Chapter Three, Section One
England & Its Colonies
England & Its Colonies Prosper
· The trade relationship goal: improve BR
Mercantilism – economic system where goal is to increase wealth & power by establishing a favorable balance & trade (gold & silver)
· BR – by utilizing new raw materials available to them from the colonies (i.e. fur, lumber, fish, tobacco)
· But colonists were not trading exclusively with BR (Spain, FR, & Holland)
· BR viewed this as a threat to their own balance & trade
· So Parliament passed the Navigation Acts
Navigation Acts – series of laws restricting colonial trade (see p. 68) (So colonies could export certain products only to BR)
· Results of Navigation Acts very positive for BR
Tensions Emerge
· Not everyone’s happy with Navigation Acts
· Many colonists ignored the acts and continued trading with other countries
· 1684 – King Charles II cracked down on the leaders and merchants in MA (he felt they were the worst violators)
· Puritans from MA rarely adhered to Parliament
· So BR revoked (took away) the colony’s charter & made it a Royal Colony
· 1685 – King James II succeeded King Charles II and he consolidated the northern colonies, calling it the “Dominion of New England”
· Sir Edmund Andros – BR military guy chosen to govern “New England”
o Condemned people & their ideas
o Enforced Navigation Acts & prosecuted smugglers
o Levied taxes
· Increase Mather – MA minister traveled to BR to try and plead its case & remove Andros, but this was all when the Glorious Revolution was happening
· Glorious Revolution – peaceful overthrow of King James II by William and Mary
o A series of laws were passed by Parliament, limiting the power of the monarch.
· Meanwhile back in North America, colonists arrested Andros & his royal leaders
· In response, Massachusetts gained its charter back and this “Dominion of England” was no more
· However, there were some changes:
o King got to appoint Massachusetts governor
o There was more religious toleration of other groups besides Puritans, such as Anglicans & Quakers
England Loosens the Reins
· BR had to worry about FR with regards to control of Europe
· As a result, colonies were left alone for awhile
o Devoted very little $ to colonies
o Reduced its # of soldiers to enforce colonial laws
· Nonetheless, Navigation Acts were strengthened by:
o Moving smuggling trials from colonial courts to courts with BR judges
o Creating Board of trade – advisory board with broad powers to monitor colonial trade
Salutary Neglect – neglect for a positive purpose (benefit)
(1) Colonists – enjoyed more freedom from BR
(2) BR – still brought in raw materials & profits, but decreased administrative costs.
· Salutary Neglect also affected colonial politics. (salary)
· Colonists have their own governor, judges, local assembly, etc.
“Under England’s ‘less than watchful’ eye, the colonies were developing a taste for self-government that would eventually create the conditions for rebellion.”
· Regardless, colonists were still loyal to BR (for now)
· Each colony had its own motives & needs (no real desire to unite)
o Life in North vs. South was developing VERY differently.