CHAPTER 6

Section 4 Notes

Changes in Colonial Governments As the colonies grew, England sought more control

over the COLONISTS and their profitable TRADE. In 1685, King James II united NEW ENGLAND, NEW

YORK, and NEW JERSEY into the Dominion of New England. He placed tight restrictions on the region and appointed an English GOVERNOR to enforce the new laws.

The English PARLIAMENT overthrew James II in what became known as the GLORIOUS REVOLUTION. Parliament disbanded the Dominion of New England and returned the colonies to their original status.

Bacon’s Rebellion

In 1676, NATHANIEL BACON, a planter on the Virginia frontier, led a rebellion against the colony’s GOVERNOR. The rebels claimed that the governor was not doing enough to protect them against NATIVE AMERICAN ATTACKS.

The rebels marched on JAMESTOWN and forced the governor to flee. However, when BACON suddenly died, the rebellion collapsed.

In the wake of the rebellion, the colony’s rulers allowed VIRGINIANS more voice in their government.

Other colonists PROTESTED against British authority in other ways. In 1734, a jury in New York found a newspaper publisher, JOHN PETER ZENGER, not guilty of LIBEL for his articles criticizing the governor. ZENGER’S case was the first one in America to protect FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.

Nathaniel Bacon

Bacon’s Rebellion

Controls on Colonial Trade

Most European countries with colonies followed a policy called MERCANTILISM. This policy meant a country had to SELL MORE GOODS THAN IT BOUGHT in order to gain wealth. Colonies played an important role in this policy: they provided raw materials to the home country and they served as a ready-made market for products from the home country.

To make MERCANTILISM work, GREAT BRITAIN passed a number of laws aimed at controlling colonial trade. These laws were known as the NAVIGATION ACTS.

Moving Toward Self-Government Despite placing TIGHT CONTROLS on colonial

trade, the British allowed colonists the freedom to RUN LOCAL AFFAIRS through their assemblies.

While British governors ruled most colonies, the colonial ASSEMBLIES gained the power to pass TAX BILLS and run the colony’s MILITARY AFFAIRS.

Compared with people in Europe, colonists took an ACTIVE ROLE in their government. However, only WHITE MEN over the age of 21 who OWNED PROPERTY could VOTE.