U.S. History / Unit 1: Colonial America
1.6 Colonial Society, Religion and Government
Notes
By the 1700s, colonists had their own institutions and ideas while still being British subjects.
- Mercantilism: colonies existed to enrich the mother country by supplying raw materials and buying its goods. The Navigation Acts required trade to go through England.
- Salutary neglect: Britain loosely enforced its trade laws, so colonists grew used to governing themselves.
- Colonies had elected assemblies; New England used town meetings.
- The Great Awakening (1730s to 1740s) was a religious revival led by preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. It encouraged people to question established authority.
- The Enlightenment stressed reason and natural rights. John Locke argued people have rights to life, liberty and property.
- Example: a colonist who heard Whitefield preach and read Locke might start asking why distant authorities should rule him.
Practice
Under mercantilism, the main purpose of colonies was to:
Mercantilism aimed to increase the mother country's wealth.
The policy of salutary neglect led colonists to:
Loose enforcement let colonists run their own affairs for decades.
Which Enlightenment thinker argued that people have natural rights to life, liberty and property?
Locke's ideas later shaped the Declaration of Independence.
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