Colonization

What was Roanoke? (Present day location, important people, etc.)

• England’s first attempt at a permanent settlement in North America BUT FAILED

• Sir Walter Raleigh sponsored this attempt to establish a colony in North America

• Present day North Carolina, however, the area was first named Virginia to honor Queen Elizabeth (the Virgin Queen)

• settlement established on Roanoke Island by colonists in 1587

What is Roanoke known for?

• Mystery

  • When Governor John White returned to England for supplies, he was unable to return to Roanoke Island for several years because of a war between England and Spain

  • he finally returned to Roanoke in 1590 but the settlement was abandoned. the only major clue was the word “CROATOAN” carved into a tree

• Historians list several possibilities:

  • they joined or assimilated with nearby Indigienous ppl.

  • moved to another location

  • died from starvation, disease, or difficult conditions

  • conflict or attacks from within or from indigenous

  • a combination of listed or other factors

• Nobody knows what really happened

What was Jamestown? (Present day location, important people, reason for settling, years, etc.)

• the first SUCCESSFUL permanent settlement from the English

• colonists came in search of gold

  • inspired by Spain whose saying was “gold, glory, and God”

• supported by a joint stock company which allowed several investors to pool their wealth into a colony in homes that it would profit (but if it didn’t, all investors shared the risk)

  • if successful, stockholders would receive 4/5 of all the gold/silver found

  • king would receive remaining 1/5

• 1606 — King James granted a charter to the Virginia Company to explore where English settlers made a settlement before

• settlers finally reached it in 1607 and named it Jamestown, VA after King James

• John Smith was put in charge

What was the Jamestown settlement like? Explain conditions and the chronological order of events up to its success

• extremely difficult

• disease from contaminated rivers (waste)

• Hunger b/c not enough food (lack of time b/c too busy looking for gold AND gentlemen meaning they were not used to working)

• Most men were gentlemen —- lacked working/living in harsh environment experience

• By the winter of 1607, only 38 colonists remained

• John Smith forced people to work (if they didn’t work, they didn’t eat)

  • also persuaded (trade, intimidate, etc.) natives to provide food

• eventually John Smith left Jamestown (some say he was injured, others say he was kicked out)

• by 1609 — 600 new people came to Jamestown

• Powhatan responded to these increased numbers (and likely increased dependence) by killing livestock and destroying farms

• MORE starvation since they no longer have help —- some even resort to cannibalism

• Only 60/600 survived

• The remaining 60 decide to leave Jamestown, but on the way they meet up with a ship full of new colonists who convince them to return to Jamestown and try again

• There is strict new leadership that helps Jamestown focus

  • people were beaten or hanged for not working

• John Rolfe introduces Tobacco to Jamestown

How did tobacco become such a huge industry in Jamestown, and what was it like for people? Who discovered it? Etc.

• Introduced to Jamestown by John Rolfe

• he mixed Brazilian tobacco with Native American tobacco which England went crazy for —> made tobacco into a HUGE cash crop for Jamestown

• new growing industry = massive demand for laborers/workers

• led to the indendured servants system/headright system

  • Anyone who paid for their OWN passage or someone else’s passage to VA would get 50 acres of land (they really needed workers and had plenty of land since before it was only 60 people living in Jamestown). Immigration boomed

• Since wealthy ppl. could afford to bring ppl, over, they really profited from the headright system. They got many “plantations” from bringing people to VA

• Indentured servants — the ppl. from England who came to work on the plantations for a set amount of time in exchange for their paid passage to the colonies

  • had to work to pay off these debts

  • usually lower class ppl. as they couldn’t afford their passage

How did the growing economy in VA encourage the use of slaves?

• Tobacco became used as a currency in VA

  • 1,000 pounds for indentured servant

  • 3-4x that for a slave

• Since ppl. became so wealthy from the tobacco industry, it led to a decline in indentured servants and an increase in slave populations

• Slaves had less rights and worked more

How did Jamestown fail?

• Jamestown desired more land and fought with Native Americans

  • Natives didn’t understand the English concept of landownership/buying land— they didn’t have a word for it. They thought the English were paying to live alongside them rather than as private property

• English law forbade intermarriage (unlike the Spanish & French) which only made them even more separate and fostered bad relations

  • unlike the Spanish & French who likely benefited from the close relationships marriage gave

• The English used the excuse of Powhatan hostility to excuse their actions of fighting the Natives

• Settlers kidnapped children and burned Native American villages in retaliation

• Chief Opechancanough of the Powhatan tribe planned an attack that killed 340 colonists and led to troops being sent in

  • the VA company went nearly bankrupt after sending in troops and supplies to retaliate

• King James was angered and revoked the charter given to the VA company and made VA a royal colony (aka under direct control of the King)

  • he sent in an English army & more colonists

• By 1644 there were 10,000+ English and Powhatan numbers declined

What were the causes to Bacon’s Rebellion?

• many of the then current free white men in VA were former indentured servants who worked for their freedom

  • this meant they were often too poor to buy their own land and thus had no say in laws/politics as only free, landowning men (and thus rich men) could have a say in laws/politics or even have rights

  • they were excluded from society physically as well— forced to live on the cheaper outskirts which was very rural and on the frontiers meaning they had LOTS of fights with the Natives over land

• Sir William Berkley was made Royal Governor of VA and he levied (imposed) high taxes — looked out for the rich and alienated the poor

• Financial War — a war between the settlers and Native Americans broke out in which settlers pleaded for help but got none

  • Berkley didn’t want to take away funds from plantations for war — the rich refused to finance the poor colonists war b/c it didn’t affect them

• this was the last straw for the poor

What was the House of Burgesses?

• the first democratically elected legislative body (in the west)

• located in Jamestown, Virginia

• Each county generally sent 2 representatives

• they met with Virginia’s governor and appointed a council to govern the colony

• colonists gained experience with representative government & self-government long before the American Revolution

• Chronological Order of Events leading to the creation of the U.S.

  • House of Burgesses —> Colonial Self-Government (aka salutary neglect/hands off approach by the English) —> American Revolution

Explain Bacon’s Rebellion

• Nathaniel Bacon — hated the native Americans and the wars, former friends with Berkley

  • he gathered a group of settlers to fight the Native Americans on the frontier land aka the land which was close to the Natives

• But Berkley declared the “army” illegal

• Bacon’s army was angry and marched on Jamestown to complain about the lack of representation in the House of Burgesses (VA’s colonial legislature) as the poor settlers had no representation but paid heavy taxes

  • No taxation without representation

• Bacon’s army burned the town and created chaos

  • Bacon died a month later and Berkley returned to Jamestown and took down the now leaderless rebels

Explain the impact of Bacon’s Rebellion

• It attracted King Charles’ attention and he criticized Berkley and recalled him to England where he was set to meet with King in person, but he died before he could

• it exposed the growing power of former indentured servants (which will eventually lead to the slave trade which replaced the indentured servants jobs)

• losses for Natives — the Natives are increasingly getting attacked/fought with

• tighter royal control (as the King tries avoiding chaos he puts a stronger “leash” on the colonists which in turn means less autonomy for the House of Burgesses — their local government)

• Stark contrast to New England colonies

What were the New England Colonies?

• Massachusetts

• New Hampshire

• Rhode Island

• Connecticut

What were the Pilgrims?

• Pilgrim — a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons

  • they wanted to find a place to practice their own religion without persecution (hostility/ill-treatment especially b/c of race, political or religious beliefs)

• Context for colonialism/U.S.:

  • after the Protestant reformation, King Henry VII broke from the Roman Catholic Church to make the Church of England/Anglican Church (b/c he wanted to divorce his first wife and the Pope said no)

  • Church of England was very similar to the Catholic Church

    • at this time it wasn’t protestant but many ppl. in England wanted a Protestant church (growing religion)

    • However there was no freedom of religion back then in these European countries

• so Protestants/those with different beliefs were heavily persecuted in these European countries and sought refuge elsewhere

What were Separatists?

• Pilgrims because they had broken from the Anglican Church

• Pilgrims were the most radical of the Puritans (meaning that Pilgrims were a type of Puritan, but not all Puritans were Pilgrims)

  • they went to the Netherlands where different religions were more tolerated

What was a Puritan?

• Protestants who wanted to “purify” the Anglican Church of all Catholic traditions/rituals and basically make it more/fully Protestant

What was Plymouth Colony? (Story, known for, etc.)

• the land where the Pilgrims reached

• Pilgrims’ original goal was to reach Virginia and settle in Jamestown, but their ship landed in Massachusetts around Cape Cod, and they decided to stay instead of traveling more

• they signed the Mayflower Compact to avoid causing chaos as their original charter was no longer valid

  • Mayflower Compact — the first governing document in the colonies

    • “just and equal laws… for the general good of the colony”

    • pledged total loyalty to the King but agreed to self-govern as they saw fit in their new land

• Like Jamestown, the colony was able to survive with the help from the Native Americans

  • there was a peace treaty signed between them

• Natives taught them to grow crops and had a celebration at the end of fall — Thanksgiving

What was the Great Migration?

• While some Pilgrims left/starting new settlements, this is what was happening in England:

  • Some Puritans became Pilgrims and wanted to settle colonies, while other Puritans stays in England hoping that the church could still reform

  • However the English monarchy feared reform as they thought it would lead to political reform (and the rich/safe guaranteed monarchy want to stay in power)

  • Puritans were facing economic issues as well as their religious issues

  • So eventually in 1630 over 40,000 Puritans left England for the Americas —- THIS is called the Great Migration

• Most Puritans ended up settling in Massachusetts or the West Indies (Caribbean/South America)

• 1642 — England: a Civil War broke out between the Puritans vs. Royalists (supporters of the crown) and the Puritans won

What was Massachusetts Bay Colony? (how it came to be and way of life + its name)

• a group of wealthy Puritans received a charter to set up a colony in Massachusetts

  • they didn’t want to cut ties with the Anglican Church but intsead wanted to inspire others

  • they believed they had a contract/duty from God to build a society of Christian faith

• they were not allowed to violated English law, but they could govern how they saw fit

• New England Way (strict rules in Massachusetts Bay to keep order):

  • Relationship/working together between the Church and state

  • Religion was VERY important

  • Education prioritized and eventually led to college for ministry

What was New England Life like?

• 20,000 colonists were living in Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1647

• full FAMILIES with women & children came over — different from Jamestown which was made from only men at first

  • this was because Puritans heavily believed that families were essential to a stable society

  • Very traditional beliefs: Men = providers/farmers, Women = household + caretakes (cooking, making soap, candles, clothes, etc.)

  • Large families — 6 or more children

• Plentiful food

• No diseases b/c the cold was too strong and bacteria couldn’t survive

• People lived long lives

• Education was very important (especially religious education)

• Church and state intertwined

• Many towns and cities formed that exist today

• Commercial economy — meaning heavily dependent on industry as the environment/climate was much too cold/bad for farming

Who was John Winthrop?

• the first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony

• wanted to create a model new society

  • he used the metaphor “City upon a Hill” from the Bible in a sermon delivered on the Arbella — the ship in which the Puritans left on — as it refers to a beautiful ideal society as explained in the Bible

What was the gov of Massachusetts Bay Colony like?

• gave right to vote to not just stockholders but to all adult white males belonging to the Church which included 40% of the colony’s men (pretty large standard compared to who could vote in Europe

• General Court — New England’s first legislature was created here

What was Industry like in the New England colonies?

• farming NOT important b/c it was too difficult (rocky soil, too cold)

  • instead, they only farmed enough to feed themselves but no more

• Fishing, trading, Ship building, Lumber — MAJOR industries

  • Fish, grain, and lumber sold to France, Spain, and England

• excellent harbors and access to the Atlantic Ocean

• led to development of important port cities, especially Boston

• Its commercial economy/industry led to it become very urban (more than the South which was very rural)

Why was education important in New England?

• so people could read the Bible

Who was Anne Hutchinson?

• a woman who was arrested b/c she was so outspoken about the Church/Puritans

• she believed people should read the Bible for themselves and that NO ONE not even the Church could/should need to interpret it for them

• Went to Rhode Island to escape MA Bay Colony as she refused to follow the Puritan way of life but was killed

• Worked as a nurse, very devoted to Bible studies and teaching/talking about sermons from the Church

  • She was supported/had a following of women and merchants who were also not happy with life in MA Bay Colony

How was Rhode Island formed? What is it known for?

• 1636 — Roger Williams was a MA Bay Colony civilian who didn’t like how it was being run

• He spoke out against taking Native land without paying them for it

• Also believed the business had no right to punish settlers for their religious beliefs — he believed everyone should worship however they saw fit

• He fled from MA Bay Colony after he questioned Puritan ways and was ordered to be arrested/sent back to England

  • “Radical”/Anti-Puritan beliefs:

    • Believed in separation of church and state

    • Believed in buying land from Native Americans

    • Religious freedom

• So he formed Rhode Island which gave its people these rights:

  • separation of Church and state

  • the land was bought from Natives/its ppl. had to buy land rather than just taking it

  • guaranteed religious freedom/no persecution for beliefs/ways of worshipping

• THE FIRST COLONY TO RECEIVE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

How was Connecticut formed? What is it known for?

• formed by Thomas Hooker (previous member of MA) who didn’t like how it was being run

• he and his followers left to settle in parts of Connecticut for more farmland

• Wrote the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

  • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

    • first WRITTEN constitution in the colonies — 1639

    • had “Consent of the governed” — meaning people have a say in government

    • emphasized individual liberties

What is Salutary Neglect/How and why was it enforced by GB?

• Salutary — beneficial

• Neglect — ignoring/leaving something alone

• Basically GB’s unofficial hands-off approach regarding the American colonies

• GB left the colonies alone

  • even when they passed strict laws like the Navigation acts meant to enforce mercantilism and control trade, they looked the other way when colonists smuggled goods or traded with other countries

  • no direct taxes

  • Britain let the colonists self-rule/regulate with their own elected assemblies (Virginia - House of Burgesses, Massachusetts - General Court, etc.)

• Why?:

  • too difficult because GB was so far away

  • profitable — as long as they were $$$, Parliament figured "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

• eventually changed***

What conflicts with the Natives did the New England Colonies face?

• Natives saw their way of life ending due to the arrival of settlers/new people

• Natives didn’t understand the concept of buying land and thought the Europeans were paying to use the land for a limited time but the Europeans saw them as treaties for owning the land permanently

• Natives were way more dependent on the land than colonists b/c they didn’t really settle

  • For every acre a colonial farmer needed, a native needed 20 for hunting, fishing, and agriculture

• difficulty communicating b/c of different languages

How did conflicts with the Natives in the New England Colonies escalate?

• Pequot War of 1637

  • Pequots (natives) decided to take a stand against the settlers

  • the settlers formed an alliance with the Narragansett (enemies of the Pequot)

  • by the end of the war, the Pequot Nation was destroyed

    • all but a few out of 500-600 natives died

• King Philips War of 1675

  • Natives were forced to work for the English and were getting fed up

  • they also had to obey Puritan laws

  • Natives used hit and run tactics/guerilla warfare to attack and burn the settlers’ villages

  • war lasted a little over a year — ending with food shortages, disease, and heavy casualties

  • Metacom (leader of the Natives) died during the war and the Puritans showed his head for 20 years in Plymouth

What was the cause/context of the French and Indian War? Why did colonists support GB?

• France and GB were each other’s biggest rivals

• BOTH wanted control of the Ohio River Valley

• Colonists still wanted to be on the British’s side because:

  • they thought of themselves as British

  • wanted to expand west away from the now crowded seaboard

What was France known for when settling in parts of Canada/US or why?

• known for fur trading and converting natives to Christianity rather than bringing families over or creating towns

• got along better with the natives and relied on them to help them trap and trade fur

Compare France vs British colonies in 1754

• New France — around 70,000 people

• British colonies — over 1 million people

What were the first triggers/events of the French and Indian War?

• French built Fort Duquesne (fort) at the point where the 2 rivers met to make the Ohio River valley

• But British promised 20,000 acres of land in Ohio to wealth planters

• the VA governor sent a militia (group of citizens who performed military duties) to evict the French

  • led by George Washington who was 22 at the time and Edward Braddock

  • THEY met a British fort (Fort Necessity) 40 miles from the French fort

    • they attacked the French and the French countered

    • openings of the French and Indian War

What was shocking about the French and Indian War that happened in loss for GB in 1755?

• British Defeat at Fort Duquesne:

  • George Washington was serving as an aide to General Edward Braddock at the time who led nearly 1500 British soldiers to drive the French out of the Ohio Valley. BUT French soldiers and their Native American allies ambushed the British, forcing them to retreat

• British Army’s Weakness Exposed — Washington/British army was seen as very competent and powerful so the defeat shocked colonists who had viewed the British army as nearly invincible. Then this singular loss was followed by more British defeats in 1755 and 1756. Clearly the colonists/everyone watching concluded that the British didn’t know how to not fight in straight lines

How did the King react to the British Losses at Fort Duquesne/the following series of English battles?

• Humiliated/thought British pride was at stake

• put William Pitt as a new leader in charge of the warfare strategy in government

  • British started winning more battles and received help from the Iroquois (Native American tribe) to join forces and take down the French and Natives

How did the British start winning and what happened as a turning point?

• King George appointed a new military leader in government —> winning more battles + receive help from Iroquois (Native American tribe)

• British Victory at Quebec (1759) — General James Wolfe led British troops up the cliffs outside Quebec under the cover of night, surprising French forces in an ambush

• Turning Point in the War: British won a decisive victory on the Plains of Abraham (outside Quebec), weakening French control in North America — meaning they literally have no control left — and marking a major turning point in the French and Indian War

How did the French and Indian War end/what were the final land divisions?

• 1763 Treaty of Paris

  • GB had land claims of all of North America that was east of the Mississippi River

  • Spain took Florida and French lands west of the Mississippi

  • Natives also lost as they sided with France in the war and found it much harder to get along with the British

How did colonists feel during/about the French and Indian wars (during/after what did they endure)?

• After the war, England wanted to remove any British troops from the colonies

• Now the colonists felt unprotected from (angry) Natives

• Both parties disagreed on taxes levied to cover the wartime costs

  • Colonists had to pay for the large debt through the Stamp Acts which they despised

  • Before 1763, Britain practiced "Salutary Neglect"/hands off approach —leaving the colonies alone to tax themselves through their local assemblies (like Virginia's House of Burgesses).

    • Britain’s Perspective: It is fair to pass direct taxes on the colonies to pay off the war debt and pay for the British troops stationed in America.

    • Colonists’ Perspective: They had no elected representatives in the British Parliament in London. Passing direct taxes on them without their consent violated their traditional English rights.

What were the Stamp Acts specifically the Sugar Act? Causes?

• Cause: After the French and Indian War, British faced nearly double its previous national debt and kept 10,000 troops in North America

• To raise revenue, Parliament passed the Sugar Act (1764) which taxed certain imports and strengthened enforcement against smuggling

What caused Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763)?

• Ohio River Valley had natives living there

  • these Natives feared that if the British settlers crossed the Appalachian Mountains their food supply would dwindle

What was Pontiac’s Rebellion of 1763?

• Ottawa tribe leader, Pontiac, organized Native American resistance against British control after the French lost.

  • Natives captured 8 British forts and besieged/overwhelmed 2 others.

  • Disease + fighting began to weaken the Natives and affect their fighting capabilities —> most groups negotiated treaties by 1765

  • British also deliberately and intentionally distributed smallpox-infected blankets to Delaware leaders during peace negotiations

What was the Proclamation of 1763? What was the reaction?

• proclamation by Britain to prevent further conflict with Natives

• banned colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains by establishing the Proclamation line

• Colonists resented this restriction (after all they are the ones paying heavy taxes and is the land they JUST fought for - Ohio River Valley) and continued moving west onto Native American lines

  • clearly Britain was losing control/having a difficult time enforcing its policies

What was the Wrist of Assistance (1761)?

• A court order used to enforce a judgment regarding the possession or transfer of real property

  • basically a permanent search warrant without probable cause that allowed British officials to search ships, buildings, and homes for smuggled goods

  • they wanted to prevent colonists from trading with enemies

Why were the colonies and Britain disagreeing/growing apart?

• Proclamation of 1763 + Writs of Assistance

  • could not move west/expand acc. to GB even though the are paying heavy Stamp Act taxes to pay back the debt from the war AND are not even allowed to go on that gained land

  • now the British are invading the colonists’ personal lives/space by having the right to check their property without their consent — they don’t trust us

What were the Indigenous people like before colonization?

• extremely diverse and adapted to their local environments

  • some were farmers, some migrated place to place, etc.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

• the massive transfer of plants, animals, culture, people, and disease between the “Old World” (Europe, Africa, Asia, etc.) and the “New World” (the Americas) after Columbus “founded” it

• Europe + Asia to North/South America: coffee, peach, pear, citrus fruits, olives, bananas, honeybees, sugar cane, onion, turnip, grapes, grains, livestock, disease

• North/South America to Europe + Asia: pumpkin, turkey, squash, pineapple, cacao, peanut, potato, corn, beans, vanilla, peppers, cassava, avocado, etc.

What is Mercantilism?

• the belief that a country’s power comes from it’s wealth

• a “mother country” needs to export more than it imports in order to profit

  • ex: GB was a mother country that profited from the colonies which had industries and provided cheap raw materials and had to buy expensive manufactured goods ONLY from Britain — why Britain wanted to discourage trading between the colonies/other countries through the Writs of Assistance

What were the Navigation Acts?

• series of laws passed by Parliament enforcing mercantilism

  • No country could trade with the colonies unless goods were shipped in colonial or English ships

  • all vessels must be operated by crews that were at least ¾ English or colonial

  • colonies could export certain products ONLY to England

  • almost all goods between colonies and Europe first had to pass through an English port

• existed before but because of salutary neglect was not strictly enforced

• following the French and Indian War and the Wrists of Assistance, they were finally enforced heavily

How did King Charles punish Massachusetts for not obeying the Navigation Acts (smuggling)?

• Massachusetts seen as worst offenders (most radical/home to all radical ideas)

• believed corporate charter meant they didn’t have to obey Parliament

• King Charles revoked charter to make it a royal colony

What was the Dominion of New England?

• Charles’ brother James took the Crown, he put the Northern colonies under a single ruler in Boston

• Land from Maine to New Jersey was now called the Dominion of New England

• Sir Edmund Andros appointed as ruler of DNE

• “You have no more privileges left you, than not to be sold for slaves.”

Why were the colonists so angry following the Treaty of 1763/end of the war? (use: salutary neglect, mercantilism, navigation acts)

• At first, before the wars, GB practiced salutary neglect with the colonies — meaning as long as the colonies were producing a profit, they turned the other way when the violated laws like smuggling or trading with other countries even though laws like the Navigation acts/belief of mercantilism prohibited it.

  • Mercantilism was what led to the formation of the colonies as great powers like GB wanted to export more than they imported, which they were able to do as the colonies gave them cheap raw material and exports, and also since technically these colonies were only supposed to buy/trade with Britain.

  • Navigation acts — series of laws passed by Parliament (British gov) to enforce mercantilism aka force colonists to trade only with Britain and on British ships (so they could control)

    • REALITY: most colonists IGNORED THIS as GB looked the other way when they smuggled/illegally traded with other countries. At first, GB didn’t really care since there were no major problems and since they were earning so much $$$

• After the French and Indian War and Pontiac Rebellion, GB really cracked down on the colonists. They became way more hands-on with the colonists and let go of their previous salutary neglect strategy.

  • Proclamation of 1763 — prohibits colonists from settling west on the land GB gained from the French & Indian War (that they fought for!)

  • Stamp Acts — forcing colonists to pay heavy taxes to pay back the debt from the war

  • Wrist of Assistance — court order allowing British soldiers stationed at the colonies to search homes, ships, buildings, etc. for smuggled goods — basically a CRACK DOWN on previous laws that they used to look the other way with

• Basically the colonists are furious at the fact that GB is focusing more on them/actually enforcing rules. They got used to the sense of freedom they had with salutary neglect and are already beginning to think of themselves/run themselves as an independent country/nation

What were the key differences between the 3 major regions of the colonies?

• New England colonies — Industry

  • shipbuilding, fishing, timber, commerce, etc.

  • “urban”

  • Religious focused — all formed due to religious persecution and wanting some new religious focused society

• Middle Colonies — Breadbasket colonies

  • grew massive amounts of wheat and grain and exported it

  • think: basically a mix of New England colonies and southern colonies

  • “suburban”

  • most diverse groups (Dutch, Germans, English, etc.) and religiously tolerant

• Southern Colonies — farming

  • cash-crops and plantations

  • “rural"

  • plantations and very spread out — no need for shops/towns when every plantation basically produces everything it needs. Also plantations set near rivers so they have their own ports and can export anything they need to.

  • heavily reliant on indentured servants and later slaves from Africa

What were the specific colonies of the 3 major regions?

• New England colonies:

  • Massachusetts

  • New Hampshire

  • Rhode Island

  • Connecticut

• Middle colonies:

  • New York

  • Pennsylvania

  • New Jersey

  • Delaware

• Southern Colonies:

  • Maryland

  • Virginia

  • North Carolina

  • South Carolina

  • Georgia

Explain New York’s history

• Henry Hudson (English explorer sailing for the Dutch) found New York Bay and Hudson River is named after him

• The Dutch West India Company founded New Netherland (which was a Dutch colony that is part of New York) to profit from the fur trade

• Peter Minuit traded with the Native Americans for Manhattan which was named new Amsterdam

• Dutch had no interest in democracy b/c the colony only existed for $$$ for stockholders

• Governor Peter Stuyvesant

• Slavery = common, Dutch West India Company was a leading slave trader

• Common languages: Dutch, French, Flemish, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and African tongues

• Land was given from Charles II to his brother the Duke of York

• New Jersey originally from this land but split off later

What were the Quaker Colonies?

• Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

What was a Quaker?

• from Society of Friends

• dissenters from the Church of England who experienced persecution

• Pacifists — no violence ever

• believed in total equality

  • experienced persecution as they refused to bow to nobles, tip their hats to the king, take oaths, pay taxes that would fund war, etc.

Explain Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware’s history

• Meeting House was central to Quaker Life — where church/political matters were discussed

  • Women could fully participate in the meetings

• Pennsylvania:

  • Charles II owed William Penn’s father a huge debt so Penn received a huge land grant in 1681. He wanted to use it for religious refuge an profit $$$

  • “Penn’s Woods”

  • Philadelphia = capital

  • Liberal government — religious freedom, no tax-supported church, good relations w/ native Americans, own representative assembly

  • advertised across Europe to attract many skilled artisans and farmers

    • “Keystone colony”

• New Jersey:

  • split from New York by the king and owned by Quakers even before Penn

  • religious freedom and representatives

  • some consider it the first colony with trial by jury

• Delaware:

  • came from remnants of New Sweden and fell under Quaker influence

  • part of Pennsylvania and did not become a separate colony until 1701 partly b/c Pennsylvania was landlocked (no bodies of water as borders) without it

What were the Middle Colonies like?

• Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware

• Very diverse groups — English, Swedes, Dutch, Germans, Scots-Irish, French, Natives, enslaved Africans, etc.

• Religions: Quakers, Mennonites, Lutherans, Dutch Calvinists, etc. — again very diverse

• Colonies were known for diversity and tolerance — a “melting pot” - a middle mix of New England and the South

• soil = fertile, easier to obtain land than in the New England or Southern colonies

• “Breadbasket” — known for growing wheat, corn, and rye which fed colonists and were exported for a profit

• Skilled trades but not major

• Hudson and Delaware Rivers helped make Philadelphia and New York major ports

  • Thinkers like Benjamin Franklin — colonies = “crossroads of ideas”

Explain Maryland’s history

• Cecilius Calvert (Lord Baltimore) received land between the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay in 1632 as a refuge for persecuted Catholics, and he also hoped for $$$

• He named it Maryland for Queen Henrietta Maria

• most settlers came for economic opportunities as individuals rather than as families

• mostly Protestant workers so Catholics became a minority

• the assembly of Maryland feared Protestant restrictions so they passed the Act of Toleration (1649)

  • it granted religious freedom to all Christians

  • within a decade the Protestants swept Catholics out of legislature and religious strife followed

  • this act led to the First Amendment

• Headright system — Virginia and Maryland gave planters 50 acres for every laborer they imported

  • Indenture contract — these workers who had their fares paid for by their master had to provide service for around 5 years

  • only about 40% of servants lived to finish their contracts

  • women faced harassment + pregnancy added years to their service

  • by 1660 the best land was claimed so any freed servants had to settle on western land which was worse and with the constant threat from Natives

  • Indentured servants made up a large population and most died from disease (life expectancy about 10 years shorter than in New England)

  • less schools than in new England

  • no real towns b/c everyone lived on self-sufficient plantations

• (Chesapeake society was Virginian/Maryland society during this time period, very southern w/ rural, tobacco, plantations and slaves)

Explain the Carolina’s and Georgia’s history

• Charles I was beheaded in 1649 and Cromwell ruled until 1660. Then Charles II came to power and the colonies founded under him were called the Restoration colonies

• South Carolina

  • at first it supported the British West Indies and brought in the slave economy of the sugar islands

  • Rice was a major industry that brought in many planters and tens of thousands of slaves

  • Charlestown = port

  • Enslaved Africans made up a significant part of the population and the colony even tried enslaving Native Americans

• North Carolina

  • earliest settlers were displaced former indentured servants from Chesapake who ran small tobacco farms

  • slavery existed but less than South Carolina

  • settlers felt looked down upon by Virginia and Charlestown elites

  • North and South split peacefully in 1712

• Georgia

  • the last of the 13 colonies to be founded during the Enlightenment

  • James Oglthorpe and investors wanted a utopia for debtors to ease overcrowded prisons and give people a fresh start. Then King George agreed b/c Georiga could buffer the South Carolinian rice plantations from Spanish Florida

    • Oglethorpe’s plan:

      • no elected assembly

      • land divided (50 acres per debot which was NOT sellable)

      • banned slsavery

      • alcohol prohibitied

      • silkworms imported for mulberry trees

      • IT FAILED b/c:

        • land quality was unequal and settlers felt trapped as they couldn’t sell land

        • mulberry trees were the wrong type

        • alcohol ban was ignored openly

        • settlers demanded slavery

        • many fled to the Carolinas

        • charter revoked in 1752 and became a royal colony

What was like in the Plantation south like?

• economy dependent on farming which was worked by slaves and indentured servants

• cash crops: tobacco, rice, indigo, sugarcane

• settlers came b/c $$$ profit was unavailable in England

• estates passed to eldest son

• Very strict and apparent class divisions

  • most were yeomen: farmers, servants, or slaves

  • very few were wealthy tidewater aristocrats w/ huge manors

• Isolated plantations

• no public schooling law like in New England

  • wealthy could hire private tutors (boys = fall + winter, girls = summer)

• few cities, small merchant class, few lawyers

• artisans often worked on plantations as slaves or servants

• Malaria and yellow fever lowered life expectancy

• fewer families migrated together than in the North

• men outnumbered women 7:1 so women were highly sought after

  • marriages ended in death within 7 years which led to frequent remarriage and complex half-families

  • women had to run property but excluded from politics

  • female slaves and servants were often abused by aggressive masters

Explain Slavery: Origins, the Slave Trade, and Resistance

• first enslaved person arrived in Chesapeake in 1619

• “need” - planters wanted to shift from indentured servants to slaves b/c servants eventually earned their freedom and enslaved coudl not

• Long-life servitude came when 3 runaway servants were caught and the 2 white servants had their terms lengthened while the African was sentenced for life

• Slave trade: the growth of slavery in North America increased wit hthe slave trade in Africa in which captives were inspected, branded, and held in prisons until a ship could be filled

• Middle Passage was the central leg to the transatlantic triangular slave trade where ships were extremely cramped, many died from disease, suffocation, or violence, some drowned themselves

• Olaudah Equiano

  • Ibo from present-day Nigeria who first thought his captors were going to eat him

  • was flogged (beaten/sold) when he refused to eat.

  • later bought his freedom, settled in England, and became an abolitionist

• Slave codes:

  • some colonies barred enslaved ppl. from meeting in large groups, leaving the plantation w/o permission, learning to read or write, or owning weapons. A slaveholder who killed a slave could not be tried for murder

• Resistance:

  • some enslaved ppl. ran away or revolted

  • 1739 in South Carolina, enslaved people killed 30 white colonists before the uprising was put down

• Quakers and abolitionists opposed slavery but it existed in all the colonies, not just the South