENDS  
RUM from NEW ENGLAND shipped across Atlantic
to West Africa
SUGAR
In WEST AFRICA, rum is traded for
SLAVES (slaves traded for Sugar Cane in the West
Indies)
SUGAR CANE from the WEST INDIES (Taken to New
England to make rum)
TRIANGULAR TRADE
A three part trade route is established
3/7
5
MIDDLE PASSAGE
-THE JOURNEY OF THE SLAVES FROM WEST AFRICA TO
THE WEST INDIES. -THE BRUTAL TREATMENT CAUSED
SOME TO COMMIT SUICIDE ON THE JOURNEY. -MANY
DIED OF SICKNESS. -IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR 20
OF THE SLAVES TO DIE ALONG THE
WAY. -INSURRECTIONS WERE COMMON.
4/7
6
B. New society NO HEREDITARY ARISTOCRACY LIKE
EUROPE. POSITION IN SOCIETY DETERMINED BY
ECONOMICS
UPPER PLANTATION OWNERS WEALTHY MERCHANTS
PURITAN CLERGY MIDDLE INDEPENDENT FARMERS
CRAFTSMEN/TRADESMEN SHOPKEEPERS LOWER
INDENTURED SERVANTS SLAVES
WITH EXCEPTION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS, EVERYBODY
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR STANDARD OF
LIVING
5/7
7
The family
ECONOMIC/ SOCIAL CENTER OF COLONIAL LIFE.
EXPANDING ECONOMY AMPLE FOOD SUPPLY MEANT EARLY
MARRIAGE AND MORE CHILDREN
During the colonial period, a woman usually lost
control of her property when she married.
(single women widows had property) A married
woman had no separate legal identity apart from
her husband.
COLONIAL WOMEN STILL HAD IT BETTER THAN EUROPEAN
COUNTERPARTS
6/7
8
E. COLONIAL LITERATURE
-religious in nature -sermons, histories -poetry
ANNE BRADSTREET (1612-1672) 1st notable American
poet, first published woman in America PHILLIS
WHEATLEY(1753-1784) 1st published
African-American poet helped create genre of
African-American literature
7/7