Chapter 4

Colonial Economy

- mercantilist economy operated to benefit of planters, merchants, and white colonists in general. -Pennsylvania, New York, New England, and Chesapeake produced grain, flour, meat, and dairy products (none were enumerated goods). -greatest benefits for port cities of the North came from commercial relationship to slave colonies. -port cities of North became catalysts in expanding trade network linking slave plantations w/Atlantic markets. ^slavery contributed to growth of northern port cities (formed indirect but essential part of their economies).

African to African American

-"Creoles"=country-born (born in New World) slaves (growing population of them after majority of Africans were transported to North America during 18th century). -Creoles grew up under slavery, this perspective determined which elements of african culture translated to emerging African American culture > community formed out of relationship between Creoles and Africans, and between slaves and European masters.

Political and Economic Effects on Africa

-16th century, Africa began with independence, but as European nations grew stronger cuz of slave trade, Africa grew weaker. -Death and destruction spread deep into africa cuz of raids and trade, Africa was becoming depopulated. -West African economy grew stagnant; labor drawn away from farming. -Political, economical, and cultural demoralization paved way for Europeans conquests of Africa for 19th century. -Leaders of West Africa became preoccupied with slave trade, trading for European goods, and impoverishing and disorganizing their land to plan long term to protect the continent.

African American Culture

-18th century=formative period of this culture and community, high birthrates and growing population of "creoles" made culture evolve. -Distinctive patterns in music, dance, religion, and oral tradition showed struggle of creating a culture of their own under bondage. -Masters afraid of slaves becoming Christian because of loopholes of freedom. -Great Awakening (1760s) large number of African Americans converted to Christianity. -African American graveyards decorated w/old African pottery and shells (burials in night kept secret from masters who objected to continuation for African culture). -slaves from different backgrounds joined together, process of cultural unification. -Music and dance formed foundation of African American culture. -African American language=mixed dialect of Guinea and English (made communication between country-born and "saltwater" Africans). -2 most important dialects= Gullah and Geechee > turned into forms of black English.

Mulatto

-A person of mixed African and European ancestry, result of sexual relations between Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans (society with slaves). -Were free people.

Slavers of all nations

-All nations of Europe participated in slave trade. Holland= most prominent slave-trading nation during sugar boom of 17th century. Portuguese, French, Sweden, and German slave traders all participated. -English entered trade by voyages of John Hawkins. -european trading forts lined Gold Coast, many independent European slave traders entered trade and utilized these trading posts.

Salutary Neglect

-British Crown policy of relaxing the enforcement of regulations (made by Parliament) in its colonies in return for the colonies' continued economic loyalty. ----~Colonies ignored trade policies and restrictions that didn't benefit the trade market with England -meant to keep British colonies loyal to Britain.

Colonial Exports

-Chesapeake colonies: tobacco -South Carolina: rice and indigo -Middle Colonies: wheat

Slavery in North America

-First africans came to Virginia in 1619 when Dutch trader traded with John Rolfe. -at first, tobacco planters used indentured servants rather than african slaves (cheaper and offered more economic benefit). -English began importing Africans to fill absence of labor, and colonists wrote slavery into law (children were either free or bound depending on condition of mother). -Colony stated the death of a slave was not a felony, was a law until 1705. -Institution of slavery itself strengthened as Atlantic slave trade grew at beginning of 18th century. -1700-1710=more slaves brought to North America than in entire previous century (english colonies growth of plantation slavery).

French Louisiana

-French Company of the Indies imported thousands of African slaves + planters to incest in tobacco/indigo plantations on Mississippi River > Natchez (indians) and slaves revolted (Natchez Rebellion)-killed 200 french settlers. ^result=Louisiana French pulled back from total commitment to slavery. -Louisiana's economy grew diverse and French colonists established farms/plantations on Gulf Coast, and slaves=1/3 of population.

West African Society

-Hundreds of different peoples w/diff cultures liked on coast of West Africa -West Africans were sophisticated farmers -Local communities were organized by kinship, men had 2 or 3 wives. -West africans had "slaves" too but they were treated almost equal to all other africans.

Navigation Acts

-Laws that governed trade between England and its colonies, passed by Parliament in 1696. -Acts defined colonies as direct suppliers of raw materials +as markets for English manufactured goods. -Colonists were required to ship certain products exclusively to England. -These acts made colonists very angry because they were forbidden from trading with other countries. -Wool Act (1699), Hat Act (1732), and Iron Act (1750)- forbade production of these goods in colonies. -all contrary to good business practice=ignored in colonies. - between 1700 and 1760, quantity of goods exported from colonies to Britain rose 165%, and imports from Britain to North America increased by over 400% ( system operated to profit colonial merchants so colonist didn't complain about British mercantilist policies before 1760's)

Daily life of slaves

-Majority of Africans were field hands, even household slaves worked in fields. -Masters underdressed slaves in winter, cheap garments made from "negroe cotton"-represented inferiority of slaves. -George Washington gave each slave 1 set of clothes expected to last a full year of field labor (became rags). -On small plantations/farms (tobacco country of Chesapeake) Africans sometimes worked alongside owners + might live similarly to other family members. -Lower south (rice and indigo plantations) conditions were harsh and work was more demanding (slaves lived in separate quarters from owners). ^large plantations=emergence of African American communities and culture cuz of population density.-Ironic because life on big plantations was harder but slaves had more opportunity for some autonomy.

Politics of Mercantilism

-Mercantilism: economic system where the government intervenes in economy for the purpose of increasing national wealth. -political control of economy by the state. -Began in France in 17th century under Louis XIV, and applied by Great Britain in 18th century. -England sought to organize/control colonial trade to advantage of its shippers, merchants, manufacturers, and bureaucrats. -Mercantilists viewed economy so that total economic gains=to total losses. -slavery=nothing more than theft of labor of another person. -competition to acquire + hoard the fixed amount of wealth that existed in the world.

Slavery in Spanish Colonies

-Papacy denounced slavery as violation of Christian principle many times-but slavery institution continued as sugar production expanded in Cuba. -Spanish declared Florida refuge for escaped slaves from English colonies, offering land in return for protection of colony. >many native and african refugees fled to St. Augustine. -New MX-spanish depended on Indian slavery, after Pueblo revolts=better treatment of slaves.

Planter Elite

-Rich plantation owners who owned slaves

Growth of Slavery

-Slavery grew rapidly in the south among tobacco plantations that required hard and detailed labor. -Use of slaves made economic sense on tobacco and rice plantations. -In Caribbean and Brazil, sugar planters overworked their slaves to death, but Virginians took care of slaves more because they benefited from fertility of their slaves. -Northern slaves worked as servants, craftsmen and day laborers.

Society with Slaves vs Slave society

-Society with slaves= slavery was one form of labor among several (ex: Chesapeake- servants and slaves worked together and developed relationships). Some Africans worked for freedom and acquired land (status of black Virginians could be ambiguous. -Slave society= dominant form of labor=slavery (rather than indentured servants and native american labor). Decline of immigration of English servants because they could no longer obtain land as easily (planter elites controlled land). Immigrants looked to Pennsylvania for opportunity rather than Chesapeake.

Slavery in Lower South

-South Carolina=slave society from the start (enslaved Indians) by 1715, colonists turned to African slavery because of growing rice market, West Africans=better at rice farming than Natives. -Elizabeth Lucas Pinckney brought West Indian Indigo crop to carolinas (cultivated on high ground). -Georgia colony led by James Edward Oglethorpe: Parliament prohibited slavery in Georgia but South Carolinian planters colonized on coastal regions and Oglethorpe abandoned his experiment=Georgia open to slavery. -Tobacco plantations in Chesapeake=small while rice plantations=30-75 slaves > many black ppl in colonies of Lower South (80% of coastal population=black in 1770). -African american communities of Lower South achieved "self sustained" growth by middle of 18th century (a generation later than those in Chesapeake).

Demography of Slavery

-about 10-12 million Africans brought to Americas over course of 400 yrs. -ratio of men to women Africans= 2-1 -most Africans captured and transported to americas were 15-30 years old.

British Trade Policy

-all trade in empire to be conducted in English or colonial ships -channeling of colonial trade through England or another English colony -Subsidization of English goods offered for sale in the colonies. -Colonists prohibited from large-scale manufacture of certain products.

white skin privilege

-early 17th century, not everyone saw African americans as less than or inferior to Europeans (more diverse views). -as slavery increased in importance, so did skin color and race (legal distinctions in status of Africans and colonists). -laws limited social interactions between enslaved Africans and white colonists (no sexual interracial relationships). ^laws didn't apply to masters who had sexual relations with women slaves (lightskin offspring often born into slavery of their fathers). -mulattoes (mixed ancestry group) 60% in each colony were slaves, even free blacks were denied many things in society that even the poorest white men could have. -Racial distinctions=constant reminder of the freedom of white colonists and the debasement of all blacks, slave or free.

Slavery in North

-no northern colonies were slave societies, but they still used it as a labor form. -grew significant in commercial farming in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Long Island-slaves=10% of rural residents. -Newport, Rhode Island, slaves=25% of population (resulting in dominance in slave trade). - used slaves in dairy and cattle operations in Narragansett country. -Boston (port city) had household slaves, ownership was universal among anyone who could afford them. In 1750, slaves + small free black populations= 15-20% of Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia's populations. -Quakers of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (many had slaves= first colonists to voice "antislavery" sentiment. -1715, John Hepburn criticized slavery alone, then later by the 50's more Quakers led antislavery movements.

Commodity money

-result of navigational acts/economic restrictions=use of English coin banned, so colonists developed paper currency -colonists depended mostly on commodity money (furs, skins, hogsheads of tobacco) + circulation of foreign currency (pesos and thalers)

The Colonial Wars

-series of wars between England and France for control of the American continent ~King Williams War (1689-97): France and England battled for colonial supremacy on northern frontiers of New England and New York. ~Queen Anne's War (1702-13): England fights Spain and France in Caribbean and on northern frontier of New France. Known as "War of Succession". ~War of Jenkin's Ear (1739-43): Great Britain vs Spain in Caribbean and Georgia. Known as part of European conflict as "War of Austrian Succession" ~King George's War (1744-48): Great Britain and France fight in Acadia and Nova Scotia (second american round of War of Austrian Succession). ~French and Indian War (1754-63): Last of great colonial wars pitting Great Britain against France and Spain. Known in Europe as "Seven Years War".

Families and Communities

-slave codes made marriage illegal between slaves -planters broke families apart, sold away children. -18th century, slaves in Chesapeake and Lower South created families that were essential to development of African American culture. -large plantations: husband and wife shared quarters. -small plantations: men married women from neighboring farms and visited families in evenings/Sundays. -marriages performed by slaves themselves, jumping over broomstick (may have originated in Africa). -kinship system was important, addressed unrelated people as auntie, uncle, brother, sister, etc. (still see this today in African American culture)- kinship humanized the world of slavery. -weekday names (often African), friendships linking neighboring farms were foundation of African American community life

Slavery the Mainspring

-slave colonies (sugar islands of west indies and colonies of South, accounted for 95% of exports from Americas to Great Britain (1714-1773). -Labor of African slaves=largely responsible for economic success of British Empire in Americas: 1) generated enormous profits that became source of capital investment in economy, capital funded banks and insurance companies, and merchant capitalists expanded markets, harbors, and canals. 2) Slavery supplied raw cotton essential to Industrial Revolution > development of cotton gin + more cotton plantations in U.S. 3) slavery helped growth of manufacturing by creating huge colonial market for exports. Growth in ports like Liverpool and Bristol, a lot of employment opportunities. -capital acquired through slavery helped start of Industrial Revolution.

The Shock of Enslavement

-slave trade= collab of Europeans/Americans and African traders; africans themselves did the slave raids to other communities. -the more demand for slaves in 18th century, the deeper into africa the slave raids went. -Euro traders and african raiders assembled captives at trading posts, splitting up families and ethnic groups to lessen possibility of "collective resistance". -Africans saw white men as ugly and cruel, some thought that they were cannibals.

Violence and resistance (slave revolts)

-slavery was based on force and violence, punishing slave offenses with whippings. -Africans were resistant, and often ran away > runaway communities called "maroons" (wild and untamed)- fugitive communities. -Seminoles=mixed African and Indian people (slaves escaped from South Carolina or Georgia into Spanish Florida among creek indians). -Revolts: first in New York in 1712 when 24 armed Africans killed 9 colonists + burned several buildings before being surrounded. 6 committed suicide rather than surrender, 13 hanged, 1 starved to death in chains, one broken by wheel, etc. -Virginia 1720's, series of small rebellions/rumors of large ones culminated in Chesapeake rebellion (1730)=largest slave uprising of colonial period. -Chesapeake rebellion: several hundred slaves gathered and chose commanders, were later hunted down by Indians working for colonists -Lower South: slaves made up majority of population, violent uprisings in 1704, 1720, and 1730. 1738: series of revolts broke out throughout South Carolina and Georgia. 1739: 20 Angolans sacked armory in Stono, South Carolina> began march towards Florida and freedom (grew to 100) and killed 30 colonists, eventually overtaken by militia and destroyed. -revolts influenced newly arrived Africans so colonial officials shut off slave trade through Charleston for next 10 years. -Fewer revolts in North America compared to colonies like Jamaica, Guiana, or Brazil (brutal exploitation, low survival rates, little acculturation, geographic isolation- also in some areas of Lower South).

The Africanization of the South

-slaves won fame for healing powers, english men and women in south were also being Africanized. -African food introduced into masters homes. -Luisiana=combo of African, French, and Indian elements produced American regional cuisine. -Africanism passed into English language (southern drawl), African music and dance deely affected white culture= "mutual acculturation"-dancing provided unique opportunity for slaves to express themselves. -traditions of both white and black folks gradually transformed.

Enumerated goods/commodities

-specific list of goods that could be shipped ONLY to England from colonies. -included products of southern slave colonies: sugar, molasses, rum, tobacco, rice, and indigo). -also included products of northern Indian trade: furs and skins + things essential for supplying shipping industry: pine masts, tar, pitch, resin, and turpentine). ^most products were NOT for English consumption, rather they were exported elsewhere at great profit.

Sugar colonies

-sugar plantations on Portuguese island colony of Madeira (off coast of West Africa). -Portuguese (allied w/Dutch financiers) made center of sugar production in Northeast Brazil> became model of "efficient and brutal" exploitation of African abor. -1600, around 25,000 Africa slaves worked on plantations of Hispaniola and Brazil. -Dutch helped European sugar market expand, now available to middle class not just rich, sugar helped workers have energy. -England and France saw success of sugar market and wanted their own West Indian sugar colonies. Spanish-occupied Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. English and French settlers made English Barbados and French Martinique very profitable colonies (on islands of Lesser Antilles), later English took Jamaica, French took west Hispaniola. - Caribbean sugar and slaves became "centerpiece of European colonial system.

Atlantic Slave Trade

-the buying and selling of Africans for work in the Americas, taken from West Africa and transported across Atlantic ocean. -Ration of Africans to Europeans= 1-6 (before 19th century). -1st African slaves arrived in Lisbon in 1441, Portuguese wanted access to West African trade in gold, iron, etc. -Slave trade ended in U.S. in 1807, continued everywhere else in America until 1870.

Social structure of slave colonies (south)

-topped by small elite of wealthy planters who owned several thousand acres of farmland and owned 100+slaves (lived in high style). -southern Aristocracy. -about 1/2 of all white adult males=small planters and farmers (even though gap between elite and middle class was growing, plantation economy benefited middle class too). -a large portion of colonists owned no land or slaves =40% of population, (rented land or worked as tenant farmers, or were indentured servants).

The Middle Passage

-voyage that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America + the West Indies (middle part of trading triangle from England to Africa to America). -Slaves were packed like sardines and chained to one another on the ships (supposed to carry 450, carried 600 slaves instead). -Under the ships, conditions were horrifying, many captives got sick and died (1 in every 6 Africans died). -Many slave revolts took place on the ships, many tried to drown themselves so captains put netting along the sides of the ships. -Upon arrival, buyers examined africans and then they were auctioned off and separated.

Slave codes

Laws that controlled the lives of enslaved African Americans and denied them basic rights, gave owners absolute power over their slaves. Passed mainly in southern colonies during early 18th century. Made marriages illegal between slaves.