Download - Unit 1 Notable Colonial Events
AMERICAN HISTORY UNIT 1 LECTURE 6
Notable Events and New Ideas Shape the Colonies
Notable Events in Colonial America
1691 – After years of conflict, King issues new charter for Massachusetts colony Requires more religious tolerance Weakens political power of the Puritans
1692 – Salem Witch Trials Hysteria and accusations of witchcraft Becomes “neighbor vs. neighbor” land grab False accusations and religious extremism Executions of innocent people; further erodes
Puritanism
Notable Events in Colonial America
1734 – Zenger Trial Zenger accused of LIBEL for criticizing
royal governor Found innocent because what he printed
was true Established precedent of Freedom of the
Press in America
Notable Events in Colonial America
Growth of major cities: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston - cities face challenges including fire, sanitation issues, etc.
Founding of American Universities Harvard – 1636 Yale - 1701 Princeton – 1746
Started to train Puritan minsters, but curriculum changes to reflect intellectual movements of the time…
New Ideas Shape the Colonies
The Enlightenment Intellectual movement that emphasized the use of reason and the scientific method to gain knowledge.
John Locke as key Enlightenment thinker
All people are born with
certain rights that cannot be taken away!
Enlightenment Thought
Locke's 3 Rights:-Life-Liberty-Property
Locke's SOCIAL CONTRACT is the basis of MODERN DEMOCRACY - - says that Government only has power because the people have given it power...the job of government is to protect the rights of the people!
Enlightenment Thought
Benjamin Franklin – Probably the greatest Enlightenment figure in the colonies Scientist Writer Political Thinker
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening – Period of religious revival in 1730’s and 40’s
New denominations formed;
Enlightenment thought appealed to intellectuals; Great Awakening appeals to more common people
Seem to be odds, but have a similar effect: Challenging established authority Emphasis on individual Questioning of Britain’s traditional authority
The Great Awakening
Jonathan Edwards- Minister who drove the Great Awakening in America with his fiery sermons “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God”
…in conclusion
Colonies are prosperous; Salutary Neglect Population is growing Enlightenment ideas are changing the
way people think about government The Great Awakening is changing the
face of American religion These movements and economic motives
are uniting the colonies in new ways.