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Shreya Bedi
12/8/2025
AP US History
APUSH 2.6 NOTES
19
•
Dec 8, 2025
•
Comprehensive Notes for APUSH 2.6
Shreya Bedi
@shreyabedi_oyaa
1 / 3
Global Trade Networks Transform Colonial Economies
Trade became truly global by the early 1700s, with goods flowing between continents like never before. Chinese manufacturers created porcelain specifically for English customers, while European tastes influenced worldwide trade in cloth, tea, tobacco, and sugar. Within North America, a healthy commercial network developed as New England fishermen, New York merchants, and Caribbean planters all exchanged goods.
Mercantilism emerged as the dominant economic philosophy. This system centered on maintaining a favorable balance of trade—ensuring more gold and silver flowed into a country than out. After witnessing Spain's failed approach (extracting massive quantities of precious metals), England and France developed more sophisticated trade policies to control colonial commerce.
England's Navigation Acts, first passed under Oliver Cromwell and expanded over decades, required colonial trade to use English ships and pass through English ports. "Enumerated articles" from colonies had to first ship to England before being re-exported elsewhere, ensuring profits for the mother country. Later acts even prohibited American-made textiles, hats, and iron goods to prevent colonial manufacturing from competing with British industries.
Did you know? Coffeehouses in colonial port cities became crucial centers where merchants exchanged the latest shipping news, discussed business ventures, and read about parliamentary laws or disease outbreaks in distant ports—making information flow as important as the flow of goods!
Colonial Society Transforms Under Global Commerce
Despite strict British regulations, American colonists found ways to participate and profit. North American merchants managed to control about 75% of trade sent to the colonies, creating a growing mercantile elite in American port cities. The Atlantic slave trade generated enormous wealth for these colonial businessmen, transforming places like Charleston and Boston into thriving urban centers.
This new wealth created stark social divides. While affluent urban families enjoyed imported teas served in Chinese porcelain with West Indian sugar, economic hardship spread too. Young people migrated between towns seeking work, and growing poverty required "Overseers of the Poor" and homeless shelters in every seaport city by 1750.
Rural families (the vast majority of colonists) were increasingly drawn into commercial networks, selling vegetables, meat, yarn, and wheat. But the most dramatic social changes happened in cities, which became cultural focal points despite containing less than 10% of the colonial population.
Think about it: Status in colonial America became increasingly linked to financial success rather than family background or birth. This "consumer revolution" allowed people with new money to display their wealth through imported goods, challenging traditional ideas about social class.
The Cultural Impact of Atlantic Trade
The transatlantic trade network created a shared British Atlantic culture through the exchange of goods and ideas. Colonial elites displayed their prosperity through imported luxuries and fashionable homes. Merchants' wives served exotic teas in fine porcelain, creating new social rituals that defined high society. As cities flourished with new wealth, they became centers for cultural trends, social gatherings, and political discussions.
Information exchange proved just as valuable as physical goods. Coffeehouses in port cities became hubs where traders discussed business opportunities and read about parliamentary decisions, foreign markets, and shipping news. This communication network kept colonial merchants connected to European economic developments despite the vast ocean between them.
While mercantilism aimed to benefit Britain, it unintentionally created powerful American commercial interests. Parliament placed numerous taxes through the Navigation Acts and required goods to pass through British ports before reaching foreign destinations. However, colonies sometimes benefited too—for example, when Parliament subsidized South Carolina's indigo production to secure a steady supply.
Remember this: Although trade created tremendous wealth for some, it also widened social divides. Growing poverty in colonial cities led to the establishment of homeless shelters and public assistance programs by 1750, showing the uneven effects of early capitalism on colonial society.
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Anna
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I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
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Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
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The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
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In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
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I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
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THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
Comprehensive Notes for APUSH 2.6
Shreya Bedi
@shreyabedi_oyaa
Ever wonder how global trade shaped early America? In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, international commerce exploded, connecting continents and transforming colonial life. This new economic system created wealthy merchants in American ports while British imperial policies attempted... Show more
Global Trade Networks Transform Colonial Economies
Trade became truly global by the early 1700s, with goods flowing between continents like never before. Chinese manufacturers created porcelain specifically for English customers, while European tastes influenced worldwide trade in cloth, tea, tobacco, and sugar. Within North America, a healthy commercial network developed as New England fishermen, New York merchants, and Caribbean planters all exchanged goods.
Mercantilism emerged as the dominant economic philosophy. This system centered on maintaining a favorable balance of trade—ensuring more gold and silver flowed into a country than out. After witnessing Spain's failed approach (extracting massive quantities of precious metals), England and France developed more sophisticated trade policies to control colonial commerce.
England's Navigation Acts, first passed under Oliver Cromwell and expanded over decades, required colonial trade to use English ships and pass through English ports. "Enumerated articles" from colonies had to first ship to England before being re-exported elsewhere, ensuring profits for the mother country. Later acts even prohibited American-made textiles, hats, and iron goods to prevent colonial manufacturing from competing with British industries.
Did you know? Coffeehouses in colonial port cities became crucial centers where merchants exchanged the latest shipping news, discussed business ventures, and read about parliamentary laws or disease outbreaks in distant ports—making information flow as important as the flow of goods!
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Colonial Society Transforms Under Global Commerce
Despite strict British regulations, American colonists found ways to participate and profit. North American merchants managed to control about 75% of trade sent to the colonies, creating a growing mercantile elite in American port cities. The Atlantic slave trade generated enormous wealth for these colonial businessmen, transforming places like Charleston and Boston into thriving urban centers.
This new wealth created stark social divides. While affluent urban families enjoyed imported teas served in Chinese porcelain with West Indian sugar, economic hardship spread too. Young people migrated between towns seeking work, and growing poverty required "Overseers of the Poor" and homeless shelters in every seaport city by 1750.
Rural families (the vast majority of colonists) were increasingly drawn into commercial networks, selling vegetables, meat, yarn, and wheat. But the most dramatic social changes happened in cities, which became cultural focal points despite containing less than 10% of the colonial population.
Think about it: Status in colonial America became increasingly linked to financial success rather than family background or birth. This "consumer revolution" allowed people with new money to display their wealth through imported goods, challenging traditional ideas about social class.
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The Cultural Impact of Atlantic Trade
The transatlantic trade network created a shared British Atlantic culture through the exchange of goods and ideas. Colonial elites displayed their prosperity through imported luxuries and fashionable homes. Merchants' wives served exotic teas in fine porcelain, creating new social rituals that defined high society. As cities flourished with new wealth, they became centers for cultural trends, social gatherings, and political discussions.
Information exchange proved just as valuable as physical goods. Coffeehouses in port cities became hubs where traders discussed business opportunities and read about parliamentary decisions, foreign markets, and shipping news. This communication network kept colonial merchants connected to European economic developments despite the vast ocean between them.
While mercantilism aimed to benefit Britain, it unintentionally created powerful American commercial interests. Parliament placed numerous taxes through the Navigation Acts and required goods to pass through British ports before reaching foreign destinations. However, colonies sometimes benefited too—for example, when Parliament subsidized South Carolina's indigo production to secure a steady supply.
Remember this: Although trade created tremendous wealth for some, it also widened social divides. Growing poverty in colonial cities led to the establishment of homeless shelters and public assistance programs by 1750, showing the uneven effects of early capitalism on colonial society.
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI companion is specifically built for the needs of students. Based on the millions of content pieces we have on the platform we can provide truly meaningful and relevant answers to students. But its not only about answers, the companion is even more about guiding students through their daily learning challenges, with personalised study plans, quizzes or content pieces in the chat and 100% personalisation based on the students skills and developments.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app in the Google Play Store and in the Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️
Thomas R
iOS user
Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades
Brad T
Android user
Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend
Aubrey
iOS user
Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀
Marco B
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!
Paul T
iOS user