Short-Answer Questions:
1. The strength of the British empire in North America was due in large part to the religious toleration and freedom established there. This liberation from persecution in many colonies was the deciding factor for many immigrants as they wanted to escape from the Anglican church in England. Also, mercantilism in the British American colonies helped to create economic diversity and success by creating a higher demand for colonial products. In addition, with the labor of black slaves rather than white servants, the colonies enjoyed extreme population growth and lower tension between classes in white society. Because of the encouraged primary education in the colonies, many in the colonies were heavily involved in the Enlightenment, which led to the development of American science.
The French empire, although weaker than that of the British, did profit from mercantilist practices to a lesser degree. Exportation of agricultural and fur goods spurned the economy in New France. France’s economy relied a lot on the sugar and molasses production in the Caribbean islands fueled by slave labor. In Louisiana and other parts of the French empire in North America, colonists relied on Native American trade and protection …show more content…
However, after the reliance on white servitude diminished, these poor white men and women were able to start families and rise out of extreme poverty to become just poor whites instead of extremely impoverished whites. The merchant class in North America grew and prospered, especially during the height of the Enlightenment. However, the wealth gap remained ever extreme, especially as a highly concentrated group of elites gained much of the wealth through trade and plantations while many people in urban areas grew increasingly poor. Higher still on the social ladder were the proprietors and governors that led these colonies, all made of white
1. The strength of the British empire in North America was due in large part to the religious toleration and freedom established there. This liberation from persecution in many colonies was the deciding factor for many immigrants as they wanted to escape from the Anglican church in England. Also, mercantilism in the British American colonies helped to create economic diversity and success by creating a higher demand for colonial products. In addition, with the labor of black slaves rather than white servants, the colonies enjoyed extreme population growth and lower tension between classes in white society. Because of the encouraged primary education in the colonies, many in the colonies were heavily involved in the Enlightenment, which led to the development of American science.
The French empire, although weaker than that of the British, did profit from mercantilist practices to a lesser degree. Exportation of agricultural and fur goods spurned the economy in New France. France’s economy relied a lot on the sugar and molasses production in the Caribbean islands fueled by slave labor. In Louisiana and other parts of the French empire in North America, colonists relied on Native American trade and protection …show more content…
However, after the reliance on white servitude diminished, these poor white men and women were able to start families and rise out of extreme poverty to become just poor whites instead of extremely impoverished whites. The merchant class in North America grew and prospered, especially during the height of the Enlightenment. However, the wealth gap remained ever extreme, especially as a highly concentrated group of elites gained much of the wealth through trade and plantations while many people in urban areas grew increasingly poor. Higher still on the social ladder were the proprietors and governors that led these colonies, all made of white