Chesapeake Settlement Notes

Spain:
Settled in South America, Florida, the American Southwest (Santa Fe), Central America/Mexico, California, and the Caribbean.
Arrived in the late 1400s (1492).
Primary goals:

  • Acquire land: The desire to increase power and status through territorial expansion.

  • Spread Catholicism: Efforts to convert indigenous populations to Christianity.

  • Acquire wealth (gold): Pursuit of precious metals and resources for economic gain.
    Treatment of Native Americans:

  • Encomienda system: A labor system that rewarded Spanish settlers with the labor of native inhabitants.

  • Idea of Spanish cultural superiority: Belief that Spanish culture was superior to that of indigenous peoples.

France:
Settled in the St. Lawrence River area, Quebec, New Orleans, the Mississippi River Valley, and the Ohio River Valley.
Arrived in the early 1500s.
Primary goal:

  • Establish a trade relationship with Native Americans for the fur trade: Focus on economic exchange with indigenous people rather than outright conquest.
    Treatment of Native Americans:

  • Wanted to live amongst Native Americans and intermarry: Desire for integration and relationships through marriage.

  • Forced assimilation (Catholicism): Imposing Catholic beliefs on native populations.

  • Generally better relationships: More cooperative interactions, leading to alliances and voluntary integration.

England:
Settled on the East Coast, specifically Jamestown, Virginia (Chesapeake), and Massachusetts.
Arrived in the early 1600s (1607).
Primary goals:

  • Some sought religious freedom: Migration to escape religious persecution.

  • Acquire territory: Expansion to boost status and power.

  • Seek wealth: The pursuit of profitable opportunities and resources.
    Treatment of Native Americans:

  • Not much attempt at assimilation: Preference for displacing Native Americans rather than integrating with them.

England's Rise as a Colonial Power (Late 1500s):

  • Defeated the Spanish Armada: Established England as the major naval power in Europe following victory in 1588.

  • Growing population and lack of land: Increased pressure for expansion due to land shortages.

  • Rule of Primogeniture: Legal principle allowing the oldest male child to inherit family land, leaving younger sons without inheritance.

  • Enclosure Movement: The practice of converting common land to private pasture, leading to displacement of tenants and rural laborers.

  • Soaring crime rates and full prisons: Social issues prompting the need for new opportunities overseas.

Types of English Colonies:

  1. Corporate Colonies:

    • Operated by Joint-Stock Companies, funded by investors seeking profit from colonial enterprises.

    • Example: Jamestown, established to generate income.

  2. Royal Colonies:

    • Directly controlled by the King of England, with appointed governors.

    • Example: Virginia, after being taken over in 1624.

  3. Proprietary Colonies:

    • Lands granted to individuals by the king who had full governing rights.

    • Example: Maryland, granted to Lord Baltimore.

The Colony of Virginia (Originally Jamestown):
The Virginia Company was granted permission to create a colony near the Chesapeake Bay.
The Charter of the Virginia Company guaranteed colonists the same rights as Englishmen, as if they had stayed in England.
Colonists believed they possessed English rights even in the Americas.

Jamestown Settlement:

  • Late 1606: The Virginia Company sent out 3 ships (Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery).

  • May 1607: About 100 colonists (all men) landed at Jamestown, along the banks of the James River.

  • Settlement site: Selected for its defensibility but surrounded by wetlands and disease-causing mosquitoes.

Jamestown's Early Struggles:

  • 1606-1607: 40 people died on the voyage to the New World.

  • In Jamestown, settlers faced high mortality rates due to disease and malnutrition.

  • Unsuitable land for farming: Drought and poor soil conditions hindered agriculture.

  • “Gentlemen” colonists often refused labor, relying on untrained servants.

  • Many colonists focused on gold prospecting instead of survival activities like hunting and farming.

  • Only 38 of the original 104 settlers survived after the first year.

Captain John Smith:
Implemented a strict policy: "[H]e that will not work shall not eat," emphasizing labor for survival.

Powhatan Confederacy:
Chief Powhatan led a confederation of small tribes in the James River area when the English arrived.
The English referred to all Native Americans in the region as "Powhatans."
Smith secured aid from the Powhatans mainly through the threat of military force.

Pocahontas:
Smith documented incidents where Pocahontas intervened to save him from being harmed by angry tribe members.