The Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire (1607-1754)
THE THIRTEEN COLONIES AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE, 1607-1754
Reverend John White (1630): Emphasis on the importance of choosing the right country for prosperity, as revealed in his work "The Planter's Plea."
Development of the English Colonies (1607-1733):
Jamestown, VA (1607) to Georgia (1733): Thirteen distinct English colonies established along the Atlantic Coast.
Charters: Document granting special rights from the English monarch, establishing the framework for the relationship between the colonies and the crown.
Three Types of Colonies:
Corporate Colonies: Operated by joint-stock companies (e.g., Jamestown).
Royal Colonies: Directly controlled by the king’s government (e.g., Virginia post-1624).
Proprietary Colonies: Controlled by individuals granted charters by the king (e.g., Maryland and Pennsylvania).
Political Traditions:
English colonists brought a tradition of representative government, influencing their governance and establishing elected representatives to decide on matters such as taxation.
Growing feelings of independence in the colonies amid political and religious conflicts in England.
Chapter 2
Background (Early 1600s):
England emerged as a major naval power after defeating the Spanish Armada (1588).
Population growth and economic depression in England led to increased emigration to America.
Joint-Stock Companies: Financial innovation allowing investors to pool resources to fund colonization, distributing risk and attracting settlers.
Jamestown (1607):
Charter from King James I licensed the Virginia Company to establish the first permanent English colony.
Early Problems:
Poor settlement location (swampy area along the James River) led to outbreaks of dysentery and malaria.
Most settlers were unskilled gentlemen and gold-seekers, leading to food shortages and conflict with American Indians.
Leadership of Captain John Smith was critical for survival through tough initial years.
Crops and Economy:
Following leadership by John Rolfe and Pocahontas, the colony developed a profitable tobacco variety.
Transition to a Royal Colony:
By 1624, the Virginia Colony was near collapse (6,000 settlers, only 2,000 survived).
The Virginia Company’s bankruptcy prompted King James I to revoke the charter and assume direct control, establishing Virginia as England’s first royal colony.
PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTS BAY
Religious Motivations: Key reason for the settlement of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, rather than wealth.
Settled by English Protestants (dissenting from the Church of England) seeking religious freedom.
The Church of England: Led by the monarch, having separated from the Pope while retaining many Catholic traditions. Dissenters advocated for a complete break from Rome and adhered to Calvinist beliefs, including predestination.
The Plymouth Colony:
Known as Separatists or Pilgrims; originally fled to Holland for religious freedom.
In 1620, the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower to establish a new colony (planned for Virginia).
After a challenging voyage and a harsh first winter, they adapted with assistance from local American Indians.
Celebrated a successful harvest in 1621 with a Thanksgiving feast.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony:
A group of moderate dissenters (Puritans) sought to reform the Church of England.
Facing increased persecution under King Charles I (1625), they obtained a charter for the Massachusetts Bay Company (1629).
In 1630, John Winthrop led a thousand Puritans to found Boston, with an ensuing migration known as the Great Migration/ Puritan Migration involving an additional 15,000 settlers.
EARLY POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
Movement towards Self-Rule:
House of Burgesses (1619): Virginia’s representative assembly, the first in America.
Mayflower Compact: Signed aboard the Mayflower, establishing governance based on majority rule.
Massachusetts Bay's voting rights extended to male members of the Puritan Church for elections.
Limits to Colonial Democracy:
Political exclusions persisted, restricting voting rights to male property owners with women, landless men, and slaves largely disenfranchised.
THE CHESAPEAKE COLONIES
Maryland: Established as the first proprietary colony (1632), granted to Lord Baltimore.
Act of Toleration (1649): First statute guaranteeing religious freedom for all Christians while imposing death penalties for non-believers in Jesus.
Protestant Revolt: Led to the repeal of the Act and loss of political rights for Catholics.
Labor Shortages:
Tobacco economy created high demand for labor, impacted by low population growth due to disease.
Indentured Servants: Initially offered as labor solutions, bound by contracts to work for several years after which they gained freedom.
Headright System: Provided incentives for immigration by granting land to those who paid for their passage.
Slavery: The introduction of African slaves began in 1619, transitioning over time into a rigid, hereditary system of bondage.
CONFLICT IN VIRGINIA
Bacon's Rebellion (1676): Led by Nathaniel Bacon, responding to frustrations with Governor Berkeley's failure to protect western farmers from Indian attacks and economic domination by large planters.
Outcome led to violent conflict, illustrating class tensions and colonial resistance to royal authority.
NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
Religious Intolerance and New Settlements: Many early Puritans banished dissenters, leading to the formation of new colonies like Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Rhode Island:
Founded by Roger Williams (1636) advocating for the separation of church and state, and fair treatment of American Indians. Recognized rights of all faiths.
Connecticut:
Founded by Thomas Hooker (1636), established the Fundamental Orders (1639)—the first written constitution in America, promoting representative government.
New Hampshire: Separated from Massachusetts Bay to increase control; became a royal colony in 1679.
HALF-WAY COVENANT:
Offered partial church membership to maintain influence due to generational shifts in religious enthusiasm.
NEW ENGLAND CONFEDERATION
Formed (1643) for defense against American Indians, Dutch, and French; allowed collective action on disputes.
Established a precedent for cooperation among colonies.
King Philip's War (1675-1676):
Metacom (King Philip) unified tribes against settlers after continued encroachment, resulting in mass casualties and devastation for both parties; eventually leading to a decline in American Indian resistance.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAROLINAS AND OTHER COLONIES
Restoration Colonies: Established post-1660 following Charles II's ascension to the throne, including the Carolinas granted to nobles as a reward.
South Carolina:
Founded (1670) by English settlers and Barbadian planters; economies focused initially on fur trading, evolving into rice plantations using enslaved labor.
North Carolina:
Developed with smaller tobacco farms; known for democratic views and lesser reliance on slavery compared to South Carolina.
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
New York:
Acquired from the Dutch in 1664; initially governed by the Duke of York, later expanded to include representative rights in 1683.
New Jersey:
Established by splitting New York into East Jersey and West Jersey, later united as a single royal colony to simplify governance .
PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE
Quakers:
Religious Society of Friends, known for equine, nonviolence, and equality; faced persecution in England.
William Penn:
A prominent Quaker granted land (1681) to establish Pennsylvania—intended as a social experiment focusing on religious tolerance and progressive governance.
Penn established a Frame of Government (1682) and a Charter of Liberties (1701) to secure rights and representation.
Delaware:
Originally part of Pennsylvania but granted its own assembly (1702) for governance.
GEORGIA: THE LAST COLONY
Founded (1732) for various reasons including providing a buffer against Spanish Florida and a debtor's colony.
James Oglethorpe led the establishment with strict regulations, including bans on rum and slavery, but upon becoming a royal colony (1752), restrictions were lifted.
MERCANTILISM AND COLONIAL ECONOMY
Mercantilism: Economic doctrine asserting that trade and colonies enrich the parent country.
Aimed for self-sufficiency through government regulation, with colonies providing raw materials.
Acts of Trade and Navigation (1650-1673): Established rules governing colonial trade, enforcing English ships, and limiting colonial exports to England.
Impact of Navigation Acts:
Beneficial for industries, such as shipping trades in New England and monopoly on tobacco in England.
Increased resentment among colonists due to restrictions limiting manufacturing and economic growth.
Enforcement Challenges:
Lax enforcement led to widespread smuggling; notable incident was the revocation of Massachusetts Bay’s charter (1684) due to major infractions.
THE DOMINION OF NEW ENGLAND
Dominion of New England created in 1686 by King James II to consolidate control over New England and parts of New Jersey. Governed by Sir Edmund Andros, heavily opposed by colonists leading to resistance.
GLORIOUS REVOLUTION:
Overthrow of James II in 1688 restored previous governance and allowed colonies to revert to separate charters.
GROWTH OF SLAVERY IN THE COLONIES
By 1750, 50% of Virginia's and 66% of South Carolina's populations were enslaved Africans.
Factors driving slavery growth:
Continued reduction in European immigration due to rising wages.
Dependable labor force favored by plantation owners after the tumult of Bacon’s Rebellion.
The profitability of cash crops requiring extensive labor.
Slave Laws:
Laws established to ensure slavery’s hereditary nature and that slave status was inherited.
Existing laws stripped enslaved people of basic rights and acknowledged no legal standing.
TRIANGULAR TRADE:
Prelude to extensive involvement in the transatlantic slave trade; merchants profited through a triangular route transporting goods and enslaved people between Africa, the West Indies, and New England.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF PURITANS
Puritan Influence: Critical debate exists regarding the level to which Puritans shaped American culture.
Arguments:
Some historians argue that Puritanical conformity suppressed individuality.
Others assert Puritans fostered an independent spirit among colonists, leading to evolutionary American individualism.
KEY TERMS BY THEME:
Religion (CUL): Massachusetts Bay, Act of Toleration, John Winthrop.
Authority (WOR): Lord Baltimore, royal colonies, proprietary colonies.
Labor (WXT): Indentured servants, slavery, headright system.
Conflicts (MIG): Bacon's Rebellion, King Philip's War, triangular trade.
Self-Rule (POL): House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.