England and its American Colonies 1607-1732

Motivations for Colonization

Market for English Goods: The desire to find new markets for English goods, thereby increasing trade.
Source of Raw Materials: Colonies were viewed as a source for raw materials to be sent back to England.
Improve Home Economy: Efforts to send poor individuals abroad as a way to alleviate poverty at home.
Enclosure Movement: The enclosure movement forced many laborers off the land, contributing to the motivation for colonization.

Enclosure Movement

Definition: Enclosure laws permitted landowners to fence off land that was previously accessible for common pasture.
Impact: Increased land privatization led to many displaced farmers seeking opportunities elsewhere (such as the colonies).
Visual Aids: Maps demonstrating British farming areas in 1700 (common pastures) versus 1800 (fenced lands).

Colonial Enterprise

Royal Charters: Granting of royal charters to private Joint Stock Companies to facilitate colonization.
Ambition for Communities: Pursuit of establishing family-based agricultural and trading communities in the colonies.
Profit Motive: Objectives included extracting raw materials for England and bringing manufactured goods to the colonies.

England's Political Traditions

Historical Context: The Magna Carta, signed in 1215 by King John, marked the beginning of royal accountability under law.
Power Distribution: The monarchy shared power with the nobility and gentry, establishing a foundational political framework.

Religious Conflict & War

Puritan Goals: Puritans sought to “purify” the Church of England, pushing for the removal of all papal rituals.
King James's Opposition: King James, a Calvinist, aimed to banish Puritan dissenters.

King Charles I

View on Authority: King Charles I held a strong belief in absolute monarchy.
Political Actions: Disbanded Parliament, raised taxes without consent, and adopted a harsher stance towards Puritans.
Conflict: The Scottish Presbyterians revolted in 1638 due to Anglican worship enforcement, leading to civil war by 1642, culminating in the execution of King Charles in 1649.

Oliver Cromwell

Background: A Puritan, Cromwell was the deputy commander of the New Model Army in the fight against the king.
Lord Protector: In 1653, he assumed leadership as Lord Protector over England, Scotland, and Ireland, emphasizing liberty of conscience for Christians.
Death: Died in 1658 amidst rising resentment against his rule.

Monarchical Crisis

Restoration: Charles II became king in 1660, followed by his Catholic brother James II in 1685.
Glorious Revolution of 1688: Parliament invited Mary Stuart and William III of Orange to replace James II, marking a significant change in governance.

Settling the American Colonies

Royal Charter: In 1606, James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company, leading to the establishment of Jamestown on May 14, 1607.
Survival Rates: Out of the initial settlers, only 38 survived the first nine months due to harsh conditions.

Jamestown Growth

Leadership: Captain John Smith implemented strict military discipline essential for colony survival.
Trade Relationships: Successful trade with local Algonquin tribes contributed to the colony's sustainability.
Agriculture: The region's climate proved ideal for tobacco cultivation.
Governance: Colonists established their General Assembly in 1619, and by 1624, Jamestown was recognized as a royal colony.

Maryland Colony

George Calvert's Vision: Calvert, or Lord Baltimore, received a charter to establish a colony as a refuge for Roman Catholics.
Colonial Establishment: In 1634, 140 settlers founded a close-knit community in Maryland.
Act of Toleration (1649): Passed by Governor William Stone to ensure religious equality; later repealed in 1692, resulting in the ban on Roman Catholicism in Maryland.

Plymouth Colony

Pilgrims' Journey: In 1620, a group of Pilgrims, seeking to escape religious persecution, arrived in Cape Cod aboard the Mayflower, after being blown off course.
Mayflower Compact: This document established the first written framework of government in North America.
Absorption: In 1691, Plymouth Colony was absorbed into Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Settlement: Established in 1630 by approximately 1,000 Puritan refugees under the leadership of Governor John Winthrop.
Puritan Goals: Winthrop aimed to create a safe haven for persecuted Christians and a model Christian community.
Theocracy: The belief that government should enforce religious beliefs was prevalent among settlers.
Political Constitution: Successfully achieved a political constitution that operated independently of royal control.

Massachusetts Bay Colony Continued

Roger Williams: Arrived in 1631, advocating for the complete separation of church and state; banished and founded Providence in 1636.
Thomas Hooker: Led three church congregations to establish a self-governing colony in the Connecticut Valley in 1636.

The Carolinas

Establishment: In 1663, King Charles II granted land to eight courtiers, naming it Carolina.
Diverse Development: Geographic distance resulted in the emergence of two distinct colonies, with Charlestown founded in 1680.
John Locke's Influence: Authored the colony’s constitution, promoting individual rights and religious tolerance.

The Carolinas Continued

Colonial Activities: Northern Carolina was primarily agriculturally focused, cultivating tobacco; Southern Carolina boasted fertile lands for deerskin, lumber, beef, and rice.
Royal Colony Status: South Carolina was designated as a royal colony in 1719, with North Carolina following in 1729.

New Netherlands

Discovery: In 1609, Captain Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay, leading to the establishment of New Netherlands by the West India Company in 1624.
Diverse Colony: The colony was profit-driven and was seized by the British in 1664.

Quakerism

Founding of Society of Friends: Initiated by George Fox, Quakers rejected all forms of political and religious authority, believing government was divinely instituted.

William Penn

Early Life: Born in 1644, rejected Anglicanism in 1660, leading to expulsion from the University of Oxford.
Religious Influence: Joined the Quakers in 1666, advocating for freedom of religion and fair governance.
Inheritance: Acquired a substantial province in America from his father in 1670.

Pennsylvania

Naming: The land was referred to as Sylvania (Latin for woods), establishing a Quaker-influenced government.
Three Frames of Government (1682): Outlined: freedom of religion, fair trials, and elected representations; subject only to King Charles II.

Georgia

Initial Exploration: Hernan de Soto became the first European to explore Georgia in 1540.
Founding Efforts: In 1732, George II granted lands to General James Oglethorpe and trustees, leading to the founding of Savannah in 1733.
Royal Colony Status: Achieved royal colony status by 1754.

Encounters with Indigenous Tribes

Interactions: Small Atlantic seaboard tribes interacted with European settlers; the Powhatan Confederacy comprised 30 or more Algonquin-speaking tribes.
Resulting Tensions: New arrivals heightened tensions and conflicts between settlers and indigenous populations.

Conflict in Virginia Colony

Governor William Berkeley's Orders: Authorized attacks on hostile tribes to assert control over territory.
Nathaniel Bacon's Rebellion: Denied commission to lead an army, Bacon unexpectedly led 500 supporters in attacks against Native tribes in 1676; subsequently recalled after executing 23 rebels.

Pequot War

Conflict Initiation: Triggered by the killing of Captain John Oldham in July 1636 by members of the Narragansett tribe.
Colonist Response: John Endicott commanded colonial raids into Pequot territory; devastating results following the May 1637 siege led to the death of 400-700 Pequot individuals.

Religious Influence on Conflict

Justification of Action: Captain John Underhill's statement reflects the intertwining of religion and military action, suggesting divine authority legitimized violent proceedings.

Aftermath of Pequot War

Treaty of Hartford (1638): This treaty prohibited the name Pequot, forbade the tribe from regrouping, and mandated grievances to be addressed before English authorities.
Shift in Power: The balance of power transitioned from numerous Native tribes to English settlers, along with the influence of religious rhetoric shaping colonial Indian policies for centuries.

King Philip's War (1675-76)

Chief Metacomet (King Philip): Resentment against conversion efforts ignited tensions, exacerbated by John Sassamon's forewarning of war and subsequent murder.
Conflict Outcome: The war concluded with Metacomet's capture and death after fourteen months of fighting.

Iroquois League

Inter-Tribal Warfare: The 17th century saw escalating inter-tribal conflicts, with the Iroquois League comprising 12,000 members, led from their capital at Onondaga.
Alliances: They allied with the British against the French in 1677 but faced severe declines due to French and Indian alliances in the 1690s.

Servitude

Indentured Servitude: Individuals signed contracts for passage to America in exchange for labor; conditions were harsh but rights remained; upon contract completion, commonly awarded 25 acres, a year of corn, tools, a cow, and clothing.

Slavery

First African Slaves: In 1619, the first African slaves arrived in Virginia to work in tobacco cultivation.
Population Dynamics: By 1700, 11% of the total population in colonies comprised slaves with 6-7 million brought to North America from 1700-1800.

African Slavery

Involvement of African Leaders: African rulers participated in the slave trade; the journey, known as the “Middle Passage,” was brutal, with 1 in every 6 Africans dying en route to the New World.
Treatment of Slaves: Enslaved individuals were treated as property, subjected to branding, and sold at auctions.

Slave Conditions on Ships

Living Conditions: Captured Africans were transported in deplorable conditions aboard slave ships, often crowded and confined.

Slave Factories

Process of Capture: Africans were marched overland to coastal slave factories, where they waited weeks or months before being transported to the New World.

Cultural Aspects of African Slavery in the New World

Coping Mechanisms: African culture persisted through folktales, crafts, singing, dancing, and the merging of Christianity with cultural practices.

English Legacy in the New World

Colonial Growth: By the early 18th century, the English colonies expanded to surpass those of France and Spain, becoming self-governing and profitable with minimal royal intervention.
Settlement Patterns: Concentrated settlements facilitated growth and flourishing of the colonies.

Motivations for Colonization

Mercantilism: The dominant economic theory of the era which posited that colonies existed to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials and a market for finished goods, ensuring a favorable balance of trade.
Market for English Goods: England sought protected markets for its expanding manufacturing sector, particularly textiles and hardware, to avoid reliance on European rivals.
Source of Raw Materials: Colonies were essential for providing timber (for the Royal Navy), tobacco, indigo, fur, and minerals that England otherwise had to import from foreign powers.
Social Safety Valve: The 'Surplus Population' theory suggested that England was overpopulated with 'masterless men' (the poor and unemployed). Colonization was seen as a way to export poverty and reduce crime at home.
Enclosure Movement: This legal process allowed wealthy landowners to fence off 'common lands' for sheep grazing. This led to a massive displacement of peasant farmers who transitioned from subsistence farming to seasonal labor or vagrancy, eventually becoming the primary source of indentured servants for the New World.

Colonial Enterprise and Governance

Joint-Stock Companies: These were the primary vehicles for funding colonization. Private investors pooled money to share risk and profit. The Virginia Company of London received a charter in 1606 to settle the Chesapeake region.
Royal Charters: Legal documents issued by the Crown that granted land and the authority to govern. Importantly, most charters guaranteed that colonists would retain the 'rights of Englishmen,' a concept that later became central to the American Revolution.
Proprietary Colonies: Colonies like Maryland and Pennsylvania were granted to individuals (proprietors) who owned the land and had the power to make laws, subject to the approval of the crown.

England's Political Foundations

The Magna Carta (1215): Established the fundamental principle that the King's power was not absolute and that individuals (initially nobles) had rights to due process and trial by peers.
Legislative Growth: The development of Parliament—divided into the House of Lords and the House of Commons—created a tradition of representative government that colonists replicated in their own local assemblies.

Religious Tensions and the English Civil War

Puritan Dissent: Puritans wanted to eliminate Catholic-leaning rituals from the Anglican Church. The 'Separatists' (Pilgrims) felt the church was too corrupt to be reformed and sought a total break.
The Eleven Years' Tyranny (1629-1640): King Charles I ruled without Parliament, raising funds through illegal taxes and persecuting Puritans, which triggered 'The Great Migration' of 20,000 settlers to New England.
The English Civil War (1642-1651): A conflict between the Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians (Roundheads). It ended with the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the rise of Oliver Cromwell as 'Lord Protector.'
The Restoration (1660): The monarchy was restored under Charles II, leading to a new wave of colonial grants known as the 'Restoration Colonies' (The Carolinas, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania).

The Chesapeake Colonies: Virginia and Maryland

Jamestown (1607): Initial survival was threatened by the 'Starving Time' (1609-1610). The colony was saved by the introduction of Caribbean tobacco seeds by John Rolfe in 1612.
The Headright System: To solve labor shortages, Virginia offered 50 acres of land to anyone who paid for their own passage and another 50 for every additional servant they brought over.
Maryland and Religious Liberty: Founded by the Calvert family as a refuge for Catholics. To mitigate conflict with the Protestant majority, the Maryland Act of Toleration (1649) was passed, though it only protected Trinitarian Christians.

The New England Way

The Mayflower Compact (1620): A social contract signed by the Pilgrims to establish a 'civil body politic,' serving as one of the earliest examples of self-government in the colonies.
Theocracy in Massachusetts: Under John Winthrop, the colony aimed to be a 'City upon a Hill.' Voting was restricted to 'freemen' who were members of the Puritan church.
Banishment of Dissenters: Roger Williams was banished for advocating for the separation of church and state and founded Rhode Island. Anne Hutchinson was banished for challenging the clergy's authority.

Conflict with Native Americans

Pequot War (1636-1637): Tensions over fur trade and land led to a brutal massacre at Mystic, Connecticut, where English forces burned a Pequot village, killing hundreds.
King Philip's War (1675-1676): Led by Metacomet (King Philip), this was the last major effort by the Native Americans of southern New England to drive out the English. It was exceptionally bloody, with dozens of English towns destroyed but ended in a total English victory.
Bacon's Rebellion (1676): In Virginia, Nathaniel Bacon led a revolt of former indentured servants against Governor Berkeley’s lenient policy toward Native Americans. This rebellion is significant as it accelerated the shift from white indentured servitude to racialized African slavery, as slaves were viewed as a more 'controllable' labor force.

The Middle Passage and Slavery

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Approximately 12,000,000 Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. The 'Middle Passage' was the journey from Africa to the Americas, characterized by a 16% mortality rate due to malnutrition, disease, and abuse.
Transition to Racial Slavery: Initially, African labor was treated somewhat like indentured servitude, but by the late 1600s, colonial laws (Slave Codes) institutionalized slavery as a lifelong, hereditary status based on race.

Colonial Growth and Legacy

Cultural Synthesis: Despite the brutality of slavery, Africans preserved aspects of their culture through Gullah dialects, basket-weaving, and music, which heavily influenced Southern American culture.
Salutary Neglect: During the early 1700s, England was preoccupied with wars in Europe and left the colonies to govern themselves. This period of 'neglect' allowed the colonies to develop autonomous political and economic identities.