Colonial America Overview

Colonial America: Key Colonies and Post-1700 Trends

Bacon's Rebellion

  • Context: A revolt in the Virginia colony during the mid-to-late 1600s.

  • Significance:

    • Highlighted the growing division between property owners and non-property owners.

    • Had long-term impacts on how the colony addressed certain issues.

Maryland

  • Distinctiveness: Originally founded as an English Catholic colony.

  • Purpose:

    • To be a refuge where English Catholics could practice their religion, own property, and participate in public life—activities often restricted for them in England after the Reformation.

    • To demonstrate that Catholics and Protestants could coexist peacefully (though the success of this varied).

Lower South Colonies (South Carolina and Georgia)

  • Definition: For this class, it includes South Carolina and Georgia.

  • Economic Basis: Main source of wealth was cash crops, specifically rice and indigo.

  • Georgia's Evolution:

    • Initially started with a different vision and purpose.

    • By the mid-1700s (around the 1750s), it became largely identical to South Carolina, characterized by large plantations and cash crops.

  • Yamasee War: A massive conflict between the English and the Yamasee, a native nation in this region. More details are available in the book.

  • Overarching Theme: The 1600s were a period of significant turmoil, marked by numerous wars and rebellions in the colonies, mirroring disruptions in England.

Practice Question

  • The first permanent English colonial settlement in the colonies that eventually became the United States was Jamestown in Virginia. (It nearly collapsed but ultimately did not and is considered the first permanent settlement).

New England Colonies

  • Definition: For this class, it includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire—the furthest north of the English colonies.

  • Naming: Appropriately named "New England" due to strong cultural ties.

  • Immigration: Unique in that full English families immigrated from the very beginning, unlike Virginia where men arrived first.

  • Central Feature: Religion was central to all these colonies, significantly impacting social structures and community formation.

  • Economy:

    • No cash crops due to the northern latitude and less fertile soil.

    • Economy was based on shipping, shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, and general ocean trade.

  • Health and Population:

    • Experienced lower disease rates compared to other regions (comparatively, still higher than present-day U.S.).

    • Lack of tropical diseases (like malaria or yellow fever spread by mosquitoes) led to a healthier population with less death, further impacting family and social structures.

Massachusetts' Origins

  • Initially started as two separate colonies:

    • Plymouth Colony (1620): Founded by Pilgrims (Separatists) to practice their religion while maintaining English culture. Note: This was after Virginia's establishment, specifically after 1619 when the first Africans arrived in Virginia.

    • Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630): Founded by Puritans.

  • Distinction: Pilgrims and Puritans were not the same group, though their colonies later merged to form what is now Massachusetts.

Puritan Divergence

  • Even among Puritans, there were differing ideas on how a colony should function:

    • Thomas Hooker: Founded Connecticut.

    • Roger Williams: Founded Rhode Island.

    • Anne Hutchinson: Kicked out of Massachusetts Bay for her beliefs. She spent time in Rhode Island and later in Dutch-controlled Long Island.

  • Implication: This led to significant differentiation in rules, land ownership, and religious practices across the English colonies.

Wars in New England

  • Pequot War (1630s): A conflict involving the Pequot nation, characterized by shifting alliances with Puritans and other native groups.

  • King Philip's War / Metacom's War (late 1670s): A massive conflict. Originally called King Philip's War by the English, now often referred to as Metacom's War. Resulted in significant death and enslavement of natives.

  • Overall: The 1600s were a period of great upheaval in New England, similar to other colonial regions and England itself.

Salem Witchcraft Trials

  • Mentioned in the book but not detailed in class.

  • Context: Occurred during an era of broader upheaval, including destabilization from King Philip's War and Massachusetts' transition to a royal colony.

Mid-Atlantic Colonies

  • Definition: Generally includes New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

  • Diversity: Known for significant ethnic and religious diversity.

    • New York: Originally a Dutch colony, maintaining a strong Dutch influence.

    • Pennsylvania: Founded by William Penn to be a haven for Quakers (Society of Friends), a religious group not fully accepted in England. The colony was generally open to other groups.

  • Religious Openness: English colonies, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic, were often more open to various religious groups (Catholics, Quakers, Separatists, Puritans) than England was at the time. This contrast made them distinct from New Spain or New France, which had less religious diversity.

Colonial Overview by 1700

  • By 1700, England had established colonies in what would become the United States, as well as in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Asia, and Africa.

Post-1700 Broad Colonial Trends

  • These trends set the stage for the American Revolution.

Social Trends

  • Established Settlements: By post-1700, most colonies (with Georgia being slightly behind) had well-established settlements. Port cities like Boston, Charleston, and Philadelphia looked similar to English cities, with organized layouts and architecture. The viability of these colonies was no longer in doubt.

Population Trends

  • Population Growth: The colonial population essentially doubled every 25 years.

    • Driven by increased immigration, especially from Europe and other locations.

    • Also due to "natural increase," meaning multiple generations were born and survived within the colonies.

  • Population Diversity: While the English remained the largest ethnic group, other significant groups included:

    • Dutch (strong influence in New York).

    • Germans (prominent in Pennsylvania, reflected in figures like Francis Daniel Pastorius).

    • Scottish, Irish, and Scotch-Irish communities.

    • A growing African population, indicating an increasing reliance on slavery.

Economic Trends

  • Agriculture Dominance: Approximately 8 in 10 workers were involved in agriculture.

  • Cash Crops by Region:

    • Lower South (South Carolina, Georgia): Rice and indigo (Eliza Lucas's letters describe efforts to establish indigo).

    • Chesapeake: Tobacco remained the dominant cash crop, though wheat cultivation increased after 1745 (it did not, however, become more dominant than tobacco).

    • Mid-Atlantic: Grew "cereal grains" (oats, rye, barley, corn, wheat). These were profitable but generally grown on smaller farms rather than vast plantations typical of the Lower South.

    • New England: No cash crops. The economy focused on shipping, shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, and trade. Subsistence farming (growing food for one's own survival) was practiced but not for commercial profit.

Evolution of Slavery in the Colonies

  • Early Period (Early 1600s):

    • The first African slaves arrived in the English colonies (specifically Virginia) in 1619.

    • Initially, the system was not as strict; some Africans were treated more like indentured servants, with evidence of some later owning property or plantations.

  • Factors Leading to Strict Slavery (Late 1600s - Early 1700s):

    • Slave Codes: Starting in the 1640s and extending into the early 1700s (e.g., Georgia in the 1750s), colonies passed various slave codes.

      • These codes designated all newly arriving Africans as slaves, not indentured servants.

      • They phased out large-scale enslavement of Native Americans.

      • Slavery became lifelong for individuals.

      • Slavery became multi-generational, determined by the status of the mother (children of an enslaved woman were automatically enslaved, regardless of the father's status; this would later be relevant to figures like Frederick Douglass).

    • Decline of Indentured Servitude: By the 1670s, fewer English people were willing to become indentured servants because the English economy improved, allowing more people to pay their own passage. Indentured servants were also guaranteed freedom and potentially land after their contract.

    • Creation of the Royal African Company: Established in the 1670s, this company specifically facilitated the slave trade within the English Empire, increasing the supply of enslaved Africans just as indentured servants became less available.

  • Outcome: By 1700, all 13 colonies that would become the United States had established similar slave codes. By the 1750s, a lifelong, race-based, multi-generational slave system was codified across all these colonies. This development profoundly impacted views on race and skin color.

Political Trends

  • Colonial Legislatures: A significant feature of English colonies, with a relatively high degree of local control and decision-making (e.g., House of Burgesses), distinguishing them from New Spain or New France.

  • Political Participation (Voting and Office Holding):

    • Requirement: Primarily, one had to own land to vote or hold office. Other requirements included being male and meeting age requirements (often 21 or 25).

    • Colonies vs. England: A significantly higher percentage of men owned land in the colonies than in England.

      • In England, inheritance rules (primogeniture) meant land typically went to the eldest son, leaving little opportunity for others to acquire property or participate in civil life.

      • In the colonies, access to land ownership was a major draw for immigrants, providing opportunities not available in many other parts of Europe.

    • Expectation: Colonists developed an expectation of ongoing opportunities to acquire land, fostering a more politically active society with a different mindset than in England.

Religious Trends

  • Increasing Secularization and Religious Tolerance: Post-1700, even colonies founded for strict religious reasons (like Massachusetts) became more relaxed in their religious requirements and practices. Religious expectations remained but were less rigid than in previous eras.

  • First Great Awakening: A major religious movement that began in this period (to be discussed further in subsequent lectures).

Quiz Preparation

  • Content Coverage: From "Exploration and Empire" through today's lecture content, including all independent readings specified in D2L.

  • Format:

    • 10 multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions (2 points each).

    • 1 short answer analysis question (e.g., compare/contrast Lower South and Chesapeake).

    • 1 short answer document analysis question (15 points), requiring analysis of a provided document (different from in-class examples) and connection to course content.

  • Policies:

    • Open notes, open book, but all materials must be paper-based (no electronics).

    • Notes must be personal (not shared).

    • The quiz is only 30 minutes, so students should study thoroughly and not rely on looking up every answer. Notes serve as a backup for quick reference.

  • Study Recommendation: Utilize D2L resources, such as the LSU study cycle, to prepare effectively.