- Britain v. America: How America and Britain gained independence
- The growth of slavery between 1600 and 1700
- Why slavery became common in Virginia and other Southern colonies
- The growth of the community sense amongst the enslaved African Americans (1700)
- The British colonies
- Eighteenth Century America: How life changed in the British colonies
- Works Cited
Britain v. America: How America and Britain gained independence
History shows that to gain independence against the most powerful armies across the globe the colonists namely America and Britain strategized on how to limit their weaknesses and augment their strengths. In fact, before gaining independence, America appeared to be alienated, unprepared, and disruptive state.
However, the nation managed to reign above the largest global empires. For instance, in the eighteenth century, the British armada emerged dominant over other navies, but the regal American marine military managed to win most fights.
British on the other hand had numerous strengths that it capitalized on to reign over other nations. Britain, for instance, emerged victorious in all battles, and it was never defeated in warfare. The country reported success over different commanding states including Spain and France over the past one hundred years. Apparently, these probabilities appeared to work not in favor of America.
Although the British forces materialized as an underdog, the army was considered the most excellent across the globe. The British defense forces were fed properly, well remunerated, disciplined, and very equipped (Davidson et al. 36).
Most global oceans and seas were under the control of the navy from Britain. Instead of using the continental assembly to raise funds for servicing the military, the Empire easily sourced for the required resources. The Hessians militias who fought soldiers from America were mainly hired using such funds.
The American soldiers faced setbacks trying to accumulate resources for procuring the fundamental equipment such as blankets, sheets, and shoes for the mercenaries. Hence, the winning belief amongst the British militia lured many Indian clans who supported Britain having been assured that their ancestral territories would be protected. Few American soldiers preferred putting on the crowns and nearly half-disliked warfare.
Even though soldiers from American lacked monetary foundation and martial forces compared to the British army, the American mercenaries sturdily believed in fighting for independence and freedom. Indeed, the American soldiers possessed indefinable merits. Unlike the British soldiers who initiated warfare away from their domestic terrains, the Americans soldiers set majestic grounds.
That is, the Americans went into the battlefield with the intention of securing liberation, independence, as well as protecting their respective rights (Davidson et al. 37). These grounds justified that Americans waged warfare to secure the long denied independence. Whereas the American political principals and mercenaries appeared to be untested, they amazingly emerged to be very experienced.
The British armed forces equipment, troops, and commands had to take time before arriving at the intended destinations. The battle appeared to be costly, and its significance had to be discussthe ed by the British populace. The citizens of Britain attempted to convince America to surrender the quest for independence, but this proved to be a daunting goal.
The claims made by the colonists gained weight as the battle for independence intensified. However, these colonies had topographical immensities that thwarted the efforts made by British soldiers. The Americans had various supporters including the support accorded by France, which encouraged America to fight for independence. America also threatened to retaliate, and this acted in its support.
The growth of slavery between 1600 and 1700
The servitude roots can be tracked back in the fifteenth century in the Southern U.S. agricultural estates. In setting up the commercial agricultural labor force, the Portuguese and Spaniards advanced the servitude prototypes. It was at a time when the perpetual colonies of England were settling in the Northern America.
However, the model proved critical for the Anglo American bondage growth. In particular, it started in the fifteenth century with the Portuguese invasion of the West Africa. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, slave trade appeared to be constantly enlarging. African slaves were exchanged with the European goodies. When estimated, more than fifty million Africans perished on the voyage to the bondage garrisons (Davidson et al. 77).
Why slavery became common in Virginia and other Southern colonies
The servitude developed into the permanent English colonies such as Virginia after an elongated period. Slavery started to become common when the Virginian frontrunner Smith John tried to assimilate the inhabitants into the settlement of Jamestown. However, the strong-arm policies enabled the natives to embrace the infant colony with caginess approaches to aggression thus slavery.
Moreover, bondage became more common when the natives refused to become the English chattel, as they were reluctant to come into any cooperative and long-standing rapport with the infant colony. The Eastern Woodland populations declined in numbers because of diseases hence demonstrated the unfortunate occurrence to servitude subjects.
Nevertheless, slavery augmented since the techniques of agricultural science and autonomic standards used by the natives failed to decipher into the types of collectivized husbandry. Actually, the infant colony were well conversant with the surrounding topography and could escape into afforests without interruption and thus faced more oppression from the natives.
Subsequently, the natives’ networks of extended families triggered suffering for any person whose influence enslaved a member of the kinfolk. The other factor that made slavery common was the required labor force for the benefit of cultivating tobacco.
The agrarians spun to the indentured English colonial servants, as there was an askew ration of gender and tall rates of death in Virginia. Also, the Indians were unsuitable for the task; hence; servitude was directed to the English servants to cultivate the tobacco fields.
The growth of the community sense amongst the enslaved African Americans (1700)
A certain state of affairs that are common tinted the social and family lifespan of the African Americans. The African Americans in their community believed in the social pecking order concept that the ordination of underprivileged and wealthy persons is by God. The African Americans too embraced the primeval medication awareness by the contemporary values as well as the pre-colonial economy that placed a premium on land ownership.
Hitherto, aboriginal differences emerged apart from these features being influential to natural life throughout the societies of African Americans.
Education was valued at the African American colonies as children started with home-based basic skills of education before going to school. In the same way, family acquaintances were significant amongst the African American communities. Above all, cultural and mystical values were highly regarded by African Americans (Davidson et al. 75).
The British colonies
New England, Chesapeake
The New-Fangled England region was composed of Puritans and the Pilgrims who fled from Netherlands and England. Indeed, the Puritans based in Massachusetts were largely populated than the Pilgrims who were factions of the Protestants. Later, the Pilgrims established the Plymouth Colony in the fiscal 1962 and amalgamated with the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The Puritans generated a novel and fresh ecclesiastical and further established a political landmark, tight-knit social and profound religious culture. The Puritan New England had higher living standards due to resilient economic background compared to Chesapeake.
Conversely, in a single year and as a practice of cut-rate labor and alms, New-Fangled England leased the poor family units living in the cities to the rich people. In addition, New-Fangled England offered Europe and the South with a center for ship construction practices.
The Mid-Atlantic region
Different from New-Fangled England, the Mid-Atlantic area gained its populace in the new migration from Germany and Scots-Irish people. The miscellany of Mid-Atlantic societies was echoed in the architectural way of life. As such, the tribal culture in Mid Atlantic areas influenced the elegances of equipment made by the rustic Quakers using stones and timber.
Thus, the colossal mammon from the British and Quaker dealers fostered the Philadelphian metropolitan to became a focal point for manufacturing furniture. In agriculture, there were ethic diversities in practices, and the new breed of animals fortified the landscape transformation. As a result, input in the Mid-Atlantic augmented since the open up of the seaport created fresh jobs and business opportunities.
The Lower South regions
The Province of Carolina hosted the initial English secluded venture into southern Virginia in the fiscal 1663. Lack of good inducements deterred settlement until the year 1670. Nevertheless, the Nobles who had financed the immigration after getting Royal Charter to the Carolinas incorporated their resources to foster settlement. There was political dissection in Carolina with groups of Huguenots, slave colonizers, and wealthy incipient.
The economic and political hunks amid farmers and the dealers were influenced during the conflict between Queen Anne and King William. The Yamasee Warfare saw proprietors vend back the colonies to the crown of Britain following the downfall of the proprietary regime and the set-off of the political havoc (Davidson et al. 81).
Conversely, the institution of Georgia occurred under didactic stringent philosophies. In fact, all the imaginary depravities like illicit brews and slavery were outlawed.
Several complaints that unhealthy economic competition might emerge arose from the colonists because of their dissatisfaction with the puritanical living styles. Later, prosperity failed in Georgia forcing the waiver of some restrictions like slavery that afterward prospered just like the state itself.
Eighteenth Century America: How life changed in the British colonies
In the eighteenth century, the number of American settlements reduced while life changed drastically and became somehow complicated. In fact, the total English colonies populace rose to approximately one million in the fiscal 1750 from two hundred and fifty thousand reported in the financial year 1700.
Compared to the 17th century when a majority of the North American colonists ensued from the English land, the 18th century saw quite a number of the migrants coming from Germany, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The number of Africans found in the British colonies increased by 1720s. However, the increment in the total British colonies populace was attributed to natural occurrence.
During the eighteenth century, there were remarkable changes in the political, social, economic, and cultural spheres. From the economic perspective, it is apparent that the economies of the British colonies were created and upheld through commercial activities.
The British colonial communities in the 18th century were capitalists in nature, and they emerged to be mostly attached to the financial systems, which covered areas found in Atlantic. From the early to mid-1700s, the British colonies experienced two kinds of revolutions namely the industrious and consumer revolutions.
The cultural, intellectual, and religious existence observed in most of the British colonies significantly changed from the fiscal 1700 to 1750. The reported changes occurred due to the Great Awakening as well as the Enlightenment movements.
Cultural diversity in the British colonies emerged both in the religious and population life. There were all sorts of denominations including Protestants, Congregational, Roman Catholics amongst others. The churches maintained their cultural practices.
The apparent diversities and population growth rates in the British colonies caused problems in governing Britain. The experienced difficulties meant that a political system had to be established. Towards mid-1700, the British colonies stood independently implying that every colony had its legislative and governors’ congress. Elections were held to determine the legislative members though capitalist elected the lower congress members.
Other political contestants including governors and councils became elected based on their respective colonies. Moreover, the British colonies included the regal, proprietary, and corporate political colonies having different rights. The British Trade Board was set up and charged with the responsibility of supervising the colonial affairs.
Thus, from early to mid-1700s, the British colonies hardly established political parties or legislative bodies to create policies. The linkages amid the colonies were intended to respond to the opinionated actions affecting every British colony. There was a single political organization shared by all the British colonies named the representative congress.
In the social front, the British colonies grew very fast causing the emergence of population diversities. During the eighteenth century, different social groups focused on developing the British colonies economies through engaging in commercial and agricultural activities. Most activities were carried out in unity to help create room for the sovereignty progress.
However, the gap amid the underprivileged and the wealthy persisted in all the British colonies towns. The gap narrowed in the agricultural regions. Men got remuneration through working for the affluent. The social network also had retailers and artisans who crowded the British cities.
These groups ensured that their social settings are not threatened. The final social group was the city merchants who resisted American leadership. The group had assets, which granted them prestige.
Works Cited
Davidson, James, Brian DeLay, Christine Leigh, Mark Lytle, and Michael Stoff. US: A Narrative History Volume 1: To 1865. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print.