-
Mayflower
-102 colonists sail to VA, but land in Plymouth MA
-These colonists are puritans and believe the Church of England is so corrupt, it cannot be saved.Puritans establish their own colony,Plymouth which revolves highly around strict religion
-Mayflower Compact is a legal document with 41 signatures.It outlines the government and laws the pilgrims put in place.The town is governed by democratically elected assemblies and calls for annual town meetings.Meetings were held by male separatists. -
MA Bay Colony
-Non-separatists focused on religious freedom get a royal charter to form the MA Bay colony
-"Great Migration" of 1630,turmoil in GB has 70K people move to the New World.20K go to MA,and Boston is the hub of the colony.
-John Winthrop is the Governor of Boston and believes in the "city on a hill" ideology.
-Patriarchy is est.Roger Williams questions the involvement of church in govt and is banished from MA. He est.Rhode island which is a safe haven for other religions. -
Period: to
Connecticut and the Pequot Wars
-Fundamental Orders of CT is the first legal doc. in America
-Natives are extremely weak due to frontier expanding
Pequots are the most powerful tribe in CT. Colonists and Narragansets attack w/ no mercy. Pequots annihilated
-1675-1676,King Phillip's war. Native tribes unite to stage attacks against colonists. Frontier settlements are forced back to Boston. Metacomet (King Phillip) was beheaded and his family sold to slavery. Stabilizes NE and eliminates native threat -
Period: to
Great Awakening
-Wealth and profits replace spiritual values
-Changes in social values; disparity between upper and lower class
-Creation of new colleges to train converted ministers
-Challenges to religious and political authority (theocracy)
-Colonists begin to question the King's Govt. Is it upholding social contract theory? Are the colonists receiving the three natural rights of all Englishmen? -
Period: to
Seven Years War
-Competition over land (Ohio River Valley) and control over Native American trade led to the war
-Albany plan of union: Benjamin Franklin proposes that all of the colonies must unite under one govt. This plan is rejected by every colony
-British step in to help fight the French and their native allies. They win with their increased war funds ($ 8 mil.), Iroquois alliance, Large army, and help from colonial militias -
Seven Years War Aftermath
-Great Britain blames the colonies for the war and asks them to repay the war debt ($8 mil.). Taxes become a priority
-Proclamation line of 1763 ends colonial westward expansion and puts the Ohio river valley off limits for settlement
-George Grenville is elected finance minister, British troops are stationed at custom houses, colonial ships can be searched without warrant, Britain becomes a monopoly -
Period: to
Sugar, Stamp, and Tea Acts
-Sugar Act put an indirect tax on sugar and molasses to help pay off the war debt
-stamp act placed a tax on all printed goods.Colonists resisted this with protests and boycotts.Sons of Liberty boycott all printed goods.This act was repealed after one year
-Tea act made colonists pay a tax on tea.The British east India Co.was near bankruptcy and was granted a monopoly.Sons of Liberty assemble Boston Tea Party(1773). $1-2 mil. lost in tea.King George III sees this as a threat to British rule -
Coersive Acts
-harsh laws made to punish MA. for unlawful protests.Meant to be an example to other colonies to not follow Boston
-Boston Port Bill closed the port of Boston and in turn destroyed the economy
-Administration of Justice Act stated that British troops could only be tried for crimes committed in colonies in Britain
-MA Govt. Act gave the British Governor control over town meetings
-many more strict laws were put in place.Other colonies would join Boston in the fight for independence -
Lexington and Concord
-militia forming in MA. King wants to seize weapons and rebel leaders
-Americans developed spy networks and knew when the British arrived
-95 US militia men were killed and 273 GB soldiers died.
-The British found no weapons or ammunition
-This led to the second continental congress -
Olive Branch
-Colonists decide to make the Olive Branch petition which was intended as a cease fire in Boston, and asked the King to define colonist rights.
-Colonists trying to reconcile with GB
-King George III sees this as a joke and declares the colonists in a state of rebellion
-declaration of Independancy. Colonists join the fight for independence