The Enlightenment The First Great Awakening The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment The First Great Awakening

The Enlightenment (late 1690 -1750) • European intellectual movement with large implications in the US. • Influences early American political thought and development. • Ideas about natural rights, over-throwing governments who oppress, checks and balances, using science and reason, entering into social contracts all come from the Enlightenment. • Based on consent of the governed (Republicanism) and getting rid of corruption and aristocracy. • Men like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Dr. Benjamin Rush, epitomize the Enlightenment • Sometimes associated with Deism. Belief in a supreme bring and creator, but disregarding revelation. Seek to know god though science, reason, and observing nature.

The Enlightenment (late 1690 -1750) • Significance: The language of American Republicanism, the wording of our founding documents, and the myths/truths around the rights Americans all have come from the Enlightenment. • These ideas will be heavily influential as the men who will become our founding fathers are forming their political identities and beliefs. • Without the Enlightenment, it is very possible the American Revolution does not happen

The Great Awakening (1720’s-1730’s) George Whitfield • Period of religious Revivalism that sweeps the colonies. • The first mass event that basically every colonist has heard of or directly participated in. • Revivals often held outside and usually drew large crowds. Emotions ran super high. • Stressed that formal theological education was not as important as religious experience. • Focused on the emotional connection with God through prayer. • Taught that all people could have direct access to God. Not just through their preacher. • A Priesthood of all Christians.

The Great Awakening (1720’s-1740’s) • Became a controversial event because of the way it made people question established churches. Specifically the Anglican Church (Church of England) • Old Lights v. New Lights (challenges the authority of ministers) • Undermines the legally established churches and their tax supported ministers. $$$$$$ • People left their churches in large numbers and founded off-shot congregations like Baptists and Presbyterians • Colleges to train new preachers are founded: Princeton, Columbia, Brown Jonathan Edwards

• https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=z. R 6 hjx-z. ERo&t=3320 s • Start at minute 38: 25 and watch to 55: 30

French and Indian War • Also known as the Seven Years War (1754 -1763). 9 years wtf? • A major dispute between Great Britain, France, and Native Tribes in the Ohio River Valley • France has a claim on the area, but not the people to truly settle the region. Great Britain wants to control all of the trade in the area and France is in the way. • France is setting up more and more forts in the Ohio region (modern day Pittsburgh) and this expansion alarms the British. • Major native tribes are split with their allegiance. -Iroquois Confederacy (lots of tribes) is the most powerful group and sides with the British -Other tribes like the Delaware and Shawnee side with their traditional allies the French

Albany Plan of Union • Prior to the outbreak of war, a conference is held in Albany, New York between the British and their Iroquois Confederacy allies. • In addition to discussing Indian alliances, a young Ben Franklin proposes his Albany Plan of Union. This plan goes nowhere in terms of action, but is a bold idea and a major milestone. • In his Albany Plan of Union, Franklin suggests a new government be formed in North America on behalf of all the colonies to address issue of defense, trade, and Indian policy. This is the first time we have a record of someone calling for the creation of a new separate centralized government for British colonists in North America made of representatives from the British North American colonies. • It would require individual colonies to sacrifice some autonomy to a large body, and they reject the plan…. Foreshadowing….

French and Indian War • To check French expansion, the British send troops led by young George Washington and they engage the French in a skirmish. War has started and lasts for years. It ends in 1763. • Over the years of war, Great Britain dominates France for the most part, and relieves her of many of her colonial possessions throughout the world. • Most Natives in the Ohio River Valley area are not stoked the British won. Most know this means more settlers, and basically, they were mostly ok with the much smaller number of French trappers before the war. They fear the families and farmers that will now inevitably be coming. • Pontiac’s Rebellion 1763: Native revolt in the Great Lakes near Detroit and also near Pittsburgh areas killing over 2000 British. This type of conflict is expensive and nearly impossible to win. The British may “own” the territory, but they don’t control it.

War • Significance • Britain now technically owns (but not controls) a huge chunk of North America. All of French Canada and all of the French territory east of the Mississippi River is now British. • The End of Salutary Neglect. This war was expensive. The British will now levy more taxes on the colonists to pay for the war. This will lead to the American Revolution. If you thought the Navigation Acts were tough, wait till the Stamp Act and Quartering Act! • The British may own the territory, but they don’t control it. Proclamation Line of 1763 says no colonist can settle west of the Application Mountains. This affirms Native control of the region for a few more decades.

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=HDo. O 7 o. ALI 74 Seven Years War clip

Conflicts between Colonists • The 1760’s is marked not only by the French and Indian War, but several conflicts between lower class colonists on the western frontier, and more elite colonists in the east. • Paxton Boys: Group of Scotch-Irish colonists demand that the Quaker Government of the colony expel all natives in Pennsylvania because of native attacks on frontier settlements. The gov of Pennsylvania refuses, and the Paxton Boys go on a rampage and massacre several Indians and threaten to march on Philadelphia. The situation is defused, but highlights the fact that colonists on the frontier feel a disconnect with colonists on the coast. • South Carolina Regulators: Frontier landowners out west demand the colonial government provide fairer taxation laws, more representatives from their countryside districts, and more courts in their districts so they didn’t need to travel for days to take care of legal business. They revolt. • Out of fear slaves would also revolt, the Colonial government appeases the Regulators on some grounds. They open more courts, but will not lower taxes or appoint more representatives. Again this draws attention to conflicts between wealthy colonists in the east, and frontier colonist in the west. The British Crown really doesn’t come into play here.

Conflicts between Colonists • North Carolina Regulators: As tobacco process fall, many farmers can’t pay the loans they took out on their farms. When they can’t pay, the lender comes to seize the property and kick them off. • To save their farms and release friends and neighbors from debtors prisons, the Regulators storm the courts and jails, freed prisoners, and intimidated judges. • They proposed lower legal fees and taxes and wanted to be allowed to pay tax in product, not cash. They also want more representatives to be from frontier districts. • The colonial governor doesn’t budge and calls out the militia to fight the Regulators. Over 30 rebels are killed, the leaders are all hung, and the movement is done. • Significance: Fighting against unfair taxation, the concentration of power in the hands of a few, and protection of your natural rights is becoming more common. The stage is getting set for Revolution.