Colonial America: Chesapeake Colonies (Maryland and Virginia)

Overview of Colonial America and the Chesapeake Colonies

Coverage Period: From the first English settlement in North America until just before the Civil War, approximately 250 years.
Focus: Key theoretical elements necessary for seminar analysis.

Spanish Colonial Wealth:
- Late 1400s, Spain became wealthy from colonies in the Americas, specifically through the extraction of gold and silver.
- This success influenced British colonial ambitions.
John Cabot's Expedition (1487):
- Initiated by Britain to explore the New World.
- Discovered Newfoundland and claimed it for England.
- Planned a return voyage in 1488 but was lost at sea.
Decline of British Interest:
- Following Cabot's voyage, British interest waned due to focus on wars in Europe, particularly with Iran.

Elizabeth I's Influence:
- Second half of the 16th century saw a shift in British focus towards challenging Spanish dominance.
- Supported expeditions in the 1580s leading to Roanoke Island settlement.
Roanoke Colony (1587):
- Established by Sir Walter Raleigh with 114 colonists.
- Named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth I.
- Reliant on Britain for supplies, faced delays due to war, and resupply arrived in 1590.
Mysterious Disappearance:
- By the time the resupply ship arrived, all colonists had vanished.
- Believed to be due to drought and hostilities with local Native American tribes.
- The only clue found was the word "CROATOAN" carved into trees, referring to both an island and the native tribe.
- Marked a failed settlement attempt and renewed British disinterest in colonization.

Shift back to Colonial Ambitions after the Anglo-Spanish War:
- Peace with Spain in 1604 enabled renewed focus on colonization.
Charter Grants:
- In 1606, King James I granted new charters to two joint-stock companies: Virginia Company of Plymouth and Virginia Company of London.
Economic Motivation:
- Companies aimed to profit from gold, silver, raw materials, and possibly find a Northwest Passage to Asia.
- Both parties viewed colonization as strategically beneficial.

In 1607, the Virginia Company of London sent 104 settlers who established Jamestown.
Significance:
- First permanent settlement in what is now the United States.
- Settlers remained British subjects under the company’s management.
Location Challenges:
- Jamestown was in the territory of the Powhatan Confederacy, an alliance of about 30 tribes with an estimated population of 15,000.
- Initial settlement focused on commercial goals, not long-term establishment.
Early Struggles:
- Many settlers were gentlemen with little knowledge of farming, prioritizing search for gold over agriculture.
- The disconnect between expectations and harsh realities led to significant challenges in the colony.

Severe famine leading to drastic population decline:
- Settler number dropped from over 400 to 60 survivors during the winter due to disease, starvation, and attacks from local tribes.
Reasons for Agricultural Failures:
- Early settlers focused on gold rather than food production.
- Majority had no farming experience, leading to dependency on native resources which were not available.

Shift in Strategy Post-Famine:
- John Smith noted for his leadership and instituted the "he who does not work shall not eat" policy.
Introduction of Tobacco Cultivation:
- John Rolfe discovered tobacco could be cultivated in Virginia after marrying Pocahontas.
- Tobacco became the cash crop following the trend of smoking in Britain, hence creating a huge demand.
Labor Shortages for Tobacco Cultivation:
- Demand for labor to grow tobacco was immense due to its labor-intensive nature; initial settlers were unable or unwilling to meet these needs.

Attempts to Coerce Indigenous Labor:
- Early strategies mirrored Spanish successes in South America, leading to conflict and warfare against the Powhatan.
- Indigenous populations were not easily captured due to superior knowledge of land and numbers, along with high mortality from diseases introduced by Europeans.
Shift to Indentured Servitude:
- To resolve labor shortages, Virginia colonists adopted indentured servitude, an agreement where individuals worked to pay for passage to America.
- Typically, laborers were poor males required to work for 4-7 years.
- Conditions were harsh, with many servants failing to survive their contracts due to disease and exploitation.
Headright System (1617):
- Introduced to encourage immigration by granting 50 acres of land for each individual brought to Virginia.
- Led to rapid expansion and increased tensions with indigenous populations as settlements encroached on their land.
Transition to African Slavery:
- In the 1660s-1680s, colonial planters shifted from relying on indentured servants to enslaved Africans due to various challenges, including labor shortages, mortality rates among servants, and managing freed servants who competed for land.

Rebellion by freed indentured servants against Virginia's elite.
Reasons for Rebellion:
- Freemen felt unprotected from Native American raids and frustrated by lack of accessible land.
Outcomes:
- This prompted elite landowners to consider enslaved Africans as a more stable labor force due to the perceived threat from poor white laborers.

Early Success:
- Introduction of a successful tobacco variety by John Rolfe in 1611 led to rapid increases in exports from 40,000 pounds in 1611 to 1,300,000 pounds by 1629.
- High demand led to significant profits but also price fluctuations influenced by supply and competition.

Next Topic: Establishment of Maryland and further exploration of colonial dynamics in the Chesapeake region.