Ch.4

The Seven Years' War

The war began in 1754 as the British tried to dislodge the French from western Pennsylvania. The war went against the British until 1757, when William Pitt became British prime minister and turned the tide of battle. In 1759, a French army was defeated near Quebec.

Resistance to Slavery

A common thread among African-Americans was the desire for freedom. Many plantation slaves in South Carolina and Georgia ran away to Florida or to cities. The first eighteenth-century slave uprising occurred in New York City in 1712. The Stono Rebellion of 1739 in South Carolina led to the tightening of the slave code. A panic in 1741 swept New York City after a series of fires broke out that were rumored to have been part of a slave conspiracy to attack whites.

Slavery and Empire

Colonial merchants profited from the slave trade. Slavery became connected with the color black, and liberty with the color white.

The Georgia Experiment

Georgia was established by a group of philanthropists led by James Oglethorpe in 1733. Oglethorpe had banned liquor and slaves, but the settlers demanded their right of self-government and repealed the bans by the early 1750s

African-American Cultures

In the Chesapeake, slaves learned English, participated in the Great Awakening, and were exposed to white culture. In South Carolina and Georgia, two very different black societies emerged: Communities on rice plantations retained significant African cultural elements (e.g., housing styles, child naming practices, language). Slaves in the cities of Charleston and Savannah assimilated more quickly into Euro-American culture. In the northern colonies, a distinctive African-American culture developed more slowly, and African-Americans enjoyed more access to the mainstream of life.

The Middle Ground

Indians were constantly being pushed from their homes into a "middle ground" between European empires and Indian sovereignty. The government of Virginia gave an immense land grant in 1749 to the Ohio Company.

Slavery in the North

Since the economics of New England and the Middle Colonies were based on small farms, slavery was far less important. Given that slaves were few and posed no threat to the white majority, laws were less harsh than in the South. Slaves did represent a sizable percentage of urban laborers, particularly in New York and in *Philadelphia

The Rice Kingdom

South Carolinian and Georgian slavery rested on rice. Rice and indigo required large-scale cultivation (which was done by slaves). Under the task system, individual slaves did daily jobs, the completion of which allowed time for leisure or cultivation of their own crops. By 1770, the number of South Carolina slaves had reached 100,000-well over half the colony's populationThe Rice Kingdom South Carolinian and Georgian slavery rested on rice. Rice and indigo required large-scale cultivation (which was done by slaves). Under the task system, individual slaves did daily jobs, the completion of which allowed time for leisure or cultivation of their own crops. By 1770, the number of South Carolina slaves had reached 100,000-well over half the colony's population

A World Transformed

The Peace of Paris in 1763 resulted in the expulsion of France from North America. The Seven Years' War put future financial strains on all the participants.

Colonial Identities

The colonists emerged from the Seven Years' War with a strengthened pride in being members of the British empire.

Becoming African-American

The common link among Africans in America was not kinship, language, or even "race," but slavery itself. For most of the eighteenth century, the majority of American slaves were African by birth

Pennsylvania and the Indians

The war deepened the hostility of western Pennsylvanian farmers toward Indians and witnessed numerous indiscriminate assaults on Indian communities. After the Paxton Boys marched on Philadelphia, the governor ordered the expulsion of much of the Indian population from Pennsylvania.

Chesapeake Slavery

Three distinct slave systems were well entrenched in Britain's mainland colonies: Tobacco-based plantation slavery in the Chesapeake Rice-based plantation slavery in South Carolina and Georgia Nonplantation societies of New England and the Middle Colonies Slavery transformed Chesapeake society into an elaborate hierarchy of degrees of freedom: Large planters Yeomen farmers Indentured servants and tenant farmers Slaves With the consolidation of a slave society, planters enacted laws to protect their power over the slaves

The Proclamation Line

To avoid further Indian conflicts, London issued the Proclamation of 1763, which banned white settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation enraged settlers and land speculators hoping to take advantage of the expulsion of the French

Africa and the Slave Trade

With the exception of the king of Benin, most African rulers took part in the slave trade. The slave trade was concentrated in western Africa, greatly disrupting its society and economy

The Middle Passage

With the exception of the king of Benin, most African rulers took part in the slave trade. The slave trade was concentrated in western Africa, greatly disrupting its society and economy The Middle Passage was the voyage across the Atlantic for slaves. Slaves were crammed aboard ships for maximum profit. Slave traders took the vast majority of slaves to Brazil and to the West Indies, where death rates were high. Less than 5 percent of African slaves went to what became the United States, but the slave population there increased steadily through natural reproduction.

Pontiac's Rebellion

With the removal of the French, the balance-of-power diplomacy that had enabled groups like the Iroquois to maintain a significant degree of autonomy was eliminated. In 1763, Indians in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes launched a revolt against British rule. Neolin championed a pan-Indian identity.