Colonial America: The Early Chesapeake and New England

Puritans

Religious group seeking to reform the Church of England. - roman catholic

which colonies DID NOT have fertile soil?

New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, agriculture was limited by the cold climate, short growing season, and rocky, hilly land.

maryland - HOW or WHY was each colony established and by WHOM?

1634

• George Calvert (1st Baron of Baltimore) applied for royal charter (then died)

• Cecilius Calvert (2nd Baron of Baltimore/George’s son) granted charter and established MD

• Religious freedom (Catholics) → live peacefully with neighbors & worship freely

maryland - What was the LIVELIHOOD of the colonists (how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc.)?

• Centered around tobacco industry (fertile land made tobacco production very important) → lots of plantations (many slaves)

• Farming - most families lived on farms

• Church very important - mainly Catholic society

• Very prosperous colony (considered major success especially compared to Jamestown)

  • Tobacco main contributor

maryland - Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?.

• Near Potomac River & flowed into Chesapeake Bay

• Optimal location - next to water sources (resources not scarce)

• Helped with shipping industries

• Did not have to rely on imported food

• Lots of trees and iron  → thriving lumber and iron mining industries 

maryland - 4) What were some of the STRENGTHS of the colony?

• Strategic location along the Chesapeake Bay for trade

• Fertile soil ideal for agriculture (especially tobacco)

• Religious tolerance attracting diverse settlers

• Mild climate with a long growing season

• System of self-government for local control

• Economic diversity (fishing, lumber, shipbuilding)

maryland - 5) What were some of the PROBLEMS that were faced when establishing the colony or that the colonist faced while they were first there?

• Conflicts with indigenous peoples over land

• Harsh living conditions & diseases (malaria, dysentery)

• Labor shortages, especially for tobacco farming

• Religious tensions despite initial tolerance 

• Economic struggles during early years of settlement

• Political conflict between Catholic and Protestant settlers  

Georgia - HOW or WHY was each colony established and by WHOM?

• Founder: James Edward Oglethorpe

  • A British aristocrat, a member of Parliament, & former soldier

• Why? 

  • Plan: to establish a colony in the New World where any individual who was suffering (especially religious persecution) wanted a fresh start

• How?

  • Oglethorpe & 2o associates obtained a royal charter to name a new colony after King George II. 

georgia - 2. Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• Location  of the new colony: 

  • Between South Carolina and Florida

• Purpose of chosen location: 

  • Acts as a protection between the Spanish and English colonies 

  • Military concerns for British Gov., who named it Georgia for King George II

• Geography impacted the colony bc: 

  • good site to cultivate silk & fruits 

    • → warmth and precipitation of the region

georgia - 3. What was the LIVELIHOOD of the colonists (how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc.)?

• Economy

  • Trustees lifted ban on slavery in the colony

  • → quickly establish coastal plantation economy based on rice & Sea Island cotton

  • Economy based on cultivation of cash crops ex. cotton, tobacco, rice, & indigo

• Jobs

  • Apothecary, Blacksmith, Cabinetmaker, Chandler (candlemaker), Cobbler (shoemaker), Gunsmith..etc. 

• Livings

  • Brought tools & supplies which help with:

  • Harvesting crops, hunting, choppping wood, building shelter, & cooking.

georgia - 4) What were some of the STRENGTHS of the colony?

• Military 

  • Had a chain of forts on the coast (served as buffer zone).

  • Housed several hundred troops, had a growing settlement of colonists. 

  • Geographical advantages (for military)

georgia - 5) What were some of the PROBLEMS that were faced when establishing the colony or that the colonist faced while they were first there? 

• Government (unstable).

• Board of Trustees - there was no governor.

  • Board of Trustees weren’t allowed to hold office/own land. 

  • Indebted colonists: Adults served 5 years of indentured servitude to the Trust, children for longer.

• Banning hard alcohol

  • Tried to prevent the Carolina colony from shipping rum through Georgia: brought the colonies to conflict. 

    • Many colonists participated in Indian trade, which the Trustees opposed.

carolinas - HOW or WHY was each colony established and by WHOM? 

• King of England Charles II – Restoration Colonies

  • Issued charters to eight politicians (supporters)

  • First permanent settlers 

• Expected profit as landlords

  • Owned large estates

  • Planned to sell smaller regions of land in headright system

    • Grant given to immigrants, certain requirements 

  • Wanted to attract settlers from American colonies 

    • Religious and political freedom (incentives)

    • Anthony Ashley Cooper – persuaded partners to support migrations

carolinas - Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• Wanted to establish English control in area between Virginia and Florida 

• Warm climate

  • Hot summer led to diseases like malaria 

• Coastal plains east, mountainous west 

• Fertile soil for farming 

  • Lengthened agricultural growing season 

• South: coastline, trade with West Indies

  • Urban, wealthy society 

• North: small farmers, planted tobacco 

NORTH carolina - What Was the LIVELIHOOD of Colonist in North Carolina ( how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc. )?

- Professional ministers, professors, farmers, merchants, etc.

- The premier crop was tobacco, other crops that they also specialized in was lumber, tar, and turpentine. 

- Their major economic base during the century was growing tobacco which was their main export and the main crop grown

SOUTH carolina -What Was the LIVELIHOOD of Colonist in South Carolina ( how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc. )?

- Farmers,, Merchants, fishermen, indigo and rice works, and shipbuilders/dock workers.

- main cash crops were Rice and Indigo which had made them a wealthy colony. They also made corn, cotton, and tobacco.

-  One of their major economic factors were rice known as “Carolina Gold” that they exported.

carolinas - strengths

• North Carolina Strengths 

- Tobacco Agriculture, They were able to produce many different crops their main cash crop being tobacco.

- Tar/ Turpentine Production, Through the production of tar and turpentine they were able to make useful materials for ship building.

• South Carolina Strengths

• Strong Export Economy, They were able to globally trade through the charleston ports.

• Indigo Production, Due to Indigo being high demand they were able to profit off of the production of it.

carolinas - problems

• Conflicts between the wealthy and poorer landowners 

• North Carolina: tensions between the small farmers in Albemarle (northern part) region and wealthy planters who resided in the south

• South Carolina: Affluent Barbadians and small landowners 

• Corrupt officials

• (proprietors) could not command orders and other colonists seized control over the colonies

• (Colony) became one of the most unstable colonies for decades

Headrights

Land grants incentivizing settlement in Virginia. (new ones = new settlers got 50 acres of land, and existing ones got 100 acres of land)

connecticut - What Was the LIVELIHOOD of Colonist ( how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc. )?

successes in ship building, farming, and exporting lumber, livestock, and other agricultural goods. The colony had fertile soil and a good climate, so it was able to excel in producing and selling agricultural goods.

connecticut - struggles

• Conflicts with Native Americans

  • There were several tensions and conflicts with Native Americans

  • The Pequot War (1636-1637)

    • One of the reasons for this war was conflict about trade interests in the Connecticut River Valley

• Harsh Winters 

  • Survival was difficult in the early years for colonists as they had long and harsh winters

• Disease 

  • Experienced smallpox, malaria, influenza, yellow fever, scarlet fever, measles and many other diseases in which were carried from European colonists

  • With the lack of medicine and vaccines, diseases were extremely dangerous and many people died due to this

Connecticut - Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

was located in the Northeast United States. It’s first settlement was at Windsor, and trading posts were later developed at Saybrook and Hartford.

The location was chosen because of the important trade location in the Connecticut River Valley. Additionally, founder Thomas Hooker, a Puritan, wanted a place that practiced religious freedom.
Fertile land

• had more fertile soil compared to New Hampshire which made it more suitable for agriculture and farming

• This also helped with the cultivation of crops like wheat and corn

• Trade

  • was originally known as the Connecticut River Colony due to it’s important role in transportation and trade 

  • They also had a railway network which was originally created to bring the produce to different ports

• Climate

  • The milder climate (compared to New Hampshire) allowed for a longer growing season, which benefited the agriculture

NH - Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

located between two rivers–the Piscataqua and the Merrimack. It’s main settlements were Hampton, Dover, Portsmouth, and Exeter.

It was chosen due to its proximity to rivers because the founder, John Mason, wanted to make a fishing colony.

• Terrain

  • Rough, rocky soil → difficult to farm 

  • Covered in forests, rivers, plateaus, and mountains → plenty of timber 

  • Lots of lakes, ponds, and streams → fishing and whaling 

• Climate

  • Winter was harshly cold → kept disease at bay 

  • Long, hot summers
    

NH - What Was the LIVELIHOOD ( how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc. )?

The settlers started by fishing but later switched their focus to hunting beavers because of Europe’s demand for beaver pelts. They nearly hunted them to extinction in the southern settlements. They also cut timber for England and American colonies, and wound up providing 4,500 ship masts for the British Navy.

NH - struggles

Few people came as settlers for the first several years. This is a huge issue because much of the work that is needed to keep a colony running requires many people to work together and not having enough hands can hinder or even prevent a necessity from being accomplished.

Massachusetts - HOW or WHY was each colony established and by WHOM?

• 1620: William Bradford establishes Plymouth Plantation

• 1629: Massachusetts Bay Company gets charter from Charles I

• 1630: Massachusetts Bay colony is officially established

  • Governor John Winthrop

  • Deputy Governor Thomas Dudley

• Why: in pursuit of freedom from the religious persecution by the English Protestant Church

• Largest & most influential New England settlement

massachusetts - Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• New England

• Between Charles and Merrimack Rivers

• Borders Atlantic Ocean

• Plymouth Colony -> Peninsula

• Mayflower Puritans: intended for Hudson River

  • Fell in love with Cape Cod

  • Settled in Plymouth for a more protected location

• The king rejected Salem as capital, designated Boston instead

• Settlements brought them close contact with local indigenous tribes, especially in Plymouth Plantation

• Fertile land, access to fishing

massachusetts - What was the LIVELIHOOD of the colonists (how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc.)?

• Jobs centered around farming and agricultural chores

• Fishing (close to bay)

• Maritime trade

  • Caribbean ports

• Whaling, timber, fur

• Life revolved around 3 things: agriculture, fishing, trade

massachusetts - strengths

• Self governing (became a theocracy)

  • Not royally governed; proprietary colony

  • Has own governor - William Bradford

• Access to:

  • ocean - fishing, trade

  • fertile land - once learned how to utilize

• Created good (temporary) relationship with the natives

  • After conflict, created terms of agreement (temporary)

  • They helped them with farming and survival skills, get acclimated to the new land

• Create strong economy

  • Based on foreign trade, fishing, and agriculture

massachusetts - struggles

• Did not know how to properly plant or handle the land

• Not fit to handle the harsh winter 

  • Did not have proper shelter

  • About half of the first 100 settlers that came on the Mayflower died in the first winter

• Disease

  • Ex: scurvy, pneumonia

• Malnutrition

  • Before help from natives, did not have sustainable food source or know how to create one

• Wars/conflicts with natives

  • Attempted at making peace with great chief Massasoit, but only lasted about 24 years

RI - HOW or WHY was each colony established and by WHOM?

Who

• Roger Williams

How

• Purchased land from the Narragansett Indians

  • He was forced to flee Massachusetts due to religious persecution

Why 

• Religious freedom 

• Separation of church and state

RI- Where was the colony's location, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

Where

• In Providence County, Kent County, Newport County, King’s County/Washington County, and Bristol County 

• The Narragansett Indian territory

Why

• It could be purchased from the Native Americans 

  • Free from religious persecution which was previously in Massachusets 

How

• Climate during the winter since it was primarily coastline

• Rivers - farm plantiations 

RI - What was the LIVELIHOOD of the colonists (how they made a living; jobs, economy, etc.)?

Agricultural community 

• Depended on farming 

  • Raised sheep and horses

• Timber, apples, onions, stone

Primarily from ports 

• Could export and import goods from other colonies 

Economy 

• Farming community

Jobs

• Farmers, fisherman, lumbermen, shipbuilding, whaling, trapping

  • Women - making clothing, weaving

RI - strengths

• Religious and political freedom

  • This attracted Quakers and Jews

• King Charles II of England granted royal charter

  • More self government than any colony in New World

  • Authorized continuation of freedom of religion

• Farming and sea trading

  • Providence and Newport were busiest ports in New World

• Ahead of other colonies

  • First colony to outlaw the importation of slaves

  • First colony to declare independence from King George III and Great Britain

RI - struggles

• Disputes

  • Many disputes over governing and religious practices

  • Disputes over boundary issues with Connecticut

    • Connecticut and Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay wanted to control Rhode Island

• King Philip's War threatened colony

  • Rhode Island was invaded December 1675

  • Burned Providence March 1676

• Reduced to county of the Dominion of New England

• Pulled into all England and France’s Imperial Wars in North America

NJ - Where was the colony's location, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• originally established on June 24, 1664 by Henry Hudson. It was established to encourage settlement, attracting many migrants. 

  • James, the Duke of York, granted Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret ownership of a strip of land between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. 

• is located right across the Hudson River. 

• The location was chosen because the land was fertile which supplied staple crops. Such as corn.

• The geographic location impacted the colony in many ways.

  • In the North- Violence between the Native Americans and the Early Settlers occurred often.

  • In the South- violent conflict was very rare between the two.

NJ - livelihood

• Majority were farmers

  • Industries such as shipbuilding, textiles, and lumber were also popular

• Breadbasket Colony → large variety of crops that were grown

• Trade with Native Americans and other colonies 

• Children often took up work as apprentices 

• Many sources of income like crop trade, fur trade, craftsmanship, ect allowed for successful economy

NJ - strenghts

• All settlers were granted the ability to practice whatever they believed

  • The land was great for farming. 

    • Corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, melons, etc. 

NJ - struggles

• Some problems faced were the land ownership practices which caused conflicts.

• Issues over right to establish government 

• Flooding and water drainage issues → affected very agricultural society

• Many colonists were angry that they did not have self-government 

NY - Where was the colony's location, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• originally established by Dutch colonists around 1624. Later in 1664, the English took possession of New Netherland from the Dutch, renaming it New York. 

  • The Dutch established to become a fur trading outpost and their first colony in the New World. 

• The colony was located on Manhattan Island.

• The location was chosen because of how sheltered the harbor is.

  • The island is sheltered by Staten Island and what is now southwest Brooklyn

• The geographic location of the colony affected them because of the limits on expanding horizontally due to Manhattan being of an island.

NY - livelihood

• Overall successful economy 

• Jobs depended location

  • Rural areas = farmers for crops and livestock + hunters for furs

  • Urban areas = doctors, blacksmiths, merchants

• People made a living though farming → general crops, but especially wheat (Breadbasket colony)

• People also made a living through coal, forestry, iron ore, and furs

NY - strengths

• access to a lot of fertile land which allowed for many crops to be grown. 

  • Tobacco, wheat, corn, and other vegetables.

• Another strength is that its location became a valued port of commerce and trade

NY - struggles

• The subjects and citizens caused issues and had bad behavior. 

  • There was violence, and overuse of alcohol

  • There were attempts to raise taxes on alcohol

delaware - HOW or WHY was Delaware established and by WHOM?

• Dutch are the first to settle there from Europe in 1631

• considered part of New York until 1682

  • Dutch defeat Swedes, but English seizes colony

• Dutch claimed in 1673

• William Penn wants it to be a part of Pennsylvania

  • Unsuccessful 

• wants independence

• Penn allows an assembly of its own under the Dutch

Pennsylvania - HOW or WHY was Pennsylvania established and by WHOM?

• Founded by WIlliam Penn and quakers

  • Given by King Charles II

• King Charles II owed the Penn family money

• Penn desires a place for the persecuted in the New World

  • King grants him land

• Officially proclaimed on April 2, 1681

delaware - 2. Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

• Atlantic coastal plain

• Bordering Maryland

• Coastal plains are mostly fertile

• The chesapeake and Delaware canal is a source of ocean shipping 

  • The canal also acts as a boundary from the northern industrial region

• Rivers were beneficial to trading 

• The canals and rivers were a source of trade and shipping 

  • As well as borders 

• The land provided fertile soil for crops 

Pennsylvania - 2. Where was the location of the colony, WHY was the location chosen and HOW did the geography impact the colony?

Area of New England all the way to alabama

• Southwest swamps 

• Appalachian mountains 

• Adjacent to the Delaware river 

• Located near coastal plain

• Extended to the blue ridge system

• Swamps provided vegetation and plant growth

• Volcanic and sedimentary rocks were used as ridges 

• Trade connected through the inland the coastal plain and blue ridge inland  systems 

pennyslyvania - strengths

• William Penn created the colony with hopes that it could..

  • have religious freedom

  • Have peace with Natives 

    • Land was sold fairly 

• Had good intentions and wanted a civil colony 

• Penn’s colony became a religious and commercial success 

delaware - strengths

• Had many job opportunities 

  • Hunting, trading, farming, building, etc 

• Many recreational activities

• Kids receive an education 

• Only 2% slaves compared to Georgia with over 65%

Pennsylvania - struggles

• Argument against authenticity of religion being preached

  • Quakers relationship with God

• Quakers can’t maintain authority

• Rivalry between Christians

• Slave trading became common

• Politics and Religion divide the colony

delaware - struggles

• Problems with trading

  • Delaware River

• Heavy disagreements within the colony cause death

• Sweden tries to regain control

Bacon's Rebellion

1676 uprising against colonial government over Native policies.

resulted in:

• More land opened for settlements

• Change from relying on indentured servants to slaves 

• Diversified crops ( stop relying only on Tobacco)

• This planted the seeds for race-based slavery

Plymouth Plantation

First enduring settlement in New England by Puritans.

Toleration Act

Legislation allowing religious freedom for Catholics in Maryland.

Civil Government

Established by the Mayflower Compact for Plymouth.

Smallpox Epidemic

Disease that devastated Native American populations post-contact.

Puritan Migration

Mass movement of Puritans to New England in 1630.

House of Burgesses

First legislative assembly in the American colonies.

Royal Charter of 1662

Combined Hartford and New Haven into Connecticut.

Anne Hutchinson

Challenged Puritan beliefs; banished for her views.

Pequot War

Major conflict in 1637 between English and Pequot.

Competition over trade with Dutch; over land

King Philip's War

Conflict between English settlers and Native Americans.