Colonial America Essays (Examples)

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Essay
Colonial America -- Issues and
Pages: 6 Words: 1949

Because under the first Navigation Act" all American exports had to pass through British ports, and other foreign traders were not allowed to come into American ports, the higher price of imports hurt most American consumers and American businesses. On page 16 Newton quotes from a book by Jeremy Atack and Peter Passell:
"Americans paid higher prices and earned smaller incomes than would have been the case if they had been free to use the cheapest shipping service and ship by the most direct routing…In short, the Navigation Acts force Americans to pay more and consume fewer imports and earn less and sell fewer exports" (Newton, p. 16, quoting from A New Economic View of American History: From Colonial Times to 1940). as Britain the only colonial power that practiced the policy of mercantilism in the eighteenth century? Newton (17) writes that Spain, Holland and of course England put the…...

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Works Cited

Kidder, David S., and Oppenheim, Noah D. (2007). The Intellectual Devotional: American

History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about

Our Nation's Past. Emmaus, PA: Rodale.

Murray, David. (1999). Spreading the Word in northeast America. In Spiritual Encounters:

Essay
Colonial America African-Americans in Colonial America Experienced
Pages: 4 Words: 1802

Colonial America
African-Americans in Colonial America experienced the United States differently, depending on whether they lived in the North or South. The John Catherwood letter indicates many aspects of Colonial life between a merchant and a secretary to the Governor in New York State. Finally, examination of the Craftsmen, Plantation Owners and Slaves on a plantation illustrates the three major classes in Colonial America.

African-Americans in the 17th and 18th Centuries -- Southern vs. Northern

African-Americans in Colonial America experienced the United States differently, depending on whether they lived in the North or South. The American South of the 17th and 18th Centuries was dominated by agriculture with a climate allowing relatively long growing seasons, particularly by plantations, and was highly dependent on legalized slave labor. As a result, the "average" African-American living in the South during this period chiefly worked as a slave who labored in agriculture. In addition, little regard was…...

Essay
Colonial America Differed From England
Pages: 2 Words: 580

(Boger 3 -- 15) (Murrin 67 -- 159)
Discuss the origins of colonial North American slavery. Compare and contrast eighteenth century slavery as it existed in the Chesapeake, in South Carolina and Georgia, and in the northern colonies. How did differences in regions, crop cultivation, and personal skill create opportunities for varied experiences among enslaved Africans? How did enslaved Africans use cultural retentions to preserve their humanity and to implement a distinct culture in America?

In the Northern colonies, slaves were less dominant. The reason why is because, the weather conditions and products that were being produced did not require individuals that were used to working in hot conditions. This is different from the South (i.e. The Chesapeake, South Carolina and Georgia), as they had warmer conditions and grew crops that required large numbers of people (cotton). The best individuals for this kind of work were considered to be Africans. In…...

Essay
Colonial America the Experiences in
Pages: 1 Words: 333

It is written that the intension of the rebellion was to "ruin and extirpate all Indians in general" (Foner 59) because they were basically in the way. These accounts prove that there are two sides to every story and no one group of people is going to be "better" and "above" another. It was inevitable that such tension would occur given the nature of both groups of people. The Native Americans docile nature could not stand up to the overbearing qualities of Euro-Americans and it was only a matter of time before the Native Americans were crushed. This is not to say that they were completely innocent of any wrongdoing; however, it does shed some light on the interaction between the two groups of people, which was contentious and even violent more than anything else.
orks Cited

Foner, Eric. Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History. New York .. Norton and Company.…...

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Works Cited

Foner, Eric. Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 2008.

Rushforth, Brett, et al. Colonial North America and the Atlantic World. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2008.

Essay
Colonial America in 1793-94 Many
Pages: 4 Words: 1216


Several other principles of Georgia's charter serve to further explain Georgia's ready compliance with Edmund Charles Genet's plan to liberate Florida from Spanish rule. For instance, one of Georgia's founding principles had been the maintenance of citizen-based militias, which Oglethorpe had felt was a necessary precaution against any future likelihood of an army led revolt (Goon, 2002). Unfortunately, this principle later placed Georgia in a position where it had to rely on its own meager militia for defending its interests against both the Spanish and the Indians. Georgia's situation was only exacerbated by ashington's refusal to assist Georgia in removing the Indian population from its borders, and his promise that the government would not occupy Indian lands without tribal consent. To make matters worse, the 1790 Treaty of New York invalidated all earlier treaties made between the Creeks and the Georgia government and actually returned certain lands that were already…...

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Works Cited

Goon, R. "The Classical Tradition in Colonial Georgia." Georgia Historical

Quarterly. Spring 2002. Vol. 86:1, p. 1, 17p.

Morris, M. "Dreams of Glory, Schemes of Empire: The Plan to Liberate Spanish

Florida." Georgia Historical Quarterly. Spring 2003. Vol. 87:1, p. 1, 21p.

Essay
Colonial Women Different Experiences in Colonial America
Pages: 3 Words: 846

Colonial omen
Different Experiences in Colonial America

One of the central debates in the lives of early colonial women relates to their quality of life. Some have proposed that there was something of a golden age for women in the Colonial America while on the other end of the spectrum many believe that this notion is completely untrue (Norton, 1984). This seems odd to some as women born into slavery were owned and subject to sexual exploitation from their master and their trials published (Jacobs & Child, 2008). In fact, the treatment of women and their inclusion or exclusion from social circles is definitely different depending on a range of socio-economic factors as well as even location.

Some local cultures treated women far differently than the regional or national cultures. To summarize an era as a golden age for women is almost certainly an overgeneralization unless is specifically targets a very narrow and…...

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Works Cited

Jacobs, H., & Child, M. (2008). Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

Norton, M. (1984). The Evolution of White Women's Experience in Early America. American Historical Review, 593-611.

Rutz-Robbins, K. (2006). "Divers Debts" Women's Participation in the Local Economy, Albemarle, North Carolina, 1663 -- 1729. Early American Studies, 425-441.

Essay
Colonial America Earle Alice M
Pages: 6 Words: 1533

The result, however, seems less scholarly, less cold and professionally aloof than similar works by other more science-minded authors. Earle, however, operates with the intent to construct a true-to-life catalogue of the things that went into making up the lives of the Colonists. Earle's research does lead the reader to trust her sources and her findings, but the writing style can still distract from the overall impact - by being so "folksy" in some of her observations, by inserting suppositions and homey jokes, her work becomes very accessible by a large number of people.
The success of the book's depiction of life, however, far outweighs any criticism of the writing style. The truth about this book is that it is also somewhat quaint while at the same time incredibly thorough (but it does not draw grand conclusions about the colonial period). The overall impact is that the book works even…...

Essay
Colonial America Annotated Bibliography Crimean Lawrence 1970
Pages: 2 Words: 556

Colonial America
Annotated bibliography

Crimean, Lawrence. (1970). American education: The colonial experience, 1607-1783. New

York: HarperCollins.

Education has been a profoundly democratizing influence in American history but it has also been used to reinforce principles of elitism, according to Crimean's analysis. On one hand, education was seen a cornerstone of America's status as a New Israel and a way of reinforcing spiritual values amongst all mankind; yet it was also used as a means of social control and moralizing -- as a way of keeping certain classes in their places.

Engal, Marc. (1998). New orld economies: Growth of the thirteen colonies and early Canada.

New York: Oxford University Press.

The different economies of the northern and southern colonies produced profound cultural differences between the two during the early years of America's development. Tobacco and cash crop production in the south created vast discrepancies of wealth between the 'haves' who owned property and those who did not; while…...

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Webb, Stephen Saunders. (1984). 1676: The end of American independence in New York.

Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

The seemingly paradoxical title of this book refers to the establishment of firm British authority over the colonial territory that later became the state of New York. This book discusses early unsuccessful revolts during the early colonial period, including Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia (a revolt against the rule of William Berkeley by residents who felt he was too 'soft' on the Indians and Maryland) and King Philip's War, which was a dispute between New England settlers and Indians over growing white encroachment over Indian territories.

Essay
Colonial America the Philosophy of Individual Rights
Pages: 4 Words: 1442

Colonial America
The Philosophy of Individual Rights Before the Constitutional Convention in England and America

Although many individuals today might like to romanticize the origin of individual rights in America, suggesting that such rights began and ended with the passage of the current version of the United States Constitution that now governs the totality of the American land, the actual history of a private citizen's individual rights in America and England is far more checkered and complex. America's founding fathers owe a far greater debt to English and French philosophies of rights and liberties than were acknowledged at the time for the idea that the individual citizen possesses certain inalienable rights that cannot be impinged upon by the state. Also, the Articles of Confederation that were eventually passed contained the seeds of the later document that was to govern the land, even though it was too weak a document to provide the…...

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Works Cited

The Avalon Project. (2004) "Jefferson's Autobiography."  http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/jeffauto.htm#artconfdebate 

The Avalon Project. (2004) "James Madison's Notes: June 11, 1787."  http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/debates/611.htm

Essay
Colonial America Acculturation Through an
Pages: 2 Words: 543

..That sight was most appaling [sic], yet, I was obliged to endure it without complaining."
However, as she became acculturated to American Indian culture, Jemison was able to understand and tolerate more the traditions of what she and her race of white Americans considered as savages. As an adopted daughter of the Indians, Jemison was able to provide an objective and unbiased observation of the ways and traditions of the race that has so long been in animosity with the white Americans. As she became adopted as an American Indian, she realized that her adoption was the Indian's way of "replacing" a dead brother or sister, who was killed in a conflict with the white Americans. The Indians' acceptance of Jemison was an indicator that,

It is family, and not national, sacrifices amongst Indians, that has given them an indelible stamp as barbarians, and identified their character with the idea which is…...

Essay
Colonial America Epidemics
Pages: 8 Words: 2383

Epidemics and Smallpox in Colonial America
In 1992, the Smithsonian Museum held an exhibit on the process of exchanges between the Old orld and the New orld that resulted from the explorations of Christopher Columbus.

The exhibit, entitled Seeds of Change, focused on five catalysts or "seeds" which had the most far-reaching consequences for both Europe and the new colonies in the Americas. These catalysts were the horse, sugar, the potato, corn and disease.

This paper focuses on disease as a catalyst, paying special focus on the role of smallpox in subjugating the Native American nations. The first part is an overview of how various diseases have affected North American Indians, from the arrival of the first Europeans in the 1500s to the Spanish missionaries who first came to Mexico and California in the 18th century. The body of the paper focuses on the use of disease - particularly smallpox - as a…...

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Works Cited

Blackbird, Andrew J., Complete Both Early and Late History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, a Grammar of Their Language, Personal and Family History of the Author (Harbor Springs, Mich., 1897

Bouquet, Henry. The Papers of Col. Henry Bouquet. Sylvester Stevens and Donald Kent, eds. (Harrisburg, Pa, 1940-1943).

De las Casas, Bartolome, "The Devastation of the Indians: A Brief Account." Excerpted in The Conquest of the New World. Helen Cothran, ed. (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002),

Green, Rayna, The Encyclopedia of Native North America, (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999

Essay
Colonial America Exposed Through Social Classes
Pages: 5 Words: 1728

Colonial American Travel
What was the new world like for its early European inhabitants? The book Colonial American Travel Narratives offers four interesting and insightful travel narratives that describe the new world and its varied inhabitants through the eyes, and thus personal outlook, of the authors. By doing so, the narratives actually provide insights into the individuals who went to this new land and the life they established. In most cases, according to these stories, it appears that at least on an economic level, life was not much different than that in Europe. Although America offered many of the settlers the opportunity to rise above their previous socio-economic position, the social class system arrived with the colonists and was just as entrenched as in Europe. This can be seen in the authors' comments that were often negative and demeaning about the lower-class colonists, blacks and Native Americans.

The first narrative is very…...

Essay
Generations Women in Colonial America by Carol
Pages: 6 Words: 1714

Generations: omen in Colonial America," by Carol Berkin.
THE BOOK

This book, "First Generations," discusses the lives of women who immigrated to America from other countries, and Native Americans that were here when the immigrations started. It then follows through two centuries of life in America, to show how women's lives changed, improved, and/or degraded during this time. It tells in detail how people lived in the 17th and 18th centuries, and particularly how women lived.

It is a compelling picture of everyday life in Colonial times, and of what women had to endure during their short lives. These are women of different ethnic backgrounds, financial circumstances, and areas. Berkin weaves them together to form a tapestry of what life was like for early American women, and it is a fascinating book.

For the first time, we can catch a glimpse of Colonial America from the women's point-of-view, but not just colonists, Berkin…...

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Works Cited

Berkin, Carol. First Generations: Women in Colonial America. New York: Hill and Wang. 1996.

Clarke, Joni Adamson. "Bringing the past to life." Women's Review of Books. Vol. 14. 1 Dec.1996. pp 26-7.

Johansen, Mary Carroll. "Women's Early America." H-Net Review. October 1997. http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=7541886111866

Essay
Blacks in Colonial America by
Pages: 5 Words: 1605

Regardless of age, the desire for freedom remained. It is known that older slaves sometimes aided younger slaves to escape. Some of the aged also escaped to freedom. In some instances masters did not pursue older slaves because of their lower economic value. However, this was not always the case, as some older escaped slaves were still valued, and were advertised in the newspapers.
Some owners granted their older slaves freedom as they advanced in years (Reiss, 1997). If they were fortunate, owners gave them a small parcel of land. However, some owners simply wanted to avoid the financial responsibility of providing care to older slaves. The owners did not want to assume responsibility for food, clothing, and housing. Older female house servants were sometimes mistreated or abandoned. It was actually bad for a master to work older slaves to death, as some neighbors and others in the community would…...

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Bibliography

Reiss, O. 1997. Blacks in Colonial America. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company.

Essay
Religion in Colonial America Religion
Pages: 2 Words: 636

As a result, these regions became populated with Protestants who rejected the Church of England and the majority religion in Georgia and North Carolina were Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. In New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, there were many Congregationalist Church members but they lived side by side with Anglicans, Catholics, German Protestants, and, in Pennsylvania, with the Quakers (Furlong, Margaret, & Sharkey, 1988).
eligious Conflict, Technology, and the Success of egional Colonial Settlements

On one hand, there was already relative religious plurality in the Colonies even with many Colonists rejecting the mainstream Protestant Church (Furlong, Margaret, & Sharkey, 1988). However, just as in Britain, Catholics experienced widespread persecution based strictly on their religion. Partly, this was due to the fears of some Colonists that if the French or the French Canadians (who were both Catholic) ever challenged Britain for control over the Colonies, the Catholic Colonists might side with them…...

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References

Furlong, P., Margaret, S., and Sharkey, D. (1988). America Yesterday: A New

Nation (Revised). New York: Sadlier.

Lakwete, A. (2004). Inventing the Cotton Gin: Machine and Myth in Antebellum

America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University.

Q/A
Need assistance developing essay topics related to American Colonies. Can you offer any guidance?
Words: 629

1. The Struggle for Autonomy: The Impact of British Colonial Policies on Colonial Identity

Discuss the British policies that restricted colonial autonomy, such as the Navigation Acts and the Stamp Act.
Analyze how these policies fostered a sense of collective grievance and the desire for independence.
Examine the ways in which colonists resisted British control through boycotts, protests, and the formation of political organizations.

2. The Economic Foundations of the American Colonies: Agriculture, Trade, and Manufacturing

Describe the various agricultural practices and products that formed the backbone of the colonial economy.
Trace the development of trade networks between the colonies and....

Q/A
what is the puritan dilemma?
Words: 213

The Puritan Dilemma:

The Puritan dilemma refers to the tension and conflicts faced by the Puritans in colonial America. On one hand, the Puritans sought religious freedom and the establishment of a "city upon a hill" based on their strict moral beliefs and devotion to God. On the other hand, they struggled with the challenges of governing a diverse society, religious intolerance, and interacting with people of different beliefs. This dilemma ultimately influenced their actions and decisions as they navigated the complexities of building a new society in a foreign land.
The Puritan dilemma also encompassed issues related to maintaining their....

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