Chesapeake Settlement Notes (AP U.S. History)

The Settlement of the Chesapeake

England Becomes a Colonial Power

• Key Preconditions in the late 1500s that set the stage for exploration and colonization in England:

  • English victory over the Spanish Armada solidified England as a major European sea power.
  • Population growth and limited land spurred search for new opportunities overseas.
  • Under the Rule of Primogeniture, the oldest sons inherited land, leaving younger sons without property or prospects.
  • Enclosure movement fenced off common lands for sheep-grazing, pushing many farmers to urban centers like London in search of work.
  • Rising crime and expanding prisons reflected social pressures and the push toward colonial ventures.

• Spanish and European context (brief reference from transcript):

  • The transcript notes that European powers pursued land, wealth, and religious goals, with different approaches to Native Americans (e.g., encomienda in Spanish colonies and varying levels of assimilation).
  • Trade and religious missions were central to early colonial strategies.

The Colony of Virginia (Jamestown)

• The Jamestown venture sits as the original English colony in the Chesapeake region.
• Multiple colony schemes exist: corporate, royal, and proprietary colonies. Jamestown began as a corporate venture under the Virginia Company.

Colonizing the English Way

• Corporate Colonies: Operated by Joint-Stock Companies; investors funded expeditions with profit as the primary goal (Jamestown).
• Royal Colonies: Under direct royal authority (Virginia after $1624$).
• Proprietary Colonies: Land granted to individuals by the crown (Maryland).

The Virginia Company and its Charter

• The Virginia Company charter granted rights and privileges to establish and govern the colony.
• The charter implied colonists had the same rights as Englishmen back in England, a significant claim to political legitimacy in the New World.
• The concept that settlers could enjoy English rights even though they were across the Atlantic was a foundational idea for colonial self-government.

Jamestown: The Settlement (Geography and Site)

• Jamestown was positioned near the Chesapeake Bay along the James River.
• The site was chosen for defensibility, but the area was surrounded by wetlands infested with disease-carrying mosquitoes.
• The initial effort began with the sinking of a seedling into the Virginia landscape—England Plants the Jamestown “Seedling.”

The Beginning: The Voyage and Early Struggles

• Late $1606-1607$: The Virginia Company dispatched 3 ships: the $Susan Constant$, the $Godspeed$, and the $Discovery$.

• May $1607$: ~$100$ colonists (all men) landed at Jamestown along the James River.

• Initial site problems:

  • Surrounded by disease-ridden wetlands.
  • The voyage and voyage conditions were harsh; disease, malnutrition, and unfamiliar environmental conditions plagued settlers.

• The Jamestown Nightmare (causes and consequences):

  • $1606-1607$: ~$40$ people died on the voyage to the New World.
  • In Jamestown, settlers died in large numbers from disease and malnutrition.
  • The land was ill-suited for farming; a drought exacerbated conditions.
  • “Gentlemen” colonists refused to work; their servants were unaccustomed to farming and field labor.
  • Some settlers wasted time searching for gold instead of farming or hunting.
  • Of the initial $104$ settlers, only $38$ survived the first year.

Captain John Smith: The Right Man for the Job?

• Smith famously declared: "He that will not work shall not eat." — a motto reflecting the urgent need for labor and self-reliance in the colony.

The Powhatan Confederacy

• Powhatan dominated a network of tribes around the James River region when the English arrived.
• English referred to the local Native Americans as Powhatans.
• John Smith secured aid from the Powhatans only after threatening military action.

Pocahontas: A Symbolic Encounter

• Pocahontas became a famous figure in early Virginia history.
• In 1616 an engraving celebrated Pocahontas; Smith documented two incidents in which Pocahontas allegedly saved him from harm.

The High Mortality Rates and the Starving Time (1609–1610)

• Spring 1609: An additional $300$ immigrants arrived.
• One year later, only $60$ survived.
• Adult life expectancy was about $40$ years.
• Death of children before age 5 reached approximately 80 ext{%}.
• Governor De La Warr arrived and imposed discipline, helping the colony recover.
• By $1614$ the colony produced enough food to survive.

Women in the Chesapeake

• High mortality among husbands and the general lack of women gave some women more practical power than in New England, but equality with men was far from achieved.

Relations with Native Americans: Tensions and Conflict

• 1610–1614: Anglo-Powhatan War occurred as English raids intensified (food supply raids, destruction of villages, burning of cornfields).
• The 1614 peace was sealed by the marriage of Pocahontas to Englishman John Rolfe.
• About thirty years later, Powhatan influence waned and they were effectively pushed out of the region.

John Rolfe and the Path to Prosperity

• Question posed: What finally made the colony prosperous?
• Tobaccos as the key cash crop and economic foundation discussed below.

Tobacco: The Engine of Virginia's Economy

• 1612: Rolfe planted tobacco seeds from Bermuda.
• 1614: First harvest occurred.
• 1618: Virginia produced $20{,}000$ pounds of tobacco.
• 1629: Virginia produced $1{,}500{,}000$ pounds of tobacco.
• Tobacco’s economic impact:
  • Vital to establishing a stable colonial economy.
  • Tethered Virginia’s economy to a single crop, creating vulnerability but providing initial wealth.
  • Tobacco expansion demanded more land, prompting settlers to seize more territory from the Powhatans.
  • The plantation system grew to meet labor demands, increasing the need for cheap, abundant labor.
  • Virginia became known as the “Child of Tobacco.”

Indentured Servitude and the Headright System

• Headright System:
  • Each Virginian received $50$ acres for each person whose passage they paid to the colony.
• Indenture contracts:
  • Typically $5-7$ years in length.
  • Indentured servants were forbidden to marry during their contracts.
  • From $1610-1614$, only $rac{1}{10}$ of indentured servants outlived their contracts.

Migration to the Colonies (1610–1660)

• English migration patterns (roughly):
  • To New England: $25{,}000$
  • To Chesapeake: $50{,}000$
  • From England (overall): $189{,}000$
  • To Bermuda: $4{,}000$
  • To the West Indies: $110{,}000$

The House of Burgesses and Self-Government in Virginia

• Established in $1619$ in Virginia.
• Could make laws and levy taxes; had control over colonial finances and militia.
• Represented a level of local self-government akin to English practice, signaling growing political power for colonists.

Virginia Becomes a Royal Colony

• King James I grew increasingly hostile toward Virginia; he disliked tobacco and distrusted the House of Burgesses.
• In $1624$, James revoked the charter of the bankrupt Virginia Company.
• Virginia became a Royal Colony, under direct kingly control.
• The king appointed the governor, limited the Burgesses’ power, and the Anglican Church became the colony’s official faith.

Maryland: A Proprietary Haven

• A royal charter was granted to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, in $1632$; Maryland was established as a proprietary colony in $1634$.
• Maryland offered a healthier climate than Jamestown but still faced yellow fever and malaria challenges.
• Tobacco emerged as Maryland’s main revenue.
• Large tracts of land granted to Calvert's Catholic relatives; these lands were later subdivided into smaller farms worked by Protestants.
• The settlement emphasized religious toleration to avoid persecution of Catholics by Protestants.
• The Toleration Act of $1649$: guaranteed toleration to all TRINITARIAN CHRISTIANS; it also decreed death to those denying the divinity of Jesus.
• In practice, it reflected a balance between Protestant power and Catholic minority influence, while still privileging a specific Christian doctrine.
• Maryland served as a haven for Catholics amid broader Protestant dominance in the region and the continent.