
Capitalism and Empire in
the 18th Century Atlantic World essay
At
the beginning of
the 18th century,
the American colonies were little more than tiny pockets of population huddled between
the cold Atlantic and
the imposing spine of
the Appalachian Mountains. New England had grown too respectable size through immigration and a low death rate, but
the total population of America was only about 250,000 souls - black and white - spread over some eleven colonies. Most of
these people lived on widely scattered farms or in small towns. America was known as 13th colony of Great Britain. As historians have increasingly recognized, it makes more sense to think of this era, and
these people's lives. In this paper I will try to show
the importance of 17th and
18th century to
the American history and to
the whole Western civilization. In
18th century new Americans, as promoters and travelers continually advertised, enjoyed a bountiful climate, fertile fields, and generally good health, which meant that
they doubled
their numbers about every 22-1/2 years.( Lemon, p.17) This was
the factor that, perhaps more than anything else, spelled
the ultimate victory of
the English colonists over
the native Indian populations and
their less numerous but diplomatically adept French allies. Until French Canada fell to
the British in 1760,
the English were pinned to
the Atlantic seaboard.