Period 2 (1607 to 1754) marks the transition from European exploration to colonization.
Key European powers involved: France, Netherlands, and England.
Period 1 (1491-1607) was characterized by European exploration of the Americas, dominated by the Spanish.
First Permanent North American Settlements
Establishment in quick succession:
1607: Britain - Jamestown
1608: France - Quebec
1609/1624: Netherlands - New Netherlands
1610: Spain - Santa Fe
Contrasting Goals of European Powers
Different goals affected key developments in their respective colonies.
Spanish Colonies
Roman Catholic missionaries aimed to counter the expanding influence of Protestantism.
Aggressive colonization in Central and South America, but slower in North America.
Small population in Spanish Florida due to scarce gold and silver.
First North American Spanish settlement: Saint Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 (more than 50 years before Jamestown).
Early 18th century: Texas; late 18th century (1768): Alta California
1610: Spain settled Santa Fe (capital of New Mexico), the first permanent European settlement in the modern-day southwest United States.
Most colonizers were men: conquistadors, missionaries, soldiers.
Small population of Spanish settlers.
Intermarriage and the casta system were present.
Encomienda system and missionary efforts were key pillars of Spanish settlements.
Main Spanish goals: wealth and spread of Catholicism (the "3 Gs!").
French Colonies
1608: Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City as a trading post.
By the 1630s: just over 200 French colonists in New France; by 1672: 5000; by 1734: 40,000.
Mostly fur traders, merchants, missionaries at first.
Slow growth.
Dominated by Catholic clergy.
No political rights or representation.
Allied themselves with Algonquian tribes like the Huron against the Iroquois (allies of the English).
French colonists were mostly men, though fewer in number.
French Interactions with Native Americans
Some had religious goals: convert Native Americans to Christianity (Jesuits ="black robes"); also explored and mapped.
Others came for economic reasons.
Mostly worked in the lucrative fur trade with Native Americans (Huron, Algonquian).
French forged close ties with Native Americans through trade relationships (fur) and alliances through intermarriage.
By 1682: Robert de La Salle reached the Mississippi basin, claiming the region for France and named it Louisiana after King Louis XIV.
The French began to map the Mississippi River.
By 1718, they established New Orleans, which became an important port city & trade center (LA: by 1763 only 10,000 settlers including Acadian refugees and 5000 slaves).
Dutch Colonies
Independent since 1581.
1600s: the Netherlands sponsored expeditions to find the Northwest Passage to Asia.
Not successful until 1906 due to climate change; ice free by 2007.
This established Dutch claims to the surrounding area; New Amsterdam founded in 1624 (New York).
1609: Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor while searching for the Northwest Passage (sailed first for England then the Dutch).
Dutch Trade and Settlement
Built strong trade networks with Native Americans like the French.
Less likely than the French to intermarry (Protestant, saw it as a danger to their soul).
Dutch West India Company.
Dutch also aimed to develop trade → small # of traders and fur.
Tolerance of religious practices rendered the colony the most religiously and ethnically diverse in North America.
Failed to attract settlers to compete with the rapidly growing numbers of English settlers north and south of New Amsterdam.
English Colonies
British after 1707 (Act of Union).
In the 16th century: England was a lesser European power due to internal turmoil (Protestant Reformation under King Henry VIII).
Rise of English Power
Elizabeth I assumed the throne in 1558 → less turmoil, more interest and participation in exploration.
England and Spain became increasingly competitive; privateers (“pirates” sanctioned by the queen!) attacked Spanish ships on the Queen’s orders (Raleigh, Drake).
Spain attempted a naval invasion of England with its armada in 1588→ major Spanish defeat→ loss of naval power→ less significant power in 17th century.
English Settlements
1620: Plymouth.
3 failed attempts to set up a colony in NC between 1584 and 1587; sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, explorer and one of the queen’s favorites.
Most famous attempt: Roanoke (vanished!).
First permanent English settlement in the New World: Jamestown, Virginia in 1607.
Followed by the establishment of Plymouth Colony, MA in 1620.
Motives for English Colonization
Diverse motives for the many settlers: gain personal profit, religious freedom, and social mobility.
Goals of the protestant English government: minimize Spain’s Catholic influence in New World and set up mercantilist system (profit for mother country).
English settlers included a higher percentage of families and women, and were more interested in farming and owning land →subsistence and cash crops (regional differences).
By 1650: population in the English colonies in North America →50,000, more than French, Dutch, and Spanish due to encouraged immigration from all European countries.
Consequences of English Colonization
Less intermarriage with Native Americans.
Rapid population growth led to more competition over land → contentious relationships with NA.
Key Takeaways
[1] The Spanish focused on extracting wealth, developing institutions based on subjugating indigenous people and enslaved Africans.
[2] The French & Dutch focused on trade, developing trade alliances through intermarriage → built economic & diplomatic relationships to acquire furs and other products for export.
[3] The English focused on economic prosperity & religious freedom→subsistence and cash crop agriculture. They settled on land taken from Native Americans, developing a contentious relationship with indigenous people.