Sunday, September 30, 2007

Colonists' Sense of Unity Before the Revolution

By 1775, the colonists living in the thirteen colonies were tired of the unjust treatment of the English crown. They wanted their own government and their own taxation, one that was not controlled by authorities overseas. The colonists developed a very strong sense of their identity and unity as Americans by establishing intercolonial committees as well as creating an unified opposition of the English laws and acts. The intercolonial committees first began developing in Virginia, with the House of Burgesses and went as far north as New York and Philadelphia. Local men of power listened to the colonists’ dismays and spread the word all throughout the colonies. The more the colonists shared their dissatisfaction with the English crown, the more they became unified and saw each other as Americans, the residents of a new country. The unified opposition of English laws and acts came into the light in 1773 when the British East India Company gained control of the American tea business. The colonists didn’t like the taxes imposed so they revolted against the English tea company. In many cities along the coast of the Atlantic, tea cargo was burned and destroyed to protest the taxes. This was achieved through unity and identity of the American people, who stood up for their beliefs. They agreed on taking action against the English crown and from then on, the American motto was developed, ” United we stand; divided we fall”.

Colonial Unity on the Eve of the Revolution

Colonials unified greatly on the Eve of the Revolution. They realized that they were being used, or "milked like a cow", in order for England to increasingly gain gold. Essentially the colonists were being taxed by a nation hundreds of miles of away. By this time, America had showed it self to be fairly independent, fighting alongside the British in the French-Indian War. Not only this, but they were also economically unified. Virginia was eyed with contempt by the mother country, because of their one dimensional economics. Mercantilism stifled economic independence, because America were controlled by England in the way that they traded. America was not permitted to trade with other nations, another factor that added wood to the fire of revolutionary rage. Impoverished and restless Americans were ready to rebel.

Colonial Identity and Unity

On the eve of revolution, Colonists began to unify in contempt of their home country who continuously burdened them with new laws and restrictions from far away. Distance between America and Britain contributed greatly in thinning Britains influence over its colonies. In trying to strengthen the hold that they were inevitably losing, they only succeeded in angering the colonists and prolonging the revolution itself. Considering that the colonists were only allowed to trade with theire home country, and that the home country was ever so vigorously enforcing its mercantilist policies, and that they were being heavily taxed (with good reason) for the war that Britain had just fought on their behalf, it is understandable why they would rebel. Why, when fully capable of independence, and fundamentally different from it, would they have to be tied down by a country who consistently troubled them with new restrictions every chance it had? Not only that, but as a people, they had no equal representation of their own in Britain. Economically stressed, colonists banded together in protest of the now seemingly leech rival country. As time passed, they began to see themselves as Americans more so than rebelious, transplanted Britons.

Unity

The colonists had developed a strong sense of unity and unity as Americans by the eve of the revolution. Despite the colonists' differences, they were forced to think and work together because of mistreatment from the British. The Intolerable acts effected the colonists to make them think together to over the acts. A result of this was the Boston Tea Party. The French and Indian War forced the colonists to work together to overcome their opponents. However, not all of the colonists were united. Twenty percent of the colonists were loyalists, whereas the other eighty, the whigs, were against the crown. This was the major divide between the colonists. Aside from the, The loyalists were very united, and the Whigs were also very united amongst themselves.

Colonial Unity and the Revolution

Colonial unity during the eve of the Revolution was essential to the success of the colonists against the British. At that time, the Patriots (supporting colonials) outnumbered the Liberals at a 4:1 ratio. The Patriots were all located in the trade areas of the colonies, predominantly in the north and middle colonies. Whereas the Liberals were situated in Anglican church areas which were usually in the south. This demographic helped to shape the Patriotic colonists into a united front. These Patriots stood together against taxation without representation. Though items such as tea were cheaper than before, the newly imposed tax went against the colonial principles. This led to the strong unity through groups such as the Daughters of Liberty, Sons of Liberty, Patriotic mobs, and all other groups that resented the British taxes. This thus cause new Patriotic works, such as Thomas Paine's Common Sense that stated that a little island like Britain could not contain the large and vast Colonies. After the Continental Congress, the Colonies decided to separate from Britain and finally announced the justification for their independence in the Declaration of Independence. By this time, the colonists were strongly united in order to fight the redcoats.

Colonial Unity and the Revolution

Building up to the Revolution, the British colonists in America were becoming less a mixture of different fugitives and becoming more and more a single group of American rebels against the English crown. While England was involved in its own European wars, the british colonies had to find new entities to trade with, or else they would discontinue any revenue. This led to American trade with the French West Indies and other European controlled Carribean regions. Starting with the Molasses Act, the british crown tried desperately to restrict the american colonies to only British trade. This act only enraged the colonists into smuggling and illegally trading with the French. After this came the french and Indian War, which united the colonists against the french. Once the Americans had won the war, the british passed the Proclomation of 1763, which stopped the colonists from claiming the land that they had just fought for. Even more infuriating were the taxes, such as the Sugar Act, the Tea tax, and the Stamp Acts. The Tea tax led to the most tangible results, including the Boston Tea Party, the placing of British troops in Boston, and after that, the Boston Massacre.
Also, leaders in the colonies began to rise to the occasion and spread a common feeling of disloyalty in the British crown. One of these leaders in Boston, Samuel Adams, created local commitees throughout the area, so as to arouse rebellion. Even further down the road was the Continental Congress in 1774, which virtually destroyed state barriers with the meeting of 55 distinguished men, and the Association, which made an agreement to completely boycott British goods. All of this adds up to the American sentiment that working with the english crown was not in their best interests anymore, and a united people against their oppresion was maturing.

American Identity and Unity by the Eve of Revolution

After being slightly enriched with a spirit of independence after the French and Indian war, colonists developed a greater sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution from British laws and policies that outraged them and the rise of propaganda. For example, the Townshend revenue duties that supported parliamentary taxation and the Navigation laws discontented Americans. This then led to propaganda, whom people like Samuel Adams was zealous for. He formed local committees of correspondence in 1772 that opposed British policy and roused resistance, which eventually led to the establishment of intercolonial committees of correspondence that disseminated sentiment in favor of united action. Furthermore, the summoning of a Continental Congress in 1774, which partially broke down intercolonial barriers and gathered fifty-five distinguished men, created The Association, which was an agreement to completely boycott British goods. The fact that the 12 of 13 attending colonies agreed to this was a show of their independence and unity and established their identity away from the British. Overall, British taxation and laws that colonists thought as ridiculous fueled their discontent and roused resistance, and eventually propelled them to rebel against the British once they pushed into Concord.

Identity and Unity as Americans

Even though the French and Indian War united Americans and the common enemy (British) united the rebels, they were only one third of the population, and there were still many different views on how America should be governed.
During the French and Indian War Americans gained more confidence in their military power and saw weaknesses in the British military, which gave them hope for success during the Rebellion. Shortly before the Revolution Samuel Adams started organizing local committees of correspondence. He had formed the 1st local committee of correspondence “in Boston during 1772, some eighty towns in the colony set up similar organizations” (pg. 131). In a very short period of time “every colony had established a central committee through which it could exchange ideas and information with other colonies” (pg. 132). This connection between the colonies brought forth more unity. Also, all the Acts passed by the British Parliament were disliked by most American citizens, which united them in the fight against a common enemy. However, not everybody agreed on having a self governed America, in fact only one third of the population wanted and fought for it.

Colonial Unity

Despite conflicting race, class, and religion, by the eve of the revolution the American colonists had generally unified as a distinct people striving to parallel aspirations and futures. From the oppression of the American citizen’s rights by the British sprouted novel ideas of freedom and independence as a single nation. The American colonies were over 3000 miles and 6 to 8 weeks sailing time away from London. Colonizers began to feel separated from Europe and lost past influence from superiors, setting the stage and building up for inevitable revolution. Various acts and laws restricting trade, unjust taxation, and overall oppression of Americans to benefit England were passed throughout the 17 and 18th century. One example of this is the Declaratory Act, proclaiming that Parliament had the right “to bind” the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” Countless Americans came together to fight a common enemy and progress towards a corresponding goal. The Stamp Act Congress of 1765 is one instance of this unity, in which delegates of 9 colonies organized and deliberated future actions for the greater good of their colonies; although largely ignored in Britain, it was step towards inter-colonial unanimity. When taxed without representation, American colonists made a huge step boycotting all British goods, and furthering them as a developing self sufficient nation by producing their own goods. Overall, when worst came to worst, all Americans were able to organize themselves, contemplate procedures, and proceed to an independent, autonomous society and mind set.

Colonial Unity

The taxes, restrictive acts, and what the colonists viewed as repression by the British crown led to a large number of colonists to unite and eventually rebel against England. Several acts that implimented taxes on sugar, stamps, and tea led to a general dislike towards the British. The tea tax led to smuggling and British troops being placed in the colonies which resulted in the Boston Massacre. The deaths caused great outrage amongst the colonists and began a growing distrust of the British crown. Other acts that didn't impliment taxes but were still seen as repressive, like the quarter act, the navigation laws and the intolerable acts, seemed to be the last straw for the colonies. Seeing as how these acts affected trade and territory, something all the colonies cared for greatly, the colonies were united by similiar worry. Overall, the economic explotation, acts that seemed to be too much, and a threat to their way of life gave the colonies a sense of unity prior to the American Revolution.

UNity in New England colonies

BY the eve of the American revolution, the colonists in New Engkand had developed a profound sense of unity due to resentment towards various acts imposed by the British.
Various acts, such as the Molasses Act, the Stamp Acts, and the Sugar Acts brought together a profound feeling of resentment by the colonists towards the British. These acts did not seem fair to them, for they made them loose their money and their rights. The unity among the colonists intensified as shown in deffierent protests such as smuggling after the Molasses Act, the Boston Tea Party after Tea acts, and other such rebellions. In the end, the general dislike and umbrage towards these acts and the British in general was what brought on unity among all Americans, and eventually this is what helped and saved them in war.

Unity and Identity of American Colonists

Despite their geographical, economic, and cultural differences, on the eve of the Revolution American colonists had greatly developed their sense of unity and their identity as a nation through their common grievances towards the British crown. After a number of tax acts and trade restrictions were passed and enforced in the colonies by British Parliament, American colonists began to take intercolonial action against the thought to be "fiscal aggression(126)". The Stamp Act Congress of 1765 incorporated delegates from the span of nine colonies towards a common goal against this taxation. Nonimportation agreements brought together Americans in a common action against the British government. Intercolonial committees of correspondence, created to spread propaganda and information, united colonists from New England to the Southern colonies. Finally, as a major act of unification and developing their sense of identity, a Continental Congress met to discuss ways of addressing common grievances. Every colony, with the exception of Georgia, sent representatives to Philadelphia for a seven week assembly. By the battles of Lexington and Concord, American colonists had developed a deep, powerful, nd organized sense of unity which would prove to be essential in gaining independence from Britain and devolping themselves as a new nation.
Although the colonists were culturally, geographically, and religiously seperated, by the eve of the Revolution, the American colonies had developed a unified sense of identity through there defiant actions against the British. For example, American protest of the Stamp Act in 1765 and the Boston Massacre, in which British troops shot and killed/wounded eleven American citizens, were both resistance movements agains the British that gave the colonial people a sense of unity. Another American action that gave the colonists a sense of their identity was the establishment of the thirteen parliaments, which created a bigger rift between America and Britain and showed that Americans were not going to submit to British control. Furthermore, the Boston Tea Party on December 6, 1773, in which a band of colonists disquised as Indians boarded three tea ships in the Boston Harbor and smashed the tea chests and dumped them into the sea, displayed the fierce colonial backlash to British control that sparked Americans and created a strong sense of unity. In conclusion, by the eve of the Revolution, the colonists had developed a strong identity in their resistance against British dominion.

The Unity of the Colonists on Eve of Revolution

The colonists had developed a strong sense of unity from their times in the French and Indian War, the fight against the Stamp and other Acts, and against taxation without representation by the eve of the revolution.
The colonists banded together to survive and defeat the French in the war and as a result realized how much power and skill they wielded when brought together. This would be key in helping untie them again under a common enemy.
The Stamp Act and the proclamation of 1763 really angered the colonists as they were forced to pay for a war in which they did not receive benefits. These angry sentiments led to protests and tavern talks by folks like Samuel Adams. Letters were spread throughout the colonies about resisting the injustices.
When they were being taxed without representation, the colonies truly united in a boycott of all British goods, severely dampening the revenue of England.
By the eve of revolution the majority of the colonists was riled up and had united in their fight. By seeing the results of their unity, they became even more united to face their now enemy, Britain.

Unity of colonists by the eve of the Revolution

Although the colonies were still incredibly different in political, social, and economic aspects by the eve of the Revolution, they were unified by the oppressive acts passed by the british government, causing a greater sense of American identity. There were many factors that omtriuted to the eventual unification of the colonies, but perhaps the greatest factor was the resentment towards the many acts that were viewed as "oppressive" by the colonists. Prime Minister George Grenville's acts mark the beginning of this resentment. Grenville, in order to raise money for Britian because of the costly Seven Years War, passed acts such as Sugar Act, the Quartering Act, and the Stamp Act. The Americans regarded this as not only unjust but oppresive to their local liberties which they viewed as rights. This "oppression" caused the colonists to demand their rights as Americans and brought them together with a common goal, to gain the liberties which they were entitled to. The feeling of oppression caused the colonies to unify in an attempt to stop it, the House of Burgesses (the first intercolonial committee of correspondence) is and example of this. This allowed colonies to exchange ideas with one another, uniting them further.
Another example of British oppression leading to a unification among the colonies was the passing of the Intolerable Acts as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. Theis brutal punishment resulted in the summoning of the Continental Congress in 1774, in which 12 of the 13 colonies had representation. This showed incredible unity against the British, despite the many existing differences among the colonies. Ironically, the British had the strongest influence on the unification of the previously divided colonies, which allowed for the eventual rebellion and Revolution.

Ja. The Blog Thing: Unity of the Colonists by the eve of the American Revolution

For 2-3 years, colonists of America have been suffering a great deal of punishment by the British government, unifying their whole people as a rebel whole. Events such as governmental passing of "intolerable acts and taxing angered colonists who were trying to make a living in America.

The Revolution lasted over a century and a half and began when the first permanent English settlers set foot on the new continent. Over the years such a ferment had occurred in the thinking of colonists that the Revolution was completed in their minds before musketballs began to fly. The beginning of migration also caused the beginning of rebellion: one of the first events/acts that angered colonists in terms of unfairness was that the British government was losing money and America seemed bountiful. After they decided to give them taxes and all kinds of fun, many Americans began to sniff the strong scent of a conspiracy to strip them of their historic liberties. They lash back violently to destroy targets such as the Stamp Act. Eventually, actions by the British government led to revenge. They wanted to "teach the colonists a lesson" by sending redcoat soldiers over to seize goods such as gunpowder, tea, and other miscellaneous crates. This led to the Townshend Tea Tax, Boston Massacre, the infamous Intolerable Acts, and further battles erupted from it. Although many colonists languished governmental chaos, it brought the rebel colonists closer together, more dependable upon one another.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Extent of Unification between New England Colonies

By the Eve of the Revolution the New England Colonies had created a fairly strong sense of unity between each other. This had happened, primarily, because of three main events. The first event to cause the Colonists to start to come together was the Molasses Act England had issued them. The Triangle Trade was used to further the economic situations in the colonies. When England passed the Molasses Act, it made the Triangle Trade no longer available to the New England Colonies, thus hurting them economically. Because of this misfortune, the colonists had to come together in order to get pass the Molasses Act and begin smuggling, as their way to rebel against England. The Great Awakening had also brought the colonies closer together. It was the one time in all of history that had united America together on a religious level. Because of the large amount of converts, everyone at this point had felt a religious presence and come together to worship. Therefore, America had also come together when they became overwhelmed with religion. Finally, the freedom of Press was another major turning point in unifying the colonies. Because of freedom of press the colonists were now able to bring up opinions and share important news over a wide amount of area. Without this people were not able to share events and such easily, but with it people were able to have opinions about different things and about things that were not directly affecting them. But they knew what was going with their other colonists. Overall, by the Eve of the Revolution the colonists had become quite unified, at least compared to how they were when they first became grounded.

To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their unity as Americans by the eve of the Rev.?

To an extent the colonist had developed a sense of identity and unity as American by the eve of the revolution. This unity and identity by no mean came instantaneously, but came as a slow trickle and even on the eve of the revolution was not still complete. Britain’s taxation of the colonies as a way of paying their war debts reinforced an emerging sense of American identity and helped to precipitate in first step American Revolution. In 1765, Grenville imposed the most odious measure of all: a stamp tax to raise the revenues to support the new military force. The Stamp act mandates the use of stamp paper, certifying payment of the tax. The American were angrily aroused at what they regarded Grenville’s fiscal aggression, steadfastly denied the right of parliament, in which no American seated, to impose taxes on Americans. “No taxation without representation”, raising their angry cry, numerous of America took the stand to deny supreme authority of parliament and altogether began to consider their own political independence. As nearly all Americans protested the taxation and boycotted British manufactured goods. The American identity, being well established and rooted into the culture, was visible to all by the Eve of the Revolution. Along with a sense of identity, the American colonist began to develop a sense of unity also. The Whig party in England, which gained control parliament, began to sympathize with the colonist. The American colonists were not the only ones to see their new identity. Through the twenty years that past by, the colonies emerged from 13 separate pieces to one whole willing to stand up against the world to defend its ideal. As unity began to slowly spread through out the colonies, Samuel Adams pushed the unity further along by creating the Committees of Correspondents. Their chief function was to spread the propaganda and information by interchanging letters and keep alive opposition to British. As Virginia led the step in 1773 creating a central committee, every colonist speedily sat up the similar organization. The intercolonial group was slow stimulating sentiment in favor of united action, evolved into the first America Congress.

American Identity & Unity by the Eve of the Revolution

Over the years leading up to the American Revolution, colonists had developed a strong sense of unity with each other. In previous chapters, it was stressed that the three regions of colonies were very different in their purposes: the North was colonized mainly for religious purposes; the Middle became the most diverse in people, with trade and economy paramount in their lives; and the South tended to be more aristocratic (specifically Virginia and South Carolina), also relying on plantations and farms.

Now all three regions were faced with the same problems, acts, and taxes the British government had chained on to them. There was the Proclamation of 1763, banning the colonists from traveling across the Appalacian Mountains for fear of another conflict with Native Americans. There was the Stamp Act, which forced colonists to pay a tax whenever they published a public document. Colonists felt that the British were terribly oppressive in their laws, and these laws didn't pertain to just one region; colonial America as a whole was effected.

Referring to Kelly's earlier post, the colonists faced common problems, which brought them closer together. All were oppressed by the British crown, and all wanted freedom from a government that was on the other side of the Atlantic. None of the colonists liked the Sugar or Stamp Acts, and felt they were progressive with governing themselves. However, the most daunting of the acts placed on the colonies was the Quartering Act in 1765. The British Parliament now declared that British troops were to be housed in American forts and public houses; if the soldier's numbers were too great, they were allowed to stay in other buildings, while its inhabitants had to provide the soldiers with food and bedding. Basically, the act was meant to intimidate colonists; soldiers were now staying in their towns, watching everything in order to keep the colonists in line. These outrageous acts were just the beginning of a long list (Mutiny Act, Intolerable Acts...) and led up to the colonists decision to fight back.

Making Sure

Are we still having the Essay Test on Monday, like the schedule says? Or will we be postponing it for the Thomas Paine document? I remember something about everything being moved back a day, but I can't find where I've written it down.

Thanks.

Friday, September 28, 2007

To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity/unity as Americans by the eve of the Rev.?

By the eve of the Revolution, the colonists had developed a strong sense of unity as Americans. Many events leading up to the American Revolution had been responsible for a small part of uniting the coloists together as Americans. One of the first visible steps was the French and Indian War (0). Especially after the embarassing failure of Braddock's battle, Britain's strong and invincible image was shattered in the eyes of the colonists. The war also bolstered colonial self-esteem, and united the American peoples when they discovered that they were all Americans who spoke the same language and shared common customs. This began to break down the barriers between the colonies (118).

Another large factor in uniting the colonists were the litter of events that created big problems for the Americans. Many of the events, such as the Proclamation of 1763, forced the colonists to face common problems, which eventually led to the colonies working together in order to solve those problems. The Navigation Laws passed by Parliament in 165o angered the colonials, as did the Sugar and Stamp acts of 1764 and 1765. The events, especially the passing of the two tax acts, presented the colonies with a large economic problem, and helped unite the colonies in uprising against it. As tensions increased between colonial American and Britain, the colonists became more and more united in their cause.

One event that had a large impact, causing a long reaction chain to occur was the passing of the Townshend Acts in 1767. The act put a light import duty on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea, and the revenues it generated went to pay for the salaries of the royal governers. The colonists started to smuggle their tea, until Britain sent in troops. The interactions of the troops and the colonists increased tension and caused friction, which in turn led to the Boston Massacre in 1770. This event further fanned the flames of rebellious ideas and attitudes in a America. Samuel Adam, affected by this wave, formed a local committee in Massachusetts, causing eighty other towns to do the same. This undoubtedly propelled the unity of the colonists in the direction of the American Revolution.

The Boston Tea Party of 1773 caused yet another chain of events that furthered the unity of the colonies. After the uprising, Britain forced the Bostn Port Act which closed the harbor until reparations were made. The Intolerable Acts also took away many of Massachusett's rights and restricted town meetings. Afterwards, there was a strong sense of American unity. Colonies flew flags at half-mast and rallied together to send food to the city (134). The Continental Congress met in 1774 in response to the punishment of Massachusetts, and twelve colonies sent 55 representatives. There they signed the Declaration of Rights as well as other papers appealing to Britain. Although they were rejected, the colonies had united through the many events that stemmed from the tensions brewing between the mother and the daughter countries.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

American- British Relations

The effects of the French and Indian War on American-British relations were that Americans found that fellow colonies were not much different from their own colonists and that unity was not such a horrible task between British and Americans, the war increased the friction that was between the Old and the New world people. The main reason why Americans banded together to drive out the French-inspired Natives (and the French) , was one that they were moving on the outer colonies and killing many and it was only a matter of time until they got to the other colonies, and two the British were not trading with the colonist until they cooperated. The Americans once under British military authority were treated as the scum of the English society and looked down upon. This treatment made many young American men resent British people because they belittled the extreme difficulties that the colonies had to go through to make their homes. The war and the British forced many leaders of the colonies to meet, and when they did they were pleasantly surprised. They discovered that there were few differences between them and other colonists, and that they all were aiming for pretty much the same goals. With the French gone the Americans quickly tried to spread westward only to be stopped by the British. This angered a great deal of people very much, this attitude would persist in the next few decades. The gap between British and the American deepened as a result of the French and Indian War.

French and Indian War Effect on Colonial and British Relations

The French and Indian War embodied the discrepancies of the colonials and English tactics, bravery, and skill and emboldened the colonies to eventually lead to rebellion. The war by the British was originally being fought with classical tactics and old-guard leaders like Edward Braddock. However, these tactics were completely ineffectual and obsolete leading to many devastating victories. Additionally the soldiers of the British were rather cowardly after all these losses which were noted by the colonials for future reference. All of these things wore away at the image of the immense and powerful English empire and showed the underlying weakness and corruption. On the other hand, when newer, inventive, leaders who knew the terrain and used it to their advantage, like William Pitt commandeered the battle, victories abounded. Furthermore, the war required the unification of the colonies which caused a type of home rule to be designed- solid taste of independence. Their unification and tactics led them to winning the war and showed them that unification resulted in victory a trait they would use to devastating affect against the English in the revolution.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War had affected the realtions between the British and the French. This war was part of the world-wide Seven Years' War, which was fought from the New World, to Europe, and even the Phillipines. France, being concentrated on Europe, was unable to send reinforcements to the New World. This caused the British to defeat the French and take over Canada. Canada, being under British control, caused the French Acadians to be pushed far south into territories such as Louisiana. Though the French were extremely angered by the British they were unable to respond due to the lack of force. This established British supremacy over the French in the New World. Since this moment on, Britain dominated the colonial north of Canada, and taunted the now weakened French of the south (predominantly Louisiana). This victory by the British caused a prolonged Seven Years' War. Overall, the British established supremacy in the New World.

British-American Relations

The French and Indian War created bitter relations between American colonies and Britain due to the friction between English officers and American militiamen, the colonial self-confidence the battles had formed, and the unity and new visions developed by the recently built self-confidence. British officials regarded colonists, both before and after the defeat of the French, as a lower people and "scum who had confessed failure by fleeing to the outhouses of civilization(115)". However, Americans took their success in the war and thought of themselves as the top of English civilization. Also, the lack of British support from the colonies through trade with Spanish and French West Indies and refusal to provide troops and funds even more offset relations between the colonies and Britain. The defeat of the French also raised colonial self-confidence. This provided Americans with a sense of exploration and want to push through the Appalachian Mountains to new land. However, London government prohibited settlement beyond the mountain range in its Proclamation of 1763. This upset countless Americans, who continued to push westward and disobey their leaders. The self-confidence formed by the war had also caused a development of unity and new vision. Americans saw themselves as an effective and mighty people who would continue to move forward. The feeling for independence was drawing near. Resulting, England wanted to continue to rule the colonies under strict control and were ready to take action. Although England had won the French and Indian War, a battle between colonists and Britons would soon arise.

French and Indian War's Effects on British/American Relations

The French and Indian War was a war that strained American and English relations. The English victory of land in New France and the arrival of English forces to America worsened the American and English relations because the Americans were considered as scum and wild people to the British and the Americans didn’t care enough to defend their own land from the French and the Natives. Englishmen and colonists had to fight together in order to repent the French and Native American forces. They had very obvious differences amongst them. For example, George Washington had to lead 300 men and defend land to the west of Philadelphia but the British wouldn’t even consider Washington a colonel because they thought of New World residents as boors who had no idea how to fight and to behave civilly. Also, the British wanted more land gain and more support from the Americans, whose main concern was keeping their original cities and towns. The British weren’t sure if the Americans were serious in fighting in the war because they were busily trading with the rival Spanish and French ports. Also, some colonists didn’t want to give any money for the support of the militiamen defending their towns and cities. Thus, the British and the Americans were further breaking the connection that was keeping them together.

American-British Relations After the French and Indian War

The effects of the French and Indian War on American-British relations were mostly detrimental to the interactions between the groups, however, caused some unity between British soldiers and average colonials. Negative tension between the colonists and British was mostly a result of British arrogance. The colonists were generally confident in their military strength after the French and Indian War, yet English officers refused to recognize any American militia commission above the rank of captain. This was due to the feeling of superiority soldiers had over amateurs, thus humiliating them and portraying them as failures. This caused tension because Americans felt they deserved credit for saving their New World colonies, and the title of inferiority placed on them by England angered them. Secondly, British officials were further distressed that American shippers trafficked food and supplies to the Spanish and French Indies, thinking that they were unsupportive of the English side of the war. Furthermore, other colonials refused to provide troops and money for the war, due to the fact that they felt alienated and lacked the rights privileges of Englishmen. This emptiness was slightly healed when William Pitt offered to reimburse the colonies, but did not replenish enthusiasm. Despite the British and American relations, however, a sense of unity was achieved between English officers and colonists, who discovered that they shared similar languages and ideals. From such attitudes, colonials were enriched with a new spirit of independence as well. Overall, the effects of the French and Indian War on American-British relations were mixed, due to negative tension between the groups as results of feelings of superiority, and the unity of the groups through common ideas.

American-British Relations

The French and Indian War had a negative effect on American-British relations. After the Indians had wreaked havoc on the colonial establishments, the Colonists had had enough. They had been embarrassed an and defeated in many cases. In one case, the blankets infected with smallpox were distributed among the Indians. At another point, local authorities offered $50 for a woman's scalp and 130$ for a man's; this was an insanely large amount of money at that time. This also proved that the British were not invincible, and they made the colonists pay for that. Washington was humiliated by being demoted to the colonel, after the British decided that they would not recognize and American militia commander as being over the rank of captain.

Effect of The F & I War

The French and Indian War caused differences between America and Great Britain to be more prominent, paving the way for change and further colonial independence. The fact that the war was fought by colonials themselves, on their land, strengthened their state of mind, gave them dignity. It made them realize that they no longer needed Great Britain for strength, that they were capable of independence. Before William Pitt came along, most of the colonies hadnt the intention of fighting for their home country. Pitt, unlike the conservative Braddock, was a man of the people, was enthusiastic and proud to be fighting for his home country. His idealism ended up unifying widely seperated colonies because in fighting for the same cause, there being no room for jealousy and suspicion, they realized that they were all fellow americans who for the most part shared common ideals. Even though the war eraced Great Britains invincibilty complex, its colonies were much stronger than they had been before.

French and Indian war on British American Relations

The Fench Indian War demonstrated the worsening and weakening realitionship in British American relations.
The British had previously regarded as weak and cowardly,yet the resiliance the colonists had in the matters of trade with the French West Indies and other such affairs began to prove otherwise. Although new and younger men such as William Pitt began climbing the ranks in the British army by awarding their country numerous victories, they also marked the end in British supreme control over the New World.
No matter how one looks at it, the French Indian war was one of the first stones on the road to the American Revolution, and one of the firsts steps in achieving American liberty.

Effects of French-Indian War on GBR and Colonist relations

The result of the French Indian War put tension on British and American relations. It also paved the way for the oncoming revolution. While the American soldiers felt they had done their part in fighting alongside their British counter parts, but the latter begged to differ. They found the colonists cowardly, and contemptible. As upper class folk, they laughed in scorn at those colonists who had "fled in confession of failure" (115).
Other events furthered tension between the two groups. British officials were not amused by the fact that Americans were still trading foodstuffs for other items with French West Indian islands. The reason for their anger was because they were trying to "subdue" these islands. In actual fact this trade kept some of these "hostile islands" (115) from starving. Near the close of the war the British for this reason forbade exports from leaving New England ports. Of course this upset trade and let to future conflicts with the crown.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War epitomized and intensified the disparities among colonial character, life, and primarily the apparently erroneous perspective of Great Britain. As novel ideas and tactics were brought in with younger more innovative British military officials, such as William Pitt, their operations grew more successful. While in the past with more classic strategies and leaders, such as Edward Braddock, their operations were futile and many imperative individuals to the colonies were lost. Therefore, in becomes greatly evident that past vastly successful Great British conventions and customs were now out-dated and weakening. Eventually British arrogance became derided as buoyancy among colonies thrived; this supporting colonial independence from Great Britain, which ultimately lead to first steps toward rebellion and revolution for the colonies.

Results of the French and Indian War

The French and Indian war had negative effects on American-British relations. One reason for this was that the British made a law that no American military man could hold a rank higher than captain. During the war, American militia men often fought battles with British forces in addition to often being commanded by British higher ranking officials. When this happened there were numerous examples of British men who had no respect for the American militia; considering them lesser soldiers. One example of this was when General Wolfe, a British General who led British and American troops in Canada called Americans “Scum” who had confessed failure by fleeing to the “outhouses of civilization”. Also key to the deterioration of British-American relations in the context of the French and Indian war was the aftermath of the war. One result of the war was that the French were driven off of North America. As a result, England received a large quantity of extra land on what was at the time considered the Western frontier. This excited colonials who wanted to settle this region. however, the British issued the proclamation of 1763. This law prohibited the settling of this region. The colonials were so outraged that they settled the area anyway. This was key to the eventual colonial dissension.

The effects of the French and Indian War proved to the colonies as well as the world that the English were not invincible. With the French gaining ground in the New World, it was the Britain's responsibility to keep them from creeping into the English territories. This distraction allowed the colonists to start sneaking away from the close watch of the English crown. However, it was not all the English's doings that increased the length of the leash the English had on them. With the power of the colonies banding together they realised that the English no longer had as much control over them in the colonies. If the colonies were able to band together unlike they had ever before they knew they could defeat any power that was thrown at them, especially if it was on their homeland, which eventually lead to the Revolutionary War.

The French and Indian War

The events and effects of the French-Indian War resulted in the British empire no longer being viewed as invincible within the colonies, and thus the colonies feeling self-empowered. The heavy losses of British troops and morale against the natives, such as Braddock's lost at Fort Duquense, made the British empire seem as vulnerable and useless in the new world. This loss showed a major weakness within British army tactics. The colonists that served as soldiers during the French-Indian war contributed greatly to Britain's victory. This led to colonists viewing themselves better off as independent and raised their self-confidence. Although the British drove the French out of America, the losses they faced and the gain in colonial self-confidence eventually contributed greatly to the revolutionist thinking that resulted in the American Revolution.

French and Indian War ...

The French and Indian War lessened the seemingly invincible power of Great Britain in the American Colonies hence it gave more confidence to the colonists in their military power.
The French and Indian War was the first one to combine the forces of the British Colonies, in all the previous wars there had been an astonishing lack of unity. “In 1754 the British government summoned an intercolonial congress to Albany, New York, near the Irquois Indian country” (pg. 112). There the Iroquois chiefs loyal to the British were handed thirty wagons of gifts o they would stop the war from spreading. Another reason for the congress was to unify the colonies, so that they could defend themselves against the French. Benjamin Franklin was a leading member of the Albany Congress and “his outstanding contribution was a scheme for colonial home rule” (112). This caused a split between the colonies and the British officials, one thought it gave not enough independence and the other thought it gave too much. Overall it symbolized the problem between colonists and British officials not being able to work together and each having different opinions on many subjects. After England had won the war “England’s colonials emerged with increased confidence in their military strength” (pg. 114), because after they had won the war they knew that by working together they could achieve something. During the War colonists had also seen British militia be scared and flee from their enemy, which proved to them that it was possible to beat them.

Effect of French/Indian War on American-Brit Relations

The French and Indian War above all else exemplified and deepened the difference between colonial spirit, life, and ingenuity and the comparatively antiquated character of Great Britain. When the old British commanders were employed, such as Braddock, the war effort failed and young men vital to colonial life were killed, but when younger, newer life was breathed into the army under commanders that knew the environment and terrain, such as William Pitt, the effort succeeded and victory was gained. Only one conclusion could be drawn from these circumstances: in essence, Great British tradition simply was not applicable to the New World any longer and the notion of British invincibility and power no longer was logical. British arrogance was disdained and colonial self-confidence grew. The idea that the colonists could do things better themselves, independent of GB, would inevitably establish itself, thus sowing the seeds of dissent, and beginning in the many steps toward revolution.

French and Indian War

You guys are making good observations and connections here so far. Think also about WHY these changes took place. How did the expectations and needs of each side change? How did the balance of power shift?

French & Indian War

While the French and Indian War may have untied the colonial people and the British in chasing the French out of America, it had more of a negative effect on the British-American relationship. First of all, the victories on American soil led to an increase in colonial self-esteem and independance. This created distance between Britain and America. Also, friction developed between the British and the Americans during the war due to English officers looking down upon and showing contempt towards Americans. For example, General Wolfe referred to the colonial militia as "the dirtiest, most contemptible, cowardly dogs..." Another factor from the war that had negative effects on the American-British relationship was that it exposed British vulnerability, such as in the English General Braddock's attack on Fort Duquesne, where the British forces were easily defeated and suffered heavy losses, and prompted the Indians to go on a rampage. Lastly, a rift was created between the British and colonials due to reluctance from the colonials to fully support the common war cause. In conclusion, the French-Indian war, although a victory for the British that succeeded in driving the French from America, had more permanent negative damages in the British relationship with the colonials, eventually leading to rebellion and revolt.

Analyze the effects of the French and Indian War on American British relations.

The French and Indian War caused an enormous strain on American- British relations. Prior to this war the British had a sense of invincibility in the eyes of the Americans, but during the course of this war it became evident that the British were not invinvcible. A case in which this high regard for Britian's military power was undermined was the defeat of General Braddock and his "buckskins." Although the British did suffer this humiliating loss, they did eventually defeat the French. This defeat greatly boosted colonnial self esteem because the Americans fought bravely with the British leaders. Even though the colonial people contributed a great deal to this victory, the British officials did not see this as enough. This arrogance angered the Americans who risked their lives to maintain the British empire in the New World. This especially caused a great strain in this relationship. Causing even more strain on the American- British relationship was the British attempt to subdue American trade with the Spanish and French enemy, which angered the Americans further. At one point the Britian actually forbade the export of all supplies from New England as well as the middle colonies.
The removal of the French empire in the Americas caused a greater urge among the colonists to expand their regions into lands not ventured in before, but the British sought to limit this venturing of unsafe lands with acts such as the Proclamation of 1763. The colonists saw this as oppression by the English. These views of oppression are what led to the eventual feelings of rebellion against the British. American- British relations were incredibly hostile by this time becuase of the French adn Indian War, which is what led to the eventual rebellions against the British.

Analyze the effects of French and Indian War on the America colonies?

The French and Indian War while bolster Great Britain to emerged as the dominant power in North America, simultaneously encourage the greater unity of colonists against the suppress of royal authority. At end of clashes of French and Indian War in 1763, friction had developed during the ar between the English officers and early settlers. Displaying their military strength on the wide continent of America, the British fail to give colonial enough independence. Energetic and hardworking America settlers believed themselves to be cutting edge of Biritsh civilization. Driven by jealousy and emulation, they flet they deserved the credit rather contempt for risking their lives in New world. In the final year of the war, Brish authorities were further the resentment by cutting off the export of all supplies from New England and Middle colonies. Although the English had offered reimburse the colonies for a substantial part of their expenditure, countless American wrer angered. In complete defiance of the proclaimation, the colonials spreaded rapidly yo the backcountry, where the powerful British navy could not flush them out. Likewise, remote interior remained a sanctuary for rebels against the restrained of royal authority.

Effects of French and Indian War on American-British Relations

The effects of the French and Indian war helped to plant the seeds for revolution and rebellion against England. Before the war Americans saw Britain as a great force that would protect and nurture their colonies. However, over time their perspectives of Britain began to change, especially after the French-Indian war. After 1713, England neglected Americans and made no efforts to improve the emerging nation. During this period, the first seeds of revolution was planted. Soon afterwards, the War of Jenkins's Ear ensued, which became King George's War. Americans gathered themselves to fight against the French and Spanish and invaded New France/Canada. They won, but in 1748 a peace treaty was signed, giving Louisbourg back to the French enemy. This angered the New Englanders, especially since Louisbourg presented itself as a danger to the American continent. The colonist lost more of their respect for British military power when Braddock's army of two thousand men was beaten shamefully by a small French and Indian army. This repelled the idea of British invincibility. Tensions increased between New Englanders and Old World subjects when Franklin's idea of colonial home rule was introduced. It was passed, but the two sides had differing viewpoints. The British saw the plan as giving too much freedom to the colonists, but the Americans did not seem to think it was enough. Also while the British thought that the Americans did not contribute enough, Americans scorned the English for not being grateful. General Wolfe even commented on Americans as being "the dirtiest, most contemptible, cowardly dogs that you can concieve," while Americans thought themselves superior to their Old World counterparts for establishing a new empire (115).
Worsening the American-British relations was the fact that the Americans' trade with enemy islands countered the British's attempts at weakening them. Americans also displayed signs of selfishness when they refused to provide support and revenue for the wars. Instead, they argued for the same rights as the English without having to do anything the English have to do, such as defending themselve against the enemies. In general, the relations between Americans and the British declined especially after the French-Indian war, uniting the Americans against their motherland country.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Effects of the French and Indian War on American-British relations

The British victory in the French and Indian War had a great impact on the British Empire. First, it meant a great expansion of British territorial claims in the New World. But the cost of the war had greatly enlarged Britain's debt. Moreover, the war generated substantial resentment towards the colonists among English leaders, who were not satisfied with the financial and military help they had received from the colonists during the war. All these factors combined to persuade many English leaders that the colonies needed a major reorganization and that the central authority should be in London. The English leaders set in motion plans to give London more control over the government of the colonies and these plans were eventually a big part of the colonial resentment towards British imperial policies that led to the American Revolution.

The war had an equally profound but very different effect on the American colonists. First, the colonists had learned to unite against a common foe. Before the war, the thirteen colonies had found almost no common ground and they coexisted in mutual distrust. But now thay had seen that together they could be a power to be reckoned with. And the next common foe would be Britain. With France removed from North America, the vast interior of the continent lay open for the Americans to colonize. The English government induced a controlled population movement, they issued a Royal Proclamation that prohibited settlement west of the line drawn along the crest of the Alleghenny mountains and to enforce that meassure they authorized a permanent army of 10,000 regulars (paid for by taxes gathered from the colonies; most importantly the "Sugar Act" and the "Stamp Act"). This infuriated the Americans who, after having been held back by the French, now saw themselves stopped by the British in their surge west.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

does anyone know what to do if you don't find enough events or people for the unit sumary???

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

While imigration and the great awakining both contributed to the development of democracy in colonial america, the large influx of imigrants had more of an impact on the development of democracy. The Great Awakining did alot to unify America. This is simply because the Great Awakining was the first mass movment that had reached all of the colonies. Vast differencees in culturs and economys had prevented differnt colonies from interminglig but now with a comon emotional sensation sweaping the colonies a sense being part of a group began to devlope. This contribted to a democracy through breaking down barriers and alowing for larger governing bodies to develope; however imigration did much more. The large influx of imigrants created a much more diverse and complex society. With each distinct group wanting a say in how the goverment was being run a democracy was nessecary. Multipul bacgrounds and cultures prevented any real hierarchy from developing, in many of the colonies most of the people were considered equal which is a key aspect to a working democracy. These imigrants also had no loyalties to the english king and therefore had no issue with defying his decrees for the sake of a local goverment. Therefore the immigrants had a much more direct relation ship to the development of a democratic society than the great awakining.

Immigration and the Great Awakening

Immigration helped increase diversity within the colonies, while the Great Awakening merely varied religious denominations, but both required a unified system of government that all could agree on, democracy. The Great Awakening’s new style of preaching alienated fundamentalists, which led to denominations splitting into even more sects, weakening the structures of even the more concentrated Churches. As a result, no one Church could really lay claim to control over one region. Therefore they needed to separate the Church and State to provide for common law. Similarly, immigration brought a flood of new ideas, customs, people, languages, and beliefs. There was no one unifying factor with the variety of denominations and dialects. The only way to keep the peace was to be fair with each other- the idea of equality. The best way to that was for people to be equal and united under a common law and government, democracy, as it let everyone have their own say.

Great Awakening & Immigration to Democracy

The Great Awakening contributed to a more democratic society in the American Colonies by uniting colonists as a whole and creating a sense of awareness in their newly formed culture as much as immigration to the New World from a wide mixture of European and African countries did by making America a nearly classless society, both of which are essential in democracies. The Great Awakening was a religious movement focused to revive the dying religion in the colonies. Clergymen toured the colonies and created a greater sense of a national pride and togetherness. Many religious boundaries were broken and Americans thought of themselves as a single people. This feeling was crucial to form a democracy. Immigration proved to be just as important. Because there was such a wide variety of ethnicities and cultures and many colonists had to start their life all over again, a strict and immobile class system was not formed in the new colonies, with the exception of slavery. This equality was also crucial in creating a democracy in the American colonies.

Immigration versus the Great Awakening

The Great Awakening had some influence on the development of a Democratic Society in America, but immigration was key to the development of Democracy in the United States. Before the great Awakening, religion in America was strict and very conservative. Religion was based on hierarchical ideals that work well with a strictly defined class system. These ideas did not mesh well with the Democratic ideas of America. The Great Awakening took away some of the negativity that made the religious society so strict. Immigration was extremely important in the development of Democracy in America. One of the keys to Democratic society is to have some sense of equality throughout. By having people of many nationalities all set at as equals, the foundation for Democracy is set. Also by setting many nationalities on an equal playing field, hard work and thus production is encouraged.

Contributions for a More Democratic Society

Immigration caused a need for a more democratic society while the Great Awakening proved colonial capability for one. At this point, colonial society was made up of a wide variety of ethnicities, and religious denominations, obviously brought on by immigration. Colonial society also lacked, for the most part, class rankings and a dominating titled nobility. A variation of people would naturally push for equal rights and opportunity which would be classified as a democratic society, and so it was. The Great Awakening allowed American society to break sectional boundries and denominational lines, thus unifying them, which also contributed to a more democratic society. The Great Awakening was partially brought on by continuous immigration but both had their part in securing a democratic future for the colonies.

Evolution of Democracy Regarding Quests of Jonathan Edwards and the combined significance of Immigration

Jonathan Edwards, a colonial congregational preacher and theologian of the 17th century, provided pre-Revolutionary America with a radically democratic social and political ideology enveloping colony life and that evangelical religion embodied and inspired a thrust toward American nationalism: although only certain peoples in the colonies are given these ideologies. The thirteen colonies were believed by some historians that there was still a system of social class: for example, the blacks had the lowest opportunity of them all, slaves, and nothing more to the colonists, had harsh lives in serving another country. Immigration shaped the life of democracy in the nation of America; as various immigrant groups mingled and intermarried, they laid the foundations for a new multicultural American national identity that had to be spread into a theory of "somewhat fairness", which led to an evolution of a democratic nation. Colonial Calvinism and Puritanism was the basis for the American Great Awakening and that in turn lay at the basis of the American Revolution. Thus, it sees a major impact as the Great Awakening provided the radical American nationalism that prompted the Revolution. Awakening preachers sought to review God's covenant with America and to repudiate the materialistic, acquisitive, corrupt world of an affluent colonial society. The source of this corruption lay in England, and a severance of the ties with the mother country would result in a rededication of America to the making of God's Kingdom. Although 18th century America was a shining land of equality and opportunity, except slavery, no titled nobility dominated society from on high, and no pauperized underclass threatened it. This marks a beginning of the evolution of democracy.

Great Awakening + Immigration on Democracy

In the British Colonies, immigration was of a much larger impact on the future-United States’ step towards democracy than was the Great Awakening. Firstly, immigration provided for the basis of the British colonies, especially considering that it was unsettled by Europeans before the 1600s. Also, immigration created a melting pot of nationalities that created confrontation and argumentation, part of the many keys to democratic life and society. Furthermore, the same melting pot of peoples created a growing crave for representative governments, so as to allow everybody to have their fair say in political and economic decisions of a region. The Great Awakening, may have lowered religious boundaries between churches and it could be debated that it led to more religious tolerance, and even further, the national separation of church and state, but it is not completely correct to say this, because many of the colonies were already very religiously tolerant, such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island especially, but also New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, and even the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. Only Connecticut and Massachusetts were truly completely intolerant to any other religion, because they saw other religions as threats to their own strict beliefs. That is why immigration was of greater pull toward democracy than was the Great Awakening.

Democracy

The Great Awakening and immigration both impacted American democracy. Immigration, allowed for the mixing of many cultures in the New World. Though the colonies consisted of only 7% Irish, 6% German, and few others, the British colonies were the most diverse out of any area in the world. Here, the cultures clashed in such a way that both good and bad things resulted from this. Through culture clashes, democratic principles emerged. Democracy is defined as by the people for the people, and that's exactly how it was for the "Dutch" (Deutsch) in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, street signed were in both English and German. Also, the cultures were able to establish their own societies and choose their own leaders. Asides from that, this also brought Democracy backwards. The idea of the white man as the superior to the African resulted in the establishment of slavery. 92% of Africans were enslaved, 90% of those slaves living in the south.
The Great Awakening also greatly impacted democracy. Through the creation of new religious ideas, new principles and thoughts were able to be expressed. In this instance there was religious Democracy, because the already reformed Christian faith had been reformed again.

Awakening and Immigration

The Great Awakening and immigration contributed to a more democratic society in the American Colonies by bringing about more ideas and opinions through a more diverse culture. Democracy is about electing officials based on their ideas and opinions and how they feel about the issues at hand in politics. By having a more diverse population that originated in different countries, they brought ideas from their countries that they could put into use here in America. By having more diverse religious backgrounds, people were compelled to vote more to see that an official of their denomination would be in office.

Immigration and the Great Awakening

The extent to which the Great Awakening and immigration contributed to to a more democratic society in the American colonies was that the Great Awakening while being in part a religious revival, weakened many of the main churches by creating many schisms allowing government to be more powerful than the church; immigration brought a mix of people from all over Europe ( for the time being) and common laws for everyone needed to be established to keep the peace between nationalities. The Great Awakening was a movement in which a new preaching style was introduced, this style conflicted with the traditional style and those who wished to preserve it. Churches began to spilt up and so did once stable communities and ways of life as people adjusted. The number and competitiveness of Churches was increased. A government could not be made of a church since there was not a head Church or one with a vast majority of followers. There had to be laws separate from Church because one law while just and fair in one denomination, could be rejected and unjust in another. The Great Awakening contributed to democracy in the colonies by making a gap of laws to which people lived under by weakening the churches. Immigration let in a flood of people, all who spoke different languages, had different beliefs, and were in the colonies for unique reasons. These people all needed to be ruled by one set of laws to which they all were somewhat satisfied with or else there would be many riots, civil wars, and possibly large acts of violence by one group on another. A government that the people chose themselves and one that was in the hands of many and not a few would be the obvious answer in time. All of the immigration caused the need for democracy, so while the Great Awakening helped democracy emerge, there would have been other ways for that to happen so it was not necessary to the cause.

democratic society

The Great awakening gave Americans more religious freedom and opportunities and was one of the first steps towards democracy, whereas immigration added to the diversity of the colonies and laid the foundation for a democratic society.
The great diversity and the constant additions to this diversity through immigration brought many different believes, languages, and cultures to America. In the American colonies there were almost no different social classes, except for slavery. Many people were farmers, which made everybody equal from the very beginning. This led a good foundation for a democracy, because this way later on a Scott-Irish person would have the same right to vote as, for example, a German person.
Starting in the early 18th century religion became less fervid. Many liberal ideas began to challenge the old, strict Puritan believes. Americans started to believe that human beings were not predestinate to damnation, but that you could save yourself by good behavior during your lifetime. The Great Awakening was a religious revival that swept throughout all the colonies and it increased the number of competitiveness of American churches, which gave the individual a bigger choice. “The Great Awakening was the first spontaneous mass movement of the American people”(95). It was the first step for American people to act as one and state their opinion and bring through a change that they wanted.

Contribution of the Great Awakening and Immigration

The Great Awakening was a moving period in the eyes of the preachers and worshippers. It contributed to a more democratic society to a lesser extent then immigration by allowing the priests to orate their strong beliefs about different heresies but the priests still had one idea and view point of religion. Immigration contributed greatly to a more democratic society by allowing a melting pot of people with various cultures and religions to come to America and get land and rights and to make their own decisions about their lives. For example, during the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, a pastor, proclaimed the” folly of believing in salvation through good works and affirmed the need for complete dependence of god’s grace”. This shows that although freedom of speech was practiced, only one view point was considered righteous. Immigration however allowed for a more definite democratic society by having members of different religions such as Lutheranism and Presbyterianism and thus enhanced the religious diversity of the colony as well as characterized the freedom of religion. They also received land in the western parts of the colonies and build their own farms and communities on foreign land. With the Great Awakening and immigration, democratic society in the American colonies was strengthening and growing with the mixture of views and ideas from far and wide.

Immigration & The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening in the 1730s-1740s contributed more to a democratic society than immigration of the 18th century . The large amounts of immigrants pouring into America during this time period, each bringing their beleifs, values, religions, and cultures, helped shape American culture. The large mix of people of different races, religions and backgrounds called for some sort of equal government, but this did not contribute as much to a democratic feeling of America. The immigration contributed more to cultural development than political. The Great Awakening, on the other hand, played more of a role in the development of democracy in America in that it created a feeling of unity and equality from shared experiences, and erased some of the cultural and social rifts between the differrent groups that were coming to America. Because all of the people had experienced this mass change in what was previously accepted, they were able to connect more on all levels and contribute to a democratic society.

Immigration Vs. Awakening

Immigration in America contributed to the formation of a democracy in the New World a great deal more than the Great Awakening. Democracy is based on the election of officials that will serve the majority of the people in a region and reflect their views on various points of contention. The last part of the statement is where the importance lies. Points of contention coupled with a wide range of opinions are what allows democracy to function. As people immigrated to America, the population grew and diversified, thus laying out more opinions on points of contention and increasing the representable population. In essence, if more people of different backgrounds with different opinions come to an are (the "colonies"), democracy is fostered, tested and if successful, continues to thrive.

Immigration and the Great Awakening

Immigration added to democracy because of the new views in America and the new needs of the people, some things had to be be changed in order to satisfy the people. This also meant that the people had to be involved politically because if they wanted to live in America and get the rights they came here for, they needed to get involved. Therefore, because of other countries and more diversity, democracy needed to be expanded to all Americans. Immigration was caused by people being ruled unfairly and the people who came from other countries did not want to leave one country where they were controlled completely to another country where they were going to do the same thing. Therefore they spread democracy in order to live in a much better country then the one they had previously left. The Great Awakening also expanded American democracy because the majority of the American population had become involved in religion. This meant a lot of different individuals reviving the same thing, although that also meant that the churches were more liberal and laid back because of the increase of different cultures and people. Also because of the majority in church, it meant that religion could no longer rule the government because so many people had so many different views that it is not possible for everyone to agree onn one religious idea to control the government.

Immigration and The Great Awakening.

During the 18th century immigration affected modern day America democracy, the back bone of the country, more so than The Great Awakening did. Immigration to the colonies allowed for different ideals, religions, and cultures to mingle. Immigrants came to the colonies in an attempt to seek freedom, which most would find, at least to an extent. The diversity and understanding of one another's cultures led to a view of overall equality. This view became the most important aspect of American government. Although The Great Awakening brought out religious zeal and only delayed the total understanding that would greatly assist the American Revolution. Although the slaves at the time were not considered equal, there was a greater diversity in the colonies than any other place in the world.

Contributions to Democratic society

Both Immigration and the Awakening had an affect and a contribution to the slowly rising democratic society.
Immigration helped diversify colonial society, which in turn helped diversify ideas, languages, and religions. The basic definition of democracy is a government controlled by the people of different races. Immigration also helped to bring on the Great Awakening, which brought on new ideas and began the rise of several religious denominations. These new ideas, religions, cultures, and languages brought about a more democratic society than anyone had seen before. However, these new aspects of life do not necessarily mean that America all of a sudden became more domcratic. A series of Great Awakenings over a fairly long period of time helped bring this about. Therefore, Immigration and the series of Great Awakenings only made America's society into a more democratic society to a limited extent.

Immigration + The Great Awakening

With the Great Awakening as well as the mass European immigration, change was due in the American Colonies. The Great Awakening, teaching people to follow God in their own way, had many followers. Whitefield, the spark of the movement, allowed all to come to his sermons. This meant that many people from different religions would come and learn about how this man follows religion; gaining more strength the colonies began to mix into this melting pot we have today, teaching each other their own beliefs about religion, which in these day was closely tied to politics. While the New World was becoming more popular and advertised, immigrants were not as much from England as they used to be. The growing population was running out of space in the small colonies forcing the immigrants to mingle, which would force them to interact. With rules based mostly to one group of people, the new immigrants did not have much say. This caused problems because they often had no choice of their future being bossed around by the government. Combined with the Great Awakening the two simultaneously forced a democratic government in the colonies of America.

What a Contradiction/Paradox/Consider Post

On a complete side note: America was a democratic diverse melting pot and each colonist (no matter what nationality) as Dan M. said, saw eye to eye. And yet slavery existed. "18th Century America was a shining land of equality and oppurtunity-with the exception of slavery" (85).

--------------------------------------------------------So..........Consider Post
Immigration had by far a greater effect on democratization than The Great Awakening. About 60% of Americans were European. Alot of these were Germans, Irish, and other groups not under allegiance to the Crown. This seems ludicrous as they have moved to a country and should abide by its rules: but the fact is, there were no real rules then, and the colonies were SO independent from the Crown. Therefore when the crown issued Acts like the "Molasses Act" "Americans bribed and smuggled" doing anything they could for their own good against a crown government that seemingly was not concerned about its colonies welfare. So having a mixture of immigrants in a country that is ruled from such a distance nation is a recipe for conflict. The people had to unite. In short this is shown through the declaration of independence, giving rights to ALL men (again as I said above the irony is that blacks and women were excluded) ...which may as well be written ALL immigrants. The influx of immigrants arriving in America caused conflict with the crown that unified the colonies, throwing aside race and embracing democracy.

Contributions to Democracy: Immigration and The Great Awakening

During the 1700s, immigration diversified the ethnic makeup of the original colonies, which was the driving force of The Great Awakening, which revitalized the interest in American religion; coupled together, democracy in the colonies was a result of both aforementioned factors, yet immigration bonded colonists more than The Great Awakening .Immigration, though predominantly English, encouraged mingling and interracial relations, which then built a new multicultural identity that was ethnically diverse. This created a land of equality and opportunity, aside from slavery, where no single class dominated the social structure. Thus, roots of democracy were established with the unified people of the colonies, who could relate to one another through motives of leaving Europe and their economic and social standpoints. On the other hand, The Great Awakening, revitalized religion for followers, who, at the time, dreaded mass due to droning ministers. After the boost in religious zealousness, broke down sectional boundaries and denominational separations, further uniting the colonists as immigration had done. However, both immigration and The Great Awakening had minor fallbacks. As ethnic diversity increased, tension and disputes between different nationalities were created. During the Great Awakening, schisms were set off within denominations and increased competition between churches. Although such flaws between the factors existed, so did unification between the colonists. This then resulted in the potential to cooperate and create political systems that would eventually find comfort in power vested by the people.

Contributions to democracy

Immigration contributed to the eventual democratization of the American colonies because imigrants from all parts of Europe sought to free themselves from some sort of oppression, eventually leading to the ideas of freedom which democracy is based on. A major reason why some Europeans fled to the Americas was to avoid religious persecution, which led to an eventual diversification among religions in America, probably larger than ever witnessed in Europe. This diversification caused a more openess to new religions in order for the people of the Americas to be able to co-exist. Ultimately this acceptence of many religions meant there must be some sort of seperation between the government and church, a key democratic idea. Also, apart from promoting more acceptance for religion, many of these non-Anglo colonizers were not deeply rooted with the British crown, which meant the spreading of more anti English monarch ideals which eventually caused the rebellions. Since many of these settlers were not English they felt no loyalty to England therefore making it necessary for some form of self government, or a democracy. The Great Awakening also played a significant role in the spreading of democracy in the American society. This revival of religion made it somewhat more liberal and less controlling. This means that religion would no longer dictate the lives of the colonizers, leaving this job to a new government. Also this movement led to the undermining of the old, religion based education and allowed for the oppertunity of many people to receive an education and thus question old forms of government. Mostly the Great Awakening represented the first big movement among the American people as a whole and therefore unifying them. This unification of the American people made all of these diverse people come together as a single group to realize that thay shared common history and experiences. Unification plays an important role in the longing for a government to represent this enormously diverse group as opposed to one who was purely English. These ideas paved the road for the democratic ideals to seep into the American society.

The immigration mostly contributed to the democratic society in New World, fleeing from religious persecution, economic oppression, and ravage of war, diverse ethnic groups had promoted a multicultural American identity base on equality, liberty, and freedom. In contrast with any country in Europe, Eighteenth century America was a land of equality and opportunity. Because the desirable land was easily to acquire, new colonies afford a widespread of social mobility. The most remarkable feature of social ladder was from rags to riches ease with an ambitious colonial, even an indentured servant, despite the years hardship working in the land, could rise up his statue to a land owner. In this new world, the settlers not just ultimately achieve prosperity and prestige, people also blessed with the religious and political toleration. Such the small communities in New England possessed some measures of self-government. Though it is not complete democracy, the exercise of simple manhood suffrage planted the seed of freedom. As well as the most liberal settlement in Rhode Island, outcasts like Jews was blessed by the complete freedom of religion. By 1775, America was not yet a true democracy, but the swelled of various immigration had boasted the new world to an unusual degree of economic opportunity, civil liberty, and religious freedom. Compare to the immigration, the Great Awakening in some level might brought the liberal idea of emotionalism into the Orthodox Church, but it really created a schism within society, instead of bringing the diverse religion belief as a whole. But over all it did encourage the wave of missionary work among Indian and black servant, also it had broke the sectional boundaries, contribute the common ideas and shared of experience.

Immigration and The Great Awakening

Immigration contributed more to the development of a democratic society in Native America. Both immigration of various people and The Great Awakening caused controversy and progressions, but in the end immigration influenced democracy in the new world more. The Great Awakening caused disputes between those with newer religious ideas and those with more classic ones as well as provoking many church schisms at the time. On the other hand, mass immigration made America the melting pot of civilization, and immigrants being mostly lower or middle class could usually see eye to eye. With such an influx of new exotic ideas, religion, and peoples democracy was almost the only path to take in government without causing mass rebellions. However with such great good came some equally disruptive racial disputes. Overall though, the Great Awakening helped to bring Americans together realizing the potential of working towards a common goal, and immigration is the force the drove this ideal to the political systems created.

Contribution to democratic society: the Great Awakening, immigration

To what extent did each of the following contributed to a more democratic society in the American colonies: A. the Great Awakening B. immigration

Immigration to the New World provided for a more democratic society than the Great Awakening did, partly because the Great Awakening caused controversy between new lights and old lights, and set off many schisms within the churches. Immigration however, blended the many different ethncities together to promote multicultural American identities. In America there was a sense of equality because each person, especially immigrants, worked to till their own land (with the exception of slavery) in order to work their way up the ladder. However, immigration did result in some ethnic tension, while the Great Awakening broke boundaries and lines and helped promote the idea of the American people as one peoples.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

South vs. New England

The southern colonies were originally colonized for monetary reasons and thus their culture developed around the importance of the plantations or farms, while the New England colonies which were originally colonized for religious belifes were more focused on surviving then on monitary gain. In the southern colonies such as Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina and Gorgia the most important aspect of life were the farms and the plantations. Crops such as tabacoo which were relativly easy to grow but in high demand had been focal points of the south since the original colinizers. The plantation owners from colonies like Virgina and North carolina, were at the top of the hierarchal structer of the south. Bellow the large plantation owners were the smaller farmers more likely to live in South Carolina or Gorgia and bellow them were of course the slaves whose polulation only grew as time went on and plantations got larger. Due to the large plantations people were spread out for miles and thus central towns and public insttutions were slow the develope. All of this is in stark cotrast with the New England Colonies. In these colonies the most important aspect of life was religion. While in colonies like Massachusests Bay and Plymoth the defining charecteristic was the exclusive puritian comunity; it is religious freedom that defined colonies like Rhode Island. In the puritan colonies the hierarchy is reliant on who is belived to be a member of the elite. Also due to the harsh weather and rocky soil farms were small allowing for the creation of towns and public institutions. These towns were crucial to the colonies were education, family and god were the most important things. While the priorites and motivation of the south and the New English colonies were compleatly different colinizers in both the north and the south had to work extreamly hard to survive and eventualy prosper in America.

North vs South

In the northern colonies, religion was the basis of life, no matter for freedom or simply for separation from the crown, but in the southern states, monetary gain was the most important, as the most appealing draw was not the religion at all, but the fertile land. In the northern colonies, such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, religion was the first appeal for Europeans to pack their bags and start a new life for themselves. In Massachusetts, Plymouth was first founded by Separatist pilgrims who didn’t want their children to undergo “dutchification”, as Bailey calls it, yet didn’t want to be persecuted in England for their religious beliefs. The Bay Colony was founded as and was developed into a Puritan utopia, where puritans could come and live a pure and simple life, away from the threats to society like Anglicanism and the heretics in Rhode Island. There, it was all about religious freedom, even for Jews and Catholics. On the other hand, the South was completely tilted toward the economic standpoint. People came to get land, and the land was then used to create plantations to grow cash crops such as tobacco, especially tobacco, indigo, and rice. Virginia was the first example of this, where joint stock companies would sell the land and hopeful farmers would create massive plantations on the backs of their black slaves. Religion was not even a part of the picture. Also, there was Carolina, which was almost identical to Virginia in growth, an for the same reasons, just always a little behind. The Southern colonies were completely economically influenced and religiously oblivious where as the Northern colonies developed and tailored their societies around their religious beliefs, not their economic success.

Comparison on New England and the Southern Colonies

The culture and economy in New England was centered on family, the Puritan lifestyle, and the coasts; culture and economy in the South was centered on large plantations, cash crops, and who had the most land and slaves. In the South those who had the biggest plantations and the most slaves were at the top of the social ladder and also at the top of the economy. Below those people were the farmers, who were the largest social group in the South. Even lower than them were landless whites and last, the slaves. Small towns were prevalent in the South, these were organized around very large plantations. The South was very hot, plagued by disease and mosquitoes; which is why Southerners needed Africans to do their labor. As a result of living in such unhealthy conditions many men died young, so a women would often be left with a family to raise. Women were generally allowed to keep their property.
In New England the culture was based around family, the various Churches (mostly Puritan) and safety in numbers from the natives and other nation's colonies. Since the land would only support a small number of crops and in small amounts the New Englanders had to rely on the resources the land offered. Their economy consisted of mainly cod fishing, timber, and livestock. There were more cities in New England than in the South, yet most of society was built around small villages and farms. The Church was often the clue that held communities together as they all shared such deep belief in their faith. Families were the center of New England life,they were often large because women bore many children and many lived to be adults. Since so many people lived to an old age, women were usually taken care of their whole lives and signed away their rights to property once married. Education was valued in New England, most adults could read and write. New Englanders respected hard work and often penny-pinched so as not to waste anything.
In both the South and New England colonies people generally did the same thing. They woke at dawn, slept at dusk. The men worked the land, cut firewood, and butchered animals. The women cooked, cleaned, sewed, and tended to children. The children helped with everything, learning all the while. Most people were from the same social class in England, so even though there were attempts; a real social caste was never established.

North and South Comparison

The Northern and Southern colonies were culturally different in that the South was agriculturally motivated leading to a wide diversity and the North was religiously focused causing isolated societies. The South in states like Virginia and the Carolinas were chartered for quick profits and so they started some nice agricultural businesses. They had an enormous tobacco trade, which required them to use slave labor. The slave labor was needed because of the broad-acred plantation system and was most efficient when used with lots of labor. This slave labor really increased the pace of the work and the diversity of the peoples as Africans from all over were being assimilated into the plantation. This created a melting pot of religions, languages, and cultures that have lasted until the present day. On the other hand, the North was built as an escape for religious denominations and for freedoms. Each denomination tried to create their own miniature colony based of their creed, such as the Massachusetts puritan colony which was completely centered on their faith and anyone against it was kicked out like Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson. They essentially began isolating themselves from any foreign or “infidel” ideas and people that they did not like.The South's need for labor led to a diverse and rich culture, while the religiously devoted Northerners isolated themselves from other societies to create their utopias.

North vs South

The Northern and Southern colonies were both centrally supported by different economical and social issues, the South mainly focused on the development of trade through the use of tobacco, as the North developed through the creation of a strong religious base and interaction with colonials abroad. The Southern colonies, such as Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, and North Carolina were considered the poorer colonies. These colonies centralized on the production of cash crops which were dominated by tobacco. Though these colonies were far from the native England, they were restricted to the matters of their foreign governing authority. States such as Georgia were intended for all English residents that had unpaid debts. Other states such as Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, were all limited to the Anglican religion. The one religiously free colony was Maryland, who was founded by Lord Baltimore after he attempted to avoid religious prosecution by traveling north. They were not intended to become developed colonies, but instead a buffer zone between Spain and England. On the contrary, the Northern colonies were much more developed. The North centralized more on diverse trade, which allowed for the development of skilled trades. Fur trading itself became the basis of some of the far northern colonies such as Maine. The colonies were also religiously diverse, as compared to the southern Anglican Church. Here, there were Separists, Puritans, as well as states with no religious restrictions such as New York. In the North, each type of person was able to become successful as opposed to the South's English basis.

Comparing the Colonies

The Northern and Southern colonies both had their own 'personality', the North more religiously centered, while the South strongly depended on labor and economics. All of the colonies were religious, but the importance of it in everyday life varied between the two regions. For example, in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, religion played an important role in shaping the laws and legislation. The Separatists and Puritans had always been very thorough with their religious beliefs, and had a hard time adapting to any other ideas besides their own. Because of religious conflicts, Rhode Island became religiously tolerant. Whether the change be for tougher laws or religious freedom, the Northern colonies were bound up in religion and it's effects on the people.

The Southern colonies were religious as well, but life didn't center around it like it did in the North. Southern colonies depended more on economics, like growing crops, particularly tobacco. North Carolinians were hard workers, who grew tobacco and other crops on small farms, with little need for slaves (37).