An “Empire of Goods”: An “Empire of Goods”: Eighteenth Century British Eighteenth Century British

North AmericaNorth America

(71) Between 1607 and 1763, Americans gained control of (71) Between 1607 and 1763, Americans gained control of their political and economic institutions. To what extent and their political and economic institutions. To what extent and in what ways do you agree or disagree with this statement? in what ways do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(78) Although the thirteen American colonies were founded (78) Although the thirteen American colonies were founded at different times by people with different motives and with at different times by people with different motives and with different forms of colonial charters and political organization, different forms of colonial charters and political organization, by the Revolution the thirteen colonies had become by the Revolution the thirteen colonies had become remarkably similar. Assess the validity of this statement.remarkably similar. Assess the validity of this statement.

(89) In the two decades before the outbreak of the American (89) In the two decades before the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, there was a profound shift in the way Revolutionary War, there was a profound shift in the way many Americans thought and felt about the British many Americans thought and felt about the British government and their colonial governments. Assess the government and their colonial governments. Assess the validity of this statement in view of the political and validity of this statement in view of the political and constitutional debates of these decades.constitutional debates of these decades.

(95) For the period before 1750, analyze the ways in which (95) For the period before 1750, analyze the ways in which Britain’s policy of salutary neglect influenced the Britain’s policy of salutary neglect influenced the development of American society as illustrated in the development of American society as illustrated in the following:following: Legislative assemblies Commerce Religion Legislative assemblies Commerce Religion

I. Introduction: Anglicization and I. Introduction: Anglicization and AmericanizationAmericanization

2 v. diff. social systems in 172 v. diff. social systems in 17thth (NE + VA) (NE + VA) not caused by slavery, rather slavery not caused by slavery, rather slavery result diff. and then reinforcedresult diff. and then reinforced

How did these come together as How did these come together as Americans to fight in Rev?Americans to fight in Rev?

To become American had to become more To become American had to become more English (English (AnglicizationAnglicization): had much to do ): had much to do w/18w/18thth century city century city

II. Population Growth and DiversityII. Population Growth and Diversity

1700: 250,000 colonists (Tenochtitlan 1520)1700: 250,000 colonists (Tenochtitlan 1520) Pop. explodes after 1700: more rapid than any Pop. explodes after 1700: more rapid than any

other western societyother western society Doubles every 25 years: Doubles every 25 years: 1) low mortality (less disease, abundance food) 1) low mortality (less disease, abundance food) 2) immigration (Scotch-Irish, Germans) 2) immigration (Scotch-Irish, Germans) 3) high birth rate (natural increase)3) high birth rate (natural increase)

A. Change in Colonial A. Change in Colonial Immigration PolicyImmigration Policy

English migration continues butEnglish migration continues but 1) discouraged except lowest 1) discouraged except lowest

ordersorders increasingly need increasingly need workforceworkforce

2) encourage immigration from 2) encourage immigration from outside England: offer easy outside England: offer easy naturalizationnaturalization

Scotch-Irish: N. Ireland ProtestantsScotch-Irish: N. Ireland Protestants Germans: Pennsylvania Dutch Germans: Pennsylvania Dutch

(Deutsch)(Deutsch) Both come for opportunityBoth come for opportunity Bring religious and ethnic diversityBring religious and ethnic diversity

B. Changing DemographyB. Changing Demography

1776: ½ South non-English1776: ½ South non-English real cultural real cultural and social problemsand social problems

S-I resent Eng in particular and authority in S-I resent Eng in particular and authority in generalgeneral frontier squatters frontier squatters

Germans resisted acculturation (esp. Germans resisted acculturation (esp. Amish and Mennonites)Amish and Mennonites)

New immigrants want/need move West New immigrants want/need move West for land:for land: Land taken up by first immigrantsLand taken up by first immigrants Maintain culture/religionMaintain culture/religion

Effect: growth (pop and territory), Effect: growth (pop and territory), diversity, dispersaldiversity, dispersal Conflict w/Indians (Doc B)Conflict w/Indians (Doc B)

So, how come together as Americans?So, how come together as Americans?

III. Commerce and the Colonial III. Commerce and the Colonial CityCity

Society overwhelmingly rural (95%), but by AR 20 Society overwhelmingly rural (95%), but by AR 20 urban center over 3,000urban center over 3,000

Big 3: Boston (15,000), NYC (25,000), Big 3: Boston (15,000), NYC (25,000), Philadelphia (40,000)Philadelphia (40,000) (others along coast, esp. in North)(others along coast, esp. in North)

A. “Empire of Goods”A. “Empire of Goods”

Trade (ocean-going commerce) foundation Trade (ocean-going commerce) foundation urbanization, colonial wealth, and urbanization, colonial wealth, and AnglicizationAnglicization

Merchants bought raw materials from Merchants bought raw materials from interior (esp. food)interior (esp. food) Caribbean for Caribbean for molassesmolasses back to make rum back to make rum slaves slaves CaribbeanCaribbean Also fur trade and ship buildingAlso fur trade and ship building

English send woolens, English send woolens, hardware, and esp. hardware, and esp. luxury goodsluxury goods

1740-1770: 360% rise 1740-1770: 360% rise English exports to English exports to colonies (esp. to cities)colonies (esp. to cities)

These goods linked These goods linked together wide variety of together wide variety of people (rich, poor, rural, people (rich, poor, rural, urban, European, Indian, urban, European, Indian, African) into shared African) into shared consumer cultureconsumer culture McRoyal with CheeseMcRoyal with Cheese

B. Colonial CitiesB. Colonial Cities

Gap btwn rural and urban in 18Gap btwn rural and urban in 18thth nothing nothing by modern standards (hogs running wild in by modern standards (hogs running wild in NYC)NYC)

BUT would be shock to backcountry BUT would be shock to backcountry farmers or small townspeoplefarmers or small townspeople

Urban diversity (class, Urban diversity (class, racial, ethnic)racial, ethnic)

LuxuryLuxury Vice (brothels, Vice (brothels,

thieves)thieves) Anonymity (that aided Anonymity (that aided

vice)vice) FilthFilth TrafficTraffic Fires Fires New institutions:New institutions:

PrisonsPrisons Alm houses (poor)Alm houses (poor)

Greater cultural Greater cultural stimulation:stimulation:

Book shopsBook shops LibrariesLibraries TheatersTheaters Social clubsSocial clubs

IV. Provincialism and the IV. Provincialism and the Anglicization of Colonial CultureAnglicization of Colonial Culture

A. Provincial CultureA. Provincial Culture Colonial culture was Colonial culture was provincialprovincial: not self-: not self-

contained, draw from larger, superior contained, draw from larger, superior center, following fashions and fads center, following fashions and fads (Danville and SF/Oakland)(Danville and SF/Oakland) Esp. at top of society; Doc CEsp. at top of society; Doc C

Overseas trade made this possible: Overseas trade made this possible: Boston and Phila. closer contact London Boston and Phila. closer contact London than some English citiesthan some English cities

Ships carried ideas, Ships carried ideas, news (sometimes news (sometimes more valuable than more valuable than goods)goods)

Colonial cities Colonial cities resembled England: resembled England: architecture, furniture, architecture, furniture, fashions, tavernsfashions, taverns

B. Phases of Social DevelopmentB. Phases of Social Development

1. 1. Social simplificationSocial simplification: demands of survival: demands of survival disorientation + adaptation to new environment disorientation + adaptation to new environment (except NE)(except NE)

2. 2. Social elaborationSocial elaboration: creolized variants: creolized variants adaptation to changes but mixed w/elite adaptation to changes but mixed w/elite demands to resemble Englanddemands to resemble England

3. 3. Social replicationSocial replication (Anglicization): elites drive (Anglicization): elites drive recreation of English societyrecreation of English society Diff. Regions developed at diff. rates and in diff. ways, Diff. Regions developed at diff. rates and in diff. ways,

but all tending along same trendbut all tending along same trend

V. 18V. 18thth Century Boston Century Boston

Increase Mather (major Increase Mather (major Puritan minister): Boston the Puritan minister): Boston the land of the dying: impact of land of the dying: impact of commercecommerce

New elite of imperial New elite of imperial bureaucrats: elaborate bureaucrats: elaborate homes + slaves homes + slaves ((conspicuous conspicuous consumptionconsumption))

Wealthy colonial merchants Wealthy colonial merchants follow suitfollow suit

Slackening of Slackening of CongregationalismCongregationalism some returning to some returning to Anglican Church (to fit Anglican Church (to fit in with imperial elite)in with imperial elite)

Growing opulence: Growing opulence: Georgian mansions, Georgian mansions, paintings (esp. John paintings (esp. John Copley)Copley)

Theater didn’t do well Theater didn’t do well (Puritanism) but (Puritanism) but growing number growing number private companiesprivate companies

By American By American Revolution, Boston Revolution, Boston boasted a private boasted a private society committed not society committed not only to religion but only to religion but also commerce, also commerce, theater, art and theater, art and architecture, and the architecture, and the finer things in life.finer things in life. E.g. Paul Revere, E.g. Paul Revere,

silversmithsilversmith

VI. From Anglicization to VI. From Anglicization to AmericanizationAmericanization

This life not lived by allThis life not lived by all Only 5% in cities, and only small % of this lived Only 5% in cities, and only small % of this lived

this lifethis life BUT process overflowed cities and richBUT process overflowed cities and rich

Visitors, newspapers, “empire of goods” (T.H. Breen)Visitors, newspapers, “empire of goods” (T.H. Breen)

More English became, more had in common More English became, more had in common (across space and class)(across space and class) Boston more like Williamsburg, VA, and vice versaBoston more like Williamsburg, VA, and vice versa

Identification w/all things English (esp. Identification w/all things English (esp. rights; Doc E) ironically led to questioning rights; Doc E) ironically led to questioning of things English (esp. opulence)of things English (esp. opulence)

Begin to celebrate American simplicity and Begin to celebrate American simplicity and see selves as different from (and superior see selves as different from (and superior to) English (Doc D)to) English (Doc D)