English Colonial Expansion

1. English Colonial Expansion Section 3

2. After Columbus sails from Spain in 1492, King Henry VII of England enters contest for American colonies. • John Cabot: explored the coasts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and possibly New England. • Gave England first claim in North America.

3. Sea Dogs: an adventurous group of English sea captains. • Included Sir John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh. • They challenged Portuguese and Spain monopolies of sea trade. • Sir Francis Drake sailed west from England across Atlantic ocean. • Continued around South America to west coast of North America. • Crosses then crossed Pacific and Indian Oceans, rounded South Africa, and returned to England. (1st English sea captain to sail around the globe). • They were best known for plundering foreign ships. • Angered King Philip II of Spain • Philip protests to Queen Elizabeth • Queen Elizabeth supports Sea Dogs. • Sea dogs help defeat Spanish Armada.

4. British in India • British East India Company: trading group that Queen Elizabeth I grants a charter to. This group over 260 years: • Build and expand overseas trade w/out gaining territory. • Set up trading posts in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras in India. • Shaped and applied Britain’s colonial and commercial policies. • Only dealt with local rulers which they would win their support by: • Helped those who were weak • Used force without hesitation • Bribery

5. Mid 1700’s, British East India Company established trading posts in Malaya and East Indies, as well as India. • Increasing contact and conflict with French traders who had built similar company. • Rivalry led to open conflict • Company became dominant European trade interest in India. • Extremely powerful and wealthy • Strong support in Parliament.

6. British in America • Slow to establish in North America • Explored to find the Northwest passage. • Henry Hudson: one of first to search for Northwest Passage. • Sailed on behalf of Dutch. Charted much of coast of eastern North America and explored river that is named after him. • Next year, on behalf of the English. Explored bay in the northern Canada also named after him.

7. British Settlements • British settled along eastern coast of North America • Private companies and individuals founded first colonial settlements. • 1607: established Jamestown, in what is now Virginia. • First permanent English settlement in North America. • 1620: settlers founded Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. • Reasons for settling: • Greater political or religious freedom • Better lives for their families • English brought slaves which was Popular in Southern colonies and West Indies. • Colonies ruled from home country • Some sort of representative assembly

8. Mercantilism and the British Colonies • Mercantilism: colonies existed for the economic benefit of home country. • To become wealthy, must export more goods than it imported • Parliament passed laws to enforce policy beginning in 1650’s. • Colonists to sell certain productsonly to Britain. • Discouraged colonists from manufacturing their own goods. • Colonists resented British trade regulations: • avoided paying taxes whenever they could • Smuggling became respectable occupation • British government did not try hard to enforce trade restrictions.

9. The Enlightenment Section 4

10. Crusaders of the Enlightenment • 1700’s: Age of Enlightenment: apply scientific method and use reason to explain human nature logically. • Rationalism: truth can be determined solely by logical thinking. • Thinkers of the Enlightenment: • Believed in natural law • Objects in nature were expected To act in ways that were predictable. • God created world and natural living things. • Live in harmony, people must live Natural law • Secularism: view that downplayed importance of religion. • Individualism and Secularism would effect views of separation of church and state in government.

11. Philosophes: Thinkers of the Enlightenment • Not only philosophers, but critics of society. • Wrote to one another and published books, plays, pamphlets, and newspapers. • Encyclopedia: handbook describing the ideas of the Enlightenment that became the most famous publication of the period. • Denis Diderot: He and co-editor Jean d’ Alembert published first edition in 28 volumes. • Leading philosophers contributed to articles covering everything in society. • Criticized the church, government, Slave trade, torture, taxes, and war. • Diderot imprisoned for works • Encyclopedia spread through Europe.

12. Political Criticism • Baron de Montesquieu: published “The Spirit of the Laws” • Described the perfect government • Stated that Britain had the best • Strength: Three govt. branches Balance of power (Influence of U.S.) • Voltaire: exemplified the spirit of Enlightenment • Wrote stinging satires on French Monarchy, nobility, and religious Controls on Churhc. • Critical on intolerance and attempts To supress freedoms • Wrote “Philosophical Letters” • Gave credit to British political system. • Wrote “Candide” • Ridiculed prejudice, bigotry, and oppressive government. • Became champion of religious freedom and freedom of thought.

13. Jean Jacques Rousseau: published “The Social Contract.” • People are naturally good, but education, environment, and laws corrupt them. People could only preserve their own state by choosing own government. • Popular Soverignty: Government must be controlled and created by the people. • Most philosophers favored Enlightened Depotism: absolute monarch would rule, but according to principles of Enlightenment. • Mary Wollstonecraft: early spokesperson for women’s rights. • Ideals of equality should be extended to women as well as men.