Summary
Highlights
The British colonies engaged in political, social, cultural, and economic exchanges with Great Britain, which fostered both stronger ties and resistance to British control. A significant cultural exchange was the First Great Awakening in the 1730s and 40s, a transatlantic evangelical movement influenced by English revival preaching, featuring figures like George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards.
The British government aimed to unify its colonies into a single transatlantic empire, governing them with mercantilism, a policy that prioritized exports over imports. Additionally, the practice of salutary neglect meant Britain largely unenforced its laws, leading colonists to become accustomed to self-governance and generating tension between imperial unity and colonial independence.
A distinctive American style of slavery developed during this period. Initially, indentured servitude was used, but the lack of sufficient indentured servants led to the reliance on the African slave trade. While slavery existed across the colonies, it became particularly entrenched in the American South, where a racist ideology developed to justify the enslavement of black people. Recent historical focus has shifted to the culture and experiences of enslaved people, their music, religion, and traditions.
The interconnected ideas of mercantilism and the slave trade highlight the central tension of the period: a unified British transatlantic empire contrasted with American colonies developing independent institutions and ideas. This growing divergence and desire for self-governance ultimately led to the American Revolution in the 1760s and 70s.