Study Guide for Period 2: 1607-1754 - The Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire.

PERIOD 2: 1607-1754

  • Time Frame: The 17th and 18th centuries, nearly 150 years.
  • Historical Context: Establishment of 13 British colonies along the Atlantic coast.
  • Objectives of the Colonies:   - Provide profitable trade routes.   - Serve as a home for diverse populations.

Overview of Colonial Development

  • First Permanent Settlement: Jamestown, Virginia in 1607.
  • Evolution: Colonies transitioned from survival struggles to the establishment of farms, towns, and cities.
  • Cultural Influence:   - European settlers introduced various cultures, economic systems, and governance ideas.   - Common intent to dominate native populations.
  • Agricultural Focus: High demand for labor led to reliance on slavery and the Atlantic slave trade.
  • Conflict and Growth: The Seven Years' War marked the colonies' maturity and highlighted European power struggles in North America.
Alternate Views on the End of the Colonial Era
  • Historians debate the end date of colonialism:   - 1763: Conclusion of the Seven Years' War.   - 1775: Start of the American Revolution.   - 1783: Signing of the peace treaty.
  • Cultural historians may select alternative dates reflecting the roles of diverse non-English groups (Scotch-Irish, Germans, enslaved Africans).

Key Concepts

  • 2.1: Different imperial goals, cultures, and environments shaped diverse colonization patterns.
  • 2.2: European colonization initiated intercultural contact and intensified conflicts with native peoples.
  • 2.3: Political, economic, and cultural exchanges within the "Atlantic World" significantly impacted North American colonial societies.

THE THIRTEEN COLONIES AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE, 1607-1754

  • Quotation from Reverend John White, "The Planter's Plea" (1630) emphasizes the importance of labor for prosperity.

Establishment of the Thirteen Colonies

  • Span: From the establishment of Jamestown (1607) to Georgia (1733).
  • Charters: Each colony operated under a charter from the English monarch, outlining its relationship to the crown.
  • Types of Colonies:   - Corporate Colonies: Operated by joint-stock companies (e.g., Jamestown).   - Royal Colonies: Under direct control of the king (e.g., Virginia after 1624).   - Proprietary Colonies: Governed by individuals with ownership charters (e.g., Maryland, Pennsylvania).
  • Representative Government:   - Tradition of elections for representatives among property owners.
  • Growing Independence: Political and religious conflicts in England fueled colonial desire for self-governance; tensions with the crown increased.

Early English Settlements

  • Historical Context of Colonization:   - England emerged as a naval power after defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588.   - Population growth and economic depression led to increasing numbers of poor and landless Brits seeking opportunities in America.   - Joint-stock companies reduced the financial risk of colonial ventures.
Jamestown Colony
  • Chartered by: King James I to the Virginia Company, established in 1607.
  • Initial Struggles:   - Location issues led to health problems (dysentery, malaria).   - Many settlers were unprepared for hard labor, resulting in starvation.   - Leadership of Captain John Smith helped the colony survive.   - The introduction of cash crops like tobacco by John Rolfe (via Pocahontas) led to economic viability.
  • Transition to Royal Colony:   - By 1624, the colony faced collapse; charter was revoked by King James I, establishing it as a royal colony with direct king oversight.
Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies

  • Plymouth Colony:   - Founded by Separatists (Pilgrims) seeking religious freedom.   - Settled via the Mayflower in 1620 near modern-day Massachusetts.   - Initial hardships led to assistance from American Indians; famous 1621 Thanksgiving celebrated success.   - Economy based on fish, furs, and lumber.

  • Massachusetts Bay Colony:   - Formed by moderate dissenters (Puritans) seeking to reform the Church of England.   - Under John Winthrop’s leadership, settled in 1630, with a significant migration during the Great Migration (1630s).

Early Political Institutions

  • Virginia's Assembly:   - 1619: First representative assembly, the House of Burgesses, established.
  • New England Governance:   - Mayflower Compact: Early form of self-government signed by Pilgrims.   - Massachusetts Bay: Voting restricted predominantly to male church members.
  • Democracy Limits:   - Women and landless individuals had restricted political rights.   - Autocratic governors appointed by the king curtailed democratic practices.

The Chesapeake Colonies

  • Maryland:   - Established by Lord Baltimore in 1632 as the first proprietary colony.   - Act of Toleration (1649): Granted religious freedom to Christians, but death penalty for denying Jesus' divinity.

  • Labor Shortages:   - High mortality from disease led to a demand for labor, met initially by indentured servants (contract workers).   - Headright System: Land grants to attract immigrants—50 acres per individual.   - First African Americans arrived in Virginia in 1619, initially free but laws created lifetime bondage by late 1660s.

Economic Developments

  • Overproduction led to declining tobacco prices; struggles arose in Chesapeake economies.
Conflict in Virginia
  • Bacon's Rebellion (1676): Led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley. Highlighted:   - Class tensions between wealthy planters and poor farmers.   - Resistance to royal authority.

Development of New England

  • Puritan Intolerance: Led to the formation of Rhode Island and Connecticut for dissidents like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson.
  • Rhode Island: Founded on principles of religious freedom and payment for land use.
  • Connecticut: Established fundamental government principles with the Fundamental Orders (1639), elected assembly.
  • New Hampshire: Separated from Massachusetts in 1679 to form a royal colony.

Other Developments

  • Halfway Covenant (1660s): Church membership requirement relaxed due to decreasing conversions; partial membership allowed.
  • New England Confederation (1643): Military alliance for mutual defense against threats, establishing a precedent for colonial cooperation against common threats.
  • King Philip's War (1675-1676): Conflict with Wampanoag leader Metacom, leading to significant casualties and the end of major Native American resistance in New England.

Restoration Colonies

  • The Carolinas: Established in 1663 with land from Charles II; divided into North and South Carolina.
  • South Carolina: Economy featured large rice plantations worked by enslaved Africans.
  • North Carolina: Smaller self-sufficient tobacco farms with a focus on democratic governance.
New York
  • Taken from the Dutch (1664), renamed and administered without representative assemblies by the Duke of York.
  • New Jersey: Created from the division of New York, included religious freedom and land offers to attract settlers.
Pennsylvania and Delaware
  • Pennsylvania: Founded by Quaker William Penn as a refuge.   - Frame of Government: Established a representative assembly and religious freedoms.   - Delaware became separate but remained under Pennsylvania’s governance until the revolution.
Georgia: Last Colony
  • Founded in 1732 primarily as a debtor's haven and buffer against Spanish Florida; eventually became a royal colony with plantation systems.

Economic Theories and Practices

  • Mercantilism: Economic policy focusing on trade and colonies for national strength; colonies supplied raw materials and consumed parent country’s manufactured goods.
  • Navigation Acts (1650-1673): Three primary rules:   1. Trade restricted to English or colonial ships.   2. Goods imported into colonies must pass through England.   3. Specified goods could only be exported to England.
  • Impact on Colonies: Some trade prosperity, but resentment due to restricted manufacturing and smuggling activity.
The Dominion of New England
  • Formed by King James II to consolidate royal control; unpopular governance led to its dissolution during the Glorious Revolution.

Slavery in the Colonies

  • By 1750, significant growth in slavery; half of Virginia's and two-thirds of South Carolina's populations were enslaved.
  • Factors for Growth:   1. Reduced migration from England.   2. Need for a controllable labor force.   3. Economic shift to labor-intensive crops.
  • Slave Laws: Laws established to ensure lifelong bondage and inherited status.
Triangular Trade
  • Involved exchanges between New England, West Africa, and the West Indies involving rum, enslaved Africans, and sugarcane, leading to significant profits for traders.