New Religious, Philosophical, and Political Currents

U.S. History to 1877

Church of England in America

Hierarchy and order

Control of vestry by the elite

By 1750 strong and well-established across the South

The Great Awakening, 1735-1745

From Puritan to Yankee

◦ “Outlivers,” greed, contention, guilt

◦ “Fire & brimstone” & “harvests”

“New Lights” & “Old Lights”

◦ Jonathan Edwards

◦ George Whitefield

Baptist growth

◦ Evangelical Calvinists

◦ Evangelize the South

◦ Violent opposition in Virginia

The Enlightenment in America

From Age of Faith to Age of Reason

◦ Reason & nature

◦ Science & progress

Enlightenment in Religion

◦ Deism

◦ Unitarianism

Benjamin Franklin

◦ International hero of the Enlightenment

Political Ideas

Ideal: monarchy, aristocracy, democracy

English “constitution”

◦ Crown, Lords, Commons

◦ Ministers & Commons

◦ “Rotten boroughs” & “placemen”

Colonial “constitutions”

◦ Governor, council, assembly

◦ Factions & paper power

◦ Independent assemblymen

Political Ideas

Liberty vs. power

◦ Corruption

◦ Isolated ruler

◦ “Wicked and worthless” wars

◦ Taxation without representation

◦ No juries

◦ Catholicism

◦ STANDING ARMIES

Wars and Empire

America in Europe’s wars

◦ 3 major French-English wars before 1750

French &  Indian War, 1754-63

◦ A different war

◦ Washington at Ft. Duquesne

◦ Albany Plan of Union, 1754

◦ Gen. Braddock at Ft. Duquesne

◦ Pitt turns the tide, 1758-62

Peace

End of New France, 1763

Pontiac’s Rebellion, 1763

English-American relationship transforms

◦ Proclamation Line of 1763