2. Chapter 13 Revolutions
Dominion
In 1684 the five colonies of New
England, New York, and East and
West Jersey were consolidated into
one colony called the Dominion of
New England.
The new English king, James II,
made it his mission to make as much
money as possible off of these colonies
and placed a military officer, Sir
Edmund Andros, in charge.
Andros reorganized the courts,
judges, and officers with Anglican
newcomers and moved the superior
court to Boston, meaning that people
would have to travel to go to court.
He forbade Puritan clergy to draw
their salaries from public taxes,
raised taxes to an outrageous
amounts, and took a salary for
himself that totaled more than the
annual cost of the old Massachusetts
government.
Andros challenged old land titles that
had been given under the old Puritan
charter and demanded that new titles
be issued by his government.
In 1687 the reverend John Wise
rallied the town of Ipswich to resist
the new taxes, but was arrested, tried,
convicted and fined by Andros.
The Dominion regime enforced the
Navigation Acts by putting a vice-
admiralty court in place that didn’t
operate with juries.
The new court condemned six
merchant ships which hurt the port’s
business and left the New English
hard pressed to pay all the new taxes.
3. Chapter 13 Revolutions
Pirates
Originally England found pirates useful in attacking
the Spanish and many colonial governors, including
New York and South Carolina, invested in pirate
enterprises calling them “privateers”.
At the end of the 17th
century, English naval might
was stronger than the Spanish and officials took
another look at their support of piracy.
Pirates had become more indiscriminate and were
even attacking English ships and had become
liabilities to a large and prosperous empire.
Sailors on merchants ships were worked hard for low
pay and piracy started to seem attractive because of
the money made by pirates and the fact that they
lived a more free lifestyle.
On vessels that pirates captured, the ship captains
were tried to see if they treated their crew with
abuse, and if found guilty they could be whipped or
even executed.
The pirates were all equal and divided their loot
evenly and even gave wounded or crippled sailors
extra compensation; the pirate captain was elected by
majority vote.
In 1697, the English empire declared war on
piracy and enacted tough new laws for those that
aided or abetted pirates; trying and executing
dozens between 1700-1701.
After the War of the Spanish Succession that
ended in 1713, pirates were able to recruit sailors
from captured merchant ships.
The pirates lost their allies as merchants, juries,
and governors cooperated with the crown’s
authorities, with 460 pirates being executed
between 1716 and 1726 and more dying resisting
capture.
By 1730, the seas once again belonged to the
English empire and respectable merchants.
4. Chapter 14 The Atlantic
New Negroes
Slaves were brought into the English
colonies, sold- making sure to split up family
members- and then forced to work the dirtiest
and hardest jobs on the plantations.
The masters used violence to keep the slaves
in line because it was the only way to make
them do hard work for no pay.
Punishments included whipping, rubbing salt
on the wounds, branding, or mutilating
different body parts.
The colonists believed that they were selfless
benefactors who gave the slaves a better life
than the poor in England.
Some masters tried to mollify the slaves by
giving them partial or whole days off in
hopes of stopping any uprisings before they
started.
Planters believed that the slaves were always
planning uprisings so they periodically
arrested, tried, and executed suspected
ringleaders despite the rarity of any actual
rebellions.
Many slaves, especially newcomers, tried to
runaway, but were caught, except those that
made it to Florida where the Spanish
welcomed them and gave them land in hopes
of weakening the English.
The American born-slaves outnumbered the
African-born slaves by the mid 18th
century.
The slaves would often “rebel” by doing their
work slowly, pretending illnesses, or
breaking tools.
5. Chapter 15 Awakenings
Revivals
In the 18th
century, most Congregational
and Presbyterian churches had evangelical
periods, called “revivals” causing an
increase in fervor and members.
Revivals offered the opportunity for
sinners to convert and devote their life to
God in hopes of eternal salvation.
Energetic preachers gave loud and
enthusiastic sermons that were supposed to
make the listener realize their evil ways
and to make a change or they were going
to hell.
The conversion process-called the New
Birth-goes from despair, as the person
realizes they are worthless without God, to
divine grace, when the person gives gives
up to God.
The process could happen immediately or
take a few months.
Some people were not able to find the
saving grace and stayed depressed, leading
to some to commit suicide.
Most revivals stayed local until the 1730s
and 1740s when preachers traveled long
distances to spread their words.
The revival in the Connecticut Valley came
to a stop in 1735 when the uncle of a
evangelical minister was not able to find the
saving grace and cut his own throat.
6. Chapter 15 Awakenings
Old Lights and New Lights
Old Lights
This was the name given to rationalists who
believed that religion should follow scriptural
traditions and learned sermons.
They consisted of older men that were well
established in their careers and had gone to
English Universities.
The Old Lights preferred dispassionate religion
that lacked emotional and physical outbursts.
They believed that grace was something that
happened over time as a result of bible study,
morality, and through a cautious minister.
They felt that Christianity was a stable religion
that needed defending against modern outside
influences.
New Lights
This was the name given to evangelists who
believed that religion should be spontaneous and
emotional.
They consisted of younger zealous preachers that
had been educated in American universities.
At revivals there was often weeping, crying,
twitching, and falling during the worship service.
The New Lights were supporters of women,
children, and sinners having sudden conversions
to divine grace.
They felt that religion should be uninhibited to
bring about the flow of a New Birth to it’s
congregation.
7. Chapter 17 The Great Plains
Comanche and Apache
In the 18th
century, The Great Plains became the
battleground of native peoples as they competed
for land and buffalo.
As the Comanche spread into Kansas, Oklahoma,
New Mexico, and Texas, they acquired horses,
which allowed them more opportunities to delve
into new lands.
The Apache and Comanche fought over the river
valleys, which had more water, grass, wood, and
shelter.
The Comanche bands were normally fluid and
nomadic, but would often come together to raid
Apache villages to take horses, women and
children, and buffalo territory.
The women and children were then assimilated
into the Comanche lifestyle, which resulted in a
population boom for the Comanche while most of
the other natives were experiencing a decrease in
population.
The extra horses, buffalo, and captives were
traded to the French for guns and ammunition.
The Comanche allied with the Wichita to keep the
Apache from trading with the French.
Apache bands fled from the Comanche into new
Mexico and Texas getting closer to the Hispanics.
Since the Apache could no longer hunt buffalo,
they would raid the Hispanic ranches and
missions stealing and eating buffalo and horses.
Some Apache sought refuge with the Hispanic
mission system, such as the Lipan Apache who
made a peace treaty with a ceremony signifying
their submission.
This caused the Hispanics to be party to the
dispute between the Apache and the Comanche
and Wichita.
This led to attacks and counterattacks which
killed both Indians and Hispanics.
8. Chapter 18 Imperial War and Crisis
Balance of Power
The Indians controlled the balance of power
between the French and English colony:
whomever had the favor of the natives was the
empire in control.
The Indians were divided in tribes and
subdivided into smaller villages that could
obstruct trade and destroy outlying settlements.
The Six Nation Iroquois had the best advantage
because of their location between French
Canada and New York.
Both the French and English wanted the Indians
as their allies.
In 1701, the Iroquois built a neutrality in order
to keep competition in the fur trade and keep
invading settlers away.
In the mid 18th
century, the British colonists (1.5
million) outnumbered the French colonists
(70,000), which led to British arrogance.
Despite having less colonists, the French
realized the importance of having the Indians as
allies and treated them with respect and
diplomacy.
The French knew the Indians were indispensable,
yet they were annoyed with the demands that the
Indians made.
The French built small forts around the Great
Lakes and in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
depending on the Indians for protection, but still
allowing the Indians to hunt the land, unlike the
British.
The English had one advantage over the French:
better trade goods in larger quantities at cheaper
prices.
This obliged the natives to make peace with
British officials so they had access to trade goods.
9. Chapter 17 Imperial Wars and Crisis
Indian Rebellions
The collapse of New France was a huge blow to
the Indians as they could no longer pit the
French and the British against each other.
Traders moved into the Ohio and Great Lakes
countries, then swindled and abused the Indians.
The new British military commander, Jeffrey
Amherst, cut off all presents to the Indians.
This caused the many different bands to come
together in cooperation to find a way to deal
with the colonists.
The first rebellion was the Cherokee fighting
with their former allies in South Carolina as a
result of the colonists invading Cherokee lands
in the face of the French defeat.
In revenge, the Cherokee killed thirty settlers.
The South Carolina authorities demanded that
the warriors be turned over to them to be tried
for murder, which the Cherokee ignored.
This led to attacks and counterattacks by the
British and Cherokee forces.
In 1760, the Cherokee ravaged South Carolina
and captured a British fort, but the British
retaliated in 1761 by destroying fifteen Indian
towns and their crops.
The Cherokee had to make peace with the English
colonies.
This defeat united thirteen different nations of
Indians in the common goal of defeating the
British.
In 1763, they captured most British forts around
the Great Lakes and Ohio valleys along with
three settlements.
This led to the settlers to treat all Indians as
savages who should be exterminated.
After several battles that led to the deaths of
hundreds of Indians and colonists, the British
military decided to reinstate the policy of giving
presents and tried to cultivate a relationship
similar to the one that the French had with the
Indians.
10. Chapter 17 Imperial Wars and Crisis
Indian Rebellions
The collapse of New France was a huge blow to
the Indians as they could no longer pit the
French and the British against each other.
Traders moved into the Ohio and Great Lakes
countries, then swindled and abused the Indians.
The new British military commander, Jeffrey
Amherst, cut off all presents to the Indians.
This caused the many different bands to come
together in cooperation to find a way to deal
with the colonists.
The first rebellion was the Cherokee fighting
with their former allies in South Carolina as a
result of the colonists invading Cherokee lands
in the face of the French defeat.
In revenge, the Cherokee killed thirty settlers.
The South Carolina authorities demanded that
the warriors be turned over to them to be tried
for murder, which the Cherokee ignored.
This led to attacks and counterattacks by the
British and Cherokee forces.
In 1760, the Cherokee ravaged South Carolina
and captured a British fort, but the British
retaliated in 1761 by destroying fifteen Indian
towns and their crops.
The Cherokee had to make peace with the English
colonies.
This defeat united thirteen different nations of
Indians in the common goal of defeating the
British.
In 1763, they captured most British forts around
the Great Lakes and Ohio valleys along with
three settlements.
This led to the settlers to treat all Indians as
savages who should be exterminated.
After several battles that led to the deaths of
hundreds of Indians and colonists, the British
military decided to reinstate the policy of giving
presents and tried to cultivate a relationship
similar to the one that the French had with the
Indians.
