European Expansion and Early American Colonization

Motives for European Expansion

To alleviate population pressures, find new resources, create markets for goods, spread Christianity, and compete among European powers.

Technological Advancements in Expansion

Innovations like the astrolabe, magnetic compass, and improved ship designs made long-distance travel and exploration possible.

Economic Theory Justifying Colonies

Mercantilism, which held that colonies existed primarily to enrich the mother country.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas, Africa, and Europe after Columbus's voyages in 1492.

Impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Europe

New crops from the Americas, such as potatoes, maize, and tomatoes, significantly enhanced European diets and agriculture.

Impact of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas

European livestock transformed indigenous ways of life, while diseases like smallpox decimated Native American populations.

Spanish Explorers in the Americas

Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire, and Francisco Pizarro defeated the Incan Empire.

Encomienda System

A system where Spanish settlers were granted authority over native peoples, requiring labor and tribute in exchange for protection and conversion to Christianity.

Mission System in Spanish Colonization

Spanish authorities established missions to convert Native Americans to Catholicism and integrate them into Spanish society.

Goals of French Exploration in North America

The French focused on trade with Native American tribes, especially in the fur trade.

Goals of Dutch Exploration in North America

The Dutch aimed to control the fur trade with New Netherland (New York City).

English Exploration vs. French and Dutch

The English established permanent settlements like Jamestown, focusing on agriculture and development, rather than just trade.

Significance of John Cabot's Voyage

It marked the first official English contact with North America, although the focus was not yet on permanent colonization.

Economic Factors Driving English Colonization

The Virginia Company aimed to find gold, trade for valuable commodities, and establish settlements in the New World due to economic troubles in England, like the Enclosure Movement.

Role of Indentured Servants

They provided labor in exchange for passage to America, food, clothing, and shelter, but often faced poor conditions and limited opportunities for advancement.

Initial Relations between English Settlers and Native Americans

Relations varied from cooperation to conflict, with settlers often relying on trade while encroaching on Native lands, leading to misunderstandings over land ownership and cultural differences.

Impact of European Colonization on Native American Life

It brought disease, violence, economic pressures, and cultural exchange, transforming Native societies in both positive and negative ways.

Native Groups' Adaptation to Colonization

Some adopted European practices like agriculture and Christianity while maintaining their cultural identity.

Significance of the Jamestown Colony

It was the first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Tobacco in the Chesapeake Colonies

The discovery that tobacco grew well in Virginia led to its adoption as a cash crop, providing economic stability and driving the growth of the colony.

Early Difficulties Faced by Jamestown Settlers

They faced lack of leadership, poor relations with local Native American tribes, and unproductive labor.

John Smith's Leadership Impact

John Smith's leadership significantly influenced the survival and organization of the Jamestown settlement.

John Rolfe

John Rolfe introduced tobacco as a cash crop in 1612, which stabilized the colony economically and attracted settlers.

Economic motivations of Chesapeake Colonies

To find gold and establish profitable plantations, particularly through tobacco cultivation in Virginia.

Challenges faced by settlers in Virginia and Maryland

Harsh conditions, disease, and conflict with Native Americans initially limited settlement success.

Headright System

A system introduced by the Virginia Company that awarded 50 acres of land to anyone who paid for their passage or the passage of others to the colonies.

Maryland's founding

Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore (George Calvert) as a haven for Catholics seeking religious freedom from Protestant England.

Toleration Act of 1649

The first law in America to grant religious freedom to all Christians, protecting minority religions from persecution by the Protestant majority.

Goal of New England Colonies

To create a society governed by Puritan religious beliefs and principles.

Covenant theology

The Puritans believed in a covenant with God that emphasized communal responsibility and strict adherence to God's laws.

City upon a hill

It was a vision of Massachusetts Bay Colony as a model of Christian charity and morality for the world to see.

Core beliefs of Puritans

Puritans sought to "purify" the Church of England from Roman Catholic practices, advocating for simpler worship services and church government based on the scriptures.

Reasons Puritans left England

To escape persecution by the Church of England and the crown, and to freely practice their beliefs.

Moral Liberty in Puritan thought

It differentiated between natural liberty (freedom to do as one pleases) and moral liberty (the power to do good, requiring adherence to authority and religious norms).

Mayflower Compact

A social contract created by the Pilgrims to establish a government that would abide by laws made for the common good, considered an early form of self-government in America.

Great Migration

A movement of around 20,000 Puritans to New England in the 1630s, leading to rapid growth of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and establishment of a theocratic society.

Puritans' social and moral order

Through strict adherence to biblical teachings and a covenant community where church and state were closely linked.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the Old World following the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492, impacting agriculture, diets, and populations.

Significance of the Columbian Exchange

It significantly transformed societies on both sides of the Atlantic, altering agriculture, diets, and populations due to the introduction of new crops and livestock.

Reconquista

The campaign by Spanish Christians to drive the Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula, lasting nearly 800 years until 1492, shaping Spanish expansion and colonization in the Americas.

Mestizo

It describes individuals of mixed European and Native American ancestry, reflecting the cultural blending due to intermarriage between settlers and indigenous populations.

Ninety-Five Theses

A document that challenged the practices of the Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences.

95 Theses

A list of propositions for debate by Martin Luther posted in 1517, challenging Catholic Church practices like the selling of indulgences and leading to the Reformation.

Borderland

A region where the cultures and peoples of different societies interact and blend, resulting in unique cultural identities and hybrid communities, such as the Spanish borderlands in North America.

Indentured Servants

Individuals who worked for a specific period (4-7 years) in exchange for passage to the colonies, providing labor but with severely limited rights and freedoms.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the New World, established in Virginia in 1619, serving as a precursor to representative government in America.

Dower Rights

Legal provisions allowing wives to inherit a portion of their husband's estate upon his death, ensuring financial security.

Puritans

A religious group in England who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic practices and emigrated to America for freedom to practice their beliefs.

John Winthrop

Leader of the Puritan 'Great Migration' to Massachusetts Bay Colony and author of 'A Model of Christian Charity,' outlining a vision for a community based on moral and religious purity.

Pilgrims

Separatists who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620, seeking religious freedom from the Church of England and establishing a self-governing colony based on the Mayflower Compact.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims and other settlers aboard the Mayflower, establishing a self-governing colony based on majority rule, considered an early form of self-government in America.

The Great Migration

The movement of tens of thousands of Puritans from England to Massachusetts and other parts of New England during the 1630s, seeking religious freedom and a new society.

Impact of the Great Migration

It led to the rapid growth of the colony and the establishment of a theocratic society based on Puritan religious principles.

Captivity Narratives

Accounts written by colonists captured by Native Americans and later released, popular in both Europe and the colonies, often justifying colonial expansion and adaptation to native ways.

Act Concerning Religion (Maryland Toleration Act)

A 1649 law passed in Maryland granting religious freedom to Christians, one of the first laws to guarantee freedom of worship in America.

Early 17th Century Global Competition

A period of intense competition for control of trade routes, colonies, and wealth, with England seeking to expand its empire in the Americas.

Economic Motivations for England's Expansion

Access to valuable commodities like sugar and tobacco, driven by mercantilist policies aimed at increasing national wealth through regulation of trade and colonies.

War of Spanish Succession Impact

Losses during the war diminished England's position in Europe, prompting a need to expand its empire to access resources.

English Crown's View on Colonies

Colonies were seen as sources of raw materials, markets for British goods, and strategic military locations, contributing to national wealth and power.

Mercantilist System Influence

It aimed to increase national wealth by exporting more than importing, with colonies producing raw materials and buying British manufactured goods.

Strategic Importance of New Netherland

The strategic importance of New Netherland for the Dutch.

New Netherland

A commercial center in North America, particularly along the Hudson River, facilitating trade and access to the fur-rich interior.

Capture of New Netherland

Conflicts with England, who viewed Dutch control over the colony as a threat to their growing interests in the Americas.

Benefit of New Netherland capture to England

It provided England with a valuable base for trade and access to the interior for fur trade.

Carolina Colony founding

The colony was granted to eight Lords Proprietors by King Charles II in 1663 as a reward for their support during the English Civil War.

Economic focus of Carolina

The colony was intended to produce staple crops like rice and indigo, suited to the region's climate and soil.

Social system in Carolina

A feudal-like system with a strong governor and hierarchical landholding structure.

Holy Experiment

William Penn received a land grant from the English Crown in 1681 to establish Pennsylvania, aiming for a society based on religious freedom, representative government, and harmonious relations with Native Americans.

Attraction of settlers to Pennsylvania

By promising equality, tolerance, and fair treatment for different religions and ethnicities.

Quaker principles in Pennsylvania

Pacifism, social equality, and peaceful relations with Native Americans.

Transatlantic slave trade

A trade system bringing millions of Africans to the American colonies, establishing a system of chattel slavery that treated people as property rather than individuals.

British reliance on African slave labor

It shaped economies, particularly in the West Indies where sugar plantations required a large enslaved workforce.

Codification of slavery in American colonies

Through laws like Virginia's Slave Codes of 1661 and 1705, which established the permanent and hereditary status of slavery and restricted the rights of enslaved people.

Bacon's Rebellion

It was driven by land disputes, poor conditions, and resentment of colonial elites, leading to an increased reliance on enslaved labor after the rebellion exposed class and racial divisions.

Salem Witch Trials

A crisis in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1692) driven by social and economic tensions, scapegoating of women, and fear of the supernatural, leading to mass hysteria and executions.

Great Awakening impact

It emphasized emotionalism and personal connection to God, challenging religious authority and fostering a sense of individualism.

Transatlantic slave trade and British Empire

The transatlantic slave trade was central to the British Empire's development, providing a labor force for the colonies and facilitating the growth of economies like tobacco in the Chesapeake and sugar in the Caribbean.

Conditions on the Middle Passage

The Middle Passage was marked by tight packing, unsanitary conditions, and high mortality rates due to disease and mistreatment, with an estimated 15-20% death rate during the journey.

Entrenchment of slavery in Chesapeake

In the Chesapeake, slavery became entrenched due to the labor-intensive tobacco cultivation, reinforced by 'slave codes' that defined the legal status of enslaved people and limited their rights.

Resistance of enslaved Africans

Resistance took various forms, including passive resistance (breaking tools, feigning illness), active resistance (organizing rebellions and escapes, e.g., Gabriel's Rebellion), and running away to claim freedom.

Passive Resistance

Forms of resistance such as breaking tools and feigning illness.

Active Resistance

Organizing rebellions and escapes, exemplified by Gabriel's Rebellion.

Gabriel's Rebellion

An 1800 uprising that was significant as one of the largest and most serious slave uprisings in the colonies.

Stono Rebellion

A 1739 uprising that was significant as one of the largest and most serious slave uprisings in the colonies.

Kinship Networks

Developed in slave communities to provide support and cultural continuity.

Colonial Elite

Wealthy planters, merchants, and ministers with significant influence over local economies, politics, and education.

Poverty in the Colonies

Widespread experience with many colonists living on the margins, facing harsh living conditions and debt.

Women's Roles in Colonial America

Centered around managing the household and performing reproductive labor like cooking and cleaning.

Legal Subordination of Married Women

Under English common law, married women could not own property or enter contracts without their husband's consent.

Public Sphere

Spaces outside of government where people discussed politics, society, and culture, expanded by rising literacy rates and the freedom of the press.

Zenger Trial

Significant as it established the principle of free expression by acquitting John Peter Zenger of libel.

Colonial Assemblies

Gained power by challenging governors and gaining authority over taxation and governance.

Political Autonomy

Fostered debates about governance and rights, laying the groundwork for discussions leading to American independence.

Ordinary Colonists' Political Engagement

Began engaging in politics through debates, protests, and the circulation of political pamphlets and newspapers.

Role of Political Pamphlets and Newspapers

Significantly shaped public opinion by informing and mobilizing colonists on issues like taxation and governance.

Impact of Political Mobilization

Helped foster a shared sense of identity and common cause among colonists leading to the American Revolution.

American Enlightenment

Emphasized reason, science, and the concept of natural rights, highlighting government authority derived from the consent of the governed.

Enlightenment ideals

Influenced documents like Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, emphasizing inalienable rights and the right of the people to alter or abolish unjust governments.

The Great Awakening

A religious revival that emphasized personal faith, emotional preaching, and the democratization of religion, challenging established churches by promoting a direct relationship with God.

Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield

Used emotional and theatrical sermons to communicate the message of personal salvation and the need for spiritual rebirth, uniting diverse communities and emphasizing individual empowerment.