Dr



Dr. Murray

AP U. S. History, 2008-09

Study Guide for Unit 2: The 18th-Century Colonial World

Major Issues

By the middle of the eighteenth century, how had England’s North American colonies changed? How had the mother country’s relationship with the colonies changed?

What was the significance of the American Enlightenment and the Great Awakening?

To what extent were the colonies closer to Great Britain in the 18th century, culturally, economically, and politically? If so, how does one explain the growth of “American” nationalist sentiment in the mid-to-late 18th century? Did colonial America seem poised on the brink of revolution in the mid-eighteenth century? Why or why not?

Demographic Growth, Diversity, and the “Middle Ground” (Text, Chapter 3, 50-2, Chapter 4, 58-61)

How did the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 mark an important moment in the development of England’s colonial empire? What was “mercantilism”? What were the needs of the “powerful interest groups” that led to the creation of a system of commercial regulation in England? What exactly did the Navigation Act of 1660 stipulate? What were its consequences? What did the Staple Act of 1663 stipulate? How did the Acts of 1673 and 1696 address the problem of colonial noncompliance? Ultimately, what impact did the Navigation Acts have upon the development of colonial culture?

How were the colonies changing demographically in the 18th century? What was mainly responsible for the population growth? Why were the colonies becoming more diverse? Why did so many Scotch-Irish people come to the colonies in the 18th century? Why did so many Germans come? Where did many of the Germans and Scotch-Irish settle? Why did religious institutions come to play such an important role in the backcountry? How did native-born Americans, such as Benjamin Franklin, respond to the growing diversity? How did the Transportation Act of 1718 fit into the picture? In the eighteenth century, where did “the most intense and creative contact” between Indians and European colonists occur? Why is it possible to consider many of these Indian communities “new”? How is the concept of a “middle ground” helpful in understanding the relations between Indians and whites in the backcountry during the 18th century? Over the course of the 18th century, why did the Indians gradually lose cultural autonomy and their capacity to resist white aggression?

"The Stono Rebellion, 1739" & “The 1741 Rebellion,” Africans in America website

What does the Stono Rebellion reveal about the weaknesses of the slave society that had taken root by the mid-eighteenth century in South Carolina? What were the long-term effects of the rebellion?

Why did whites in New York City in 1741 believe that a slave rebellion was about to happen? To what extent did the pattern of accusations resemble the witchcraft accusations in Salem fifty years earlier?

Economic Transformation and the American Enlightenment (Text, Chapter 4, 63-67)

What percentage of the colonial population lived in the five largest cities? Why was this percentage not larger than it was? Given the low percentage, why are the cities so important to understanding American society and culture during this time period? How did the accomplishments, values, and ideas of Benjamin Franklin reflect the new intellectual world of 18th-century America? How was the American economy changing in the 18th century? How did some of these economic changes lead to the creation of a true “American” culture?

"Wealth Distribution in Colonial America," Chart, from Nash & Jeffrey, The American People

What patterns do you discern in this chart? What was happening to the distribution of wealth in 18th-century colonial cities? What was happening in the countryside (i.e., Chester County, PA)?

Benjamin Franklin, “Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin” (excerpt), Constructing the American Past, Vol. 1, 90-93

How would you describe Franklin’s religious views? What is “deism”? How does it differ from traditional Christianity? How do you respond to Franklin’s plan for moral improvement? What Enlightenment values and attitudes are reflected in it? In conclusion, is there anything quintessentially “American” about Franklin’s autobiography?

The Great Awakening (Text, Chapter 4, 67-8)

What exactly was the “Great Awakening”? Why was the Great Awakening so divisive? What impact did the Great Awakening have upon colonial society and culture?

"Edwards Paints the Horrors of Hell," American Spirit, I, 66-68

What are Edward's motivations for preaching this sermon? How does he want his listeners to react?

Colonial Politics and the Impact of Imperial War (Text, Chapter 4, 69-77)

What was “the English constitution”? What were the main ideas of English constitutional thought in the 18th century? How did the reality of British politics differ from the theory? Who were the “Commonwealthmen”? What were their main ideas and concerns? How did colonists in America adapt and apply the ideas of English constitutionalism and the Commonwealthmen? What is the significance of the so-called “rise of the assemblies” in 18th-century colonial America? How did American attraction to the ideas of the Commonwealthmen both reflect—and contribute to—the “rise of the assemblies”? How did these ideas make the assemblies (and the colonial elites that dominated them) very touchy about how political power was exercised? How did the increasing integration of the colonies into the British Empire make the various colonies more alike?

How did the “scope and style” of war in the colonies change during the 18th century? To what extent was the Glorious Revolution responsible for the almost constant warfare between England and France in the 18th century? What were the respective advantages and disadvantages of the French and English colonists in their prolonged 18th-century conflict? What was the impact of the War of the League of Augsburg (King William’s War, 1689-97), the War of Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War, 1702-13), and the War of Austrian Succession (King George’s War, 1743-48) on the British colonies? What was the Albany Plan? What weakness in the British position was it intended to address? Why was the Plan rejected both by the colonial legislatures and by Parliament? What crucial decisions did William Pitt make at the beginning of the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War, 1756-1763)? What did the English win (and the French lose) as a result of the Seven Years’ War? What were the long-term consequences of the war?

"Crevecoeur Discovers a New Man," The American Spirit, Vol.1, 6th edition, 62-4

In Crevecoeur's opinion, how does American society differ from European society? According to Crevecoeur, what makes an American unique? What are the defining characteristics? How is the European immigrant transformed once he arrives in America? How do his ideas and attitudes change? How do the realities of life in the mid-eighteenth century differ from Crevecoeur's idealistic portrayal? Why might this portrayal be important, even if it doesn't completely correspond with reality? How might Crevecoeur's vision have contributed to the development of an American identity—and perhaps even a revolutionary mentality—among the colonists?

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