Transplantations and Borderlands: Need To Know
The Virginia Company settled in Jamestown in 1607 and named the land after King James I.
When they arrived in Chesapeake Bay, the land was swampy and the colonists quickly realized they couldn’t farm and couldn’t build
This resulted in “The Starving Time”
In the first year, 500 people moved to Jamestown, and only 60 remained at the end
During this time, the colonists had no knowledge on how to hunt or gather food.
They quickly ran out of food and began to depend on the Natives for food and survival.
They had previously severed their relationship with the Natives and were denied food
The food shortages became so severe that they began to eat rats, most of which carried diseases, and some even resorted to cannibalism
The colonists had not realized how much disease would spread and was unprepared for the harsh cold of the Jamestown winter.
The disease that spread was caused by the new environment as well as what the colonists were consuming
During this time, colonists would try to keep rats away from food, so they would use ratsbane or arsenic trioxide to keep them at bay.
When some colonists began to eat rats, they would also consume arsenic, which resulted in many deaths
Typhoid fever and dysentery spread throughout the colony, killing about 30 percent of their population
Early on, colonists had heard about the “savage” behavior of the Natives in the New World from other colonizing countries
When they landed in Jamestown, they began to treat the Natives of the area, the Powhatans, cruelly and with no respect.
Because of their behavior, the Powhatan’s leader forbade his tribe from trading with the
English.
Although John Smith was very civilized during his attempt to gain food from the Natives, the Powhatan’s leader said in response that because of the English’s behavior, the Natives would not trade with the English unless the men came unarmed.
In the end, the Powhatan leader said he would try to give the English any food he could spare.
Without the kindness of the Powhatan leader, the colonists would have quickly been wiped out and died of starvation
In the end, the people of Jamestown elected John Smith as their President, who told the people, “Work or Don’t Eat” (a quote from the Bible) and told all of the colonists to begin working, which finally got the colony out of “the Starving Time”
Spain was the first one to own and discover tobacco, which resulted in them becoming a monopoly in the industry
Because of this, Spain did not trade tobacco or allow others to get tobacco seeds, so no one was able to grow tobacco
John Rolfe, an English explorer, farmer,r and merchant, who was known for marrying Pocahontas, came to Jamestown with tobacco seeds, which no one knew where he got them from
He planted the seeds, and what he hadn’t realized was that Jamestown was the best environment for growing tobacco.
Because of the swampy land of Chesapeake Bay, the tobacco in Jamestown flourished and farmers began to plant more tobacco, so the industry of tobacco began, and Jamestown’s economy was boosted
At the time, the Natives living in the Chesapeake Bay, known as the Powhatans, were more acclimated to the land and swampy environment.
They knew how to farm the land, build on the land, and hunt.
The Indians grew beans, pumpkins, maize (corn)
The English quickly recognized the value of corn, which was easier to cultivate and produced larger yields than any English grains.
Maize saved the colony from starvation on several occasions
The headright system was a system created to attract settlers
Settlers were given “headrights” (50 acres of Jamestown land) for settling in or sponsoring voyages
Many times, landowners would stay in England, so the land they owned was empty
When they sponsored a person to go to the colonies, that person would work as an indentured servant until they paid off their debt
When the colonists began to expand their land and make Jamestown larger, the land was either owned by a landowner in England, or part of Native territory, which made expanding Jamestown very difficult.
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, applied to Charles I for a royal charter for what was to become the Province of Maryland for freedom for Roman Catholics
After Calvert died in April 1632, the charter for "Maryland Colony" was granted to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
After the charter was granted, Cecilius took colonists to Maryland and founded the colony
Jamestown was founded by a Joint-Stock Company called the Virginia Company, which was a corporate charter
Maryland, on the other hand, was a proprietary charter granted by Charles I due to Calvert’s personal relationship with him
After 60 years of a good economy in Jamestown, people began to notice the hierarchy in the colony
As prices of tobacco kept going down, the planter class began to grow frustrated
There was a growing slave and indentured servant population, which resulted in fewer jobs for free laborers
Nathaniel Bacon and the rest of the planter class was frustrated with Sir William Berkeley
Berkeley was the governor of Virginia and was known for favoriting the upper-class
Indentured servants were also frustrated because as they paid off their debts, they were promised land
Jamestown had promised land to so many people that there was less and less land to give the indentured servants
When the indentured servants did not get land, they also lost their right to vote
The indentured servants were frustrated because they were being treated, without a right to vote (no taxation without representation)
Bacon created a militia (of both the planter class and indentured servants), defied Berkeley, attacked the Natives, and burned Jamestown to the ground
This was a successful rebellion in his eyes because it sent a clear message to Berkeley and the government, especially after trying to peacefully resolve the issue many times
Bacon only ruled for about a year, because he died of dysentery in 1677, and Berkeley regained control
Because of the rebellion, the use of indentured servants was ended
Berkeley regained control of Maryland and reinstated many of his laws
The English government also tightened their hold on Jamestown and took away a lot of Jamestown’s freedom
They also began to tax the colonists even more after the rebellion, because of their anger and fear of another rebellion
Without indentured servants, slaves became the main source of labor, increasing the use of slavery by a lot
The Pilgrims were Puritans but eventually decided that they wanted to separate from the English State Church as a whole, and became known as the Separatists.
When Puritans were put in charge of Parliament, they made laws oppressing the Separatists
The Separatists fled to the Netherlands, where they were granted religious freedom
In the Netherlands, they began to lose their English culture
The Pilgrims decided to create a plantation in the New World and traveled to the New World for religious reasons (wanted to spread their religion)
On the ship of the Mayflower on the way to the New World, the Mayflower Compact was created (1620)
the Mayflower Compact was an agreement that bound the signers to obey the government and legal system established in Plymouth Colony.
The Mayflower Compact remained in effect until Plymouth Colony became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.
When the Pilgrims encountered the Natives, one of them spoke English (Scuanto) which made communication easier
The Pilgrims forged a relationship with the Natives and wanted to be taught
Significant harvests → The 1st Thanksgiving
Disease became rampant among the Natives
There was a very significant difference between the success of Jamestown and the success of the Pilgrims
New England became a massive expansion after the first colonization of Plymouth
Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
In their view, the liturgy was still too Catholic. Bishops lived like princes. Ecclesiastical courts were corrupt.
They believed that the church must be purified
Puritans believed that it was necessary to be in a covenant relationship with God to be redeemed from one's sinful condition, that God had chosen to reveal salvation through preaching, and that the Holy Spirit was the energizing instrument of salvation.
Puritans also believed that they were the “elect” and that they needed to be a model citizen to prove that they were predestined for heaven.
The Puritans hoped that this new land would serve as a "redeemer nation."
They fled England and attempted to create a "nation of saints" in America, an intensely religious, thoroughly righteous community designed to be an example for all of Europe and the rest of the world.
Puritans created the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 with the belief that it would create religious freedom for the Puritans
John Winthrop became the governor of the MBC
These new colonies had even more sustainable growth than Plymouth
The only difference between this colony was their religious intolerance of other religions and their strict rules for the Puritans
They lived in a theocracy, which meant that the government was run by the religion
Because of their beliefs of predestination, they believed that they needed to be model citizens and could not sin
People began to spy on one another and if a person was caught sinning they were sent to jail
If a person disagreed with religious or government ideas, they were exiled
Anyone who had differing ideas to the Puritan church was exiled from Plymouth
She was a member of the MBC
She suggested that women should have roles in the church, and because it was a theocracy, that would mean that women would have roles in the government
This was very controversial at the time because there were very specific gender roles in the colony, and people were not supposed to oppose those ideas
She was also known for hosting gatherings after church and she would sometimes speak out against and question the preachers
This was highly forbidden because the Puritans believed that the preachers were saying the words of God, and what they were saying was always correct
For these reasons, Anne was exiled
Roger Williams was a preacher for the Massachusetts Bay Colony
He proposed the idea that the church and state should separate, which would allow
he wanted to stop the chaos and immorality of government from invading the purity of a person's conscience and their freedom to find their own truth or salvation.
He also suggested that the MBC should ally with the Native Americans
Puritans were against this because they believed the Natives were Satanists, they were polytheistic and had different religious rituals
He was exiled and created the colony of Rhode Island
Thomas Hooker, similar to Roger Williams, was a lecturer and preacher for the MBC
He disagreed with some of the beliefs of the MBC so he decided that he wanted to leave
He gathered a group of a couple of other colonists and created a new colony
This colony was known as Connecticut and Hooker became known as the father of Connecticut
In Connecticut, the Pequot tribe controlled the harbor which the English wanted
Taking place in 1636 and ending in 1638 in New England, the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes fought, but it became more of a massacre of the Pequot people
In Massachusetts, King Phillip (Metacom) was the very powerful leader of the Womanoag
He wanted to drive out the English to save the land and culture of the Natives
King Phillip’s War was known as the bloodied war per capita in our history
When Metacom was killed, the war ended with the English winning, and the tribe was destroyed
All of the wars between the Natives and the English began a pattern
To drive out the Natives, the English started many wars, many of which ended the destruction of the tribes and a massacre of their people
These wars began to occur more and more until there were almost no natives left in America
After seeing the trial and error of the New England colonies, the obstacles that colonists had to face to become successful were very dense and difficult
Colonists needed to work out the conflict with natives over their expansion.
Additionally, they would have to deal with religious and political internal conflicts in the colonies.
When King Charles was killed during the English Revolution, Oliver Cromwell came into power
Cromwell was a Puritan, called the Lord Protector, who was hated by the people for his unfair rules and his harsh ruling
After he died, the people restored the monarchy, and Charles II was restored (Stuart Restoration)
Settlements were also restored and proprietors came into power
Proprietors were people who were given full power over the colonies
On March 24, 1663, Charles II issued a new charter to a group of eight English noblemen, granting them the land of Carolina as a reward for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England.
The eight were called Lords Proprietors or simply Proprietors.
In Carolina, a feudal social order was created through the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina
This was one of the first real constitutions in the New World (seed of democracy)
Because of differences, the colony split in 1712
Geography and climate began to change how the two colonies functioned
In South Carolina, there was a large plantation system and lots of slavery (more wealthy, smaller population, more power for the colony)
In North Carolina, they had smaller family farms and grew tobacco
In 1664, Charles II granted his brother James, the Duke of York, all of the territory between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers
A lot of this territory was already claimed by the Dutch, who had established settlements in New Amsterdam
There were large tensions between the Dutch and English
The Dutch were in between the northern and southern English colonies which annoyed the English
This also allowed Dutch smugglers to evade English customs laws
In 1664, England took over New Amsterdam and James renamed the colony New York
Because of the settlements before the English, New York had English, Dutch, Scandinavians, Germans, French, Africans, and members of Indian tribes
James allowed this and made the land religiously tolerant, and New York flourished and continued to grow for decades
William Penn created the colony of Pennsylvania as almost a social experiment for freedom
He was a Quaker, and Quakers believed that all people were equal
William Penn’s dad was an admiral of the Navy, so he had lots of power and the King’s favor, so he was able to grant a proprietorship to William
William Penn began the colony for the freedom of people
He had refuge for Quakers, unrestricted immigration, and had a good relationship with the Natives
Penn wanted diversity for the land and was known for his advocating for equality
Pennsylvania was also known as the “Bread Basket” for its wheat products
Because of their climate (winter) and geography (north), the colony had to diversify and find ways to survive in the winter, differentiating this colony from southern colonies like South Carolina
Although the Spanish were the first to colonize the Caribbean, the English were able to slowly gain land and settle in the land.
The English began experimenting with tobacco and cotton, although most attempts failed.
What they did find was sugar, which was a growing market in Europe.
Sugarcane could be created into rum, which would become an even greater market.
Once sugar took off, many plantations were created, and in the process, trees were cut down, habitats destroyed, and available land decreased.
The British colonized the region primarily for economic reasons, seeking to exploit the islands' resources, including the labor of local populations.
One of the most significant ways British colonial rule affected the local populations was through the use of slavery.
The Caribbean colonies were an important destination for English migrants because they were closely connected to English North America and influenced many of their colonies' development.
Once the English learned that sugar was a very labor-intensive crop, and because the Antive population was too small to provide a workforce, English planters realized that they needed to start importing laborers
They began to bring indentured servants from England, but the work was too difficult for the white laborers, and many found it too hard to adapt to the harsh tropical climate.
English planters began to rely on African slaves, which quickly outnumbered them. (4 times as many slaves as white settlers)
A small population of English planters in the Caribbean began to become very wealthy and held many African slaves
They soon became afraid of slave revolts because they were outnumbered by the African slaves, and there had been previous slave revolts in the Caribbean.
Because of this, they created the black codes to oppress the slaves and avoid slave revolts which were very horrible and codified the power of Whites.
By the end of the 17th century, the Spanish had a small presence in America, with colonies in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California
These colonies attracted religious minorities, catholic missionaries, and many other groups.
They were also very successful in Mexico and further south
The most successful of the Spanish colonies was New Mexico, which had a large agricultural system and a large settlement, but only compared to the other borderlands
The Spanish also colonized California (what they called Baja California) once they realized that other Europeans would establish a presence in the area.
Large cities were created, including San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara.
The French were also exploring west of the East Coast.
They began to explore Mississippi and Louisiana.
Both the French and Spanish were able to create societies that would last for decades, and created the west coast.
In Florida, there were threats of the Spanish towards the English in the Carolinas
Georgia was between the Spanish Florida and Carolina
This was so important because the founder of Georgia was James Oglethorpe.
He was a military leader and a protector
He was known for his very strict rule of Georgia and because of this, Georgia became a buffer zone between Spanish Florida and the Carolinas
This protected the colonies from a war or conflict between the Spanish and English
The founding of Georgia was very different from that of other colonies
The founders of Georgia were a group of unpaid trustees led by General James Oglethorpe, a member of Parliament and a military hero.
The goal of founding Georgia was not just economic success but to create a military barrier between the Spanish and the English colonies.
They also wanted to create a refuge for the impoverished and where people could begin their lives
Georgia had some rules set by Oglethorpe that were both good and bad
Oglethorpe rarely had any slaves put in Georgia because he was afraid of the internal conflicts that slave labor could produce.
He prohibited rum because of moral grounds and the fear of its effects on the Natives.
They strictly regulated trade with the Indians because they wanted to limit the possibility of war with them.
Lastly, Catholics weren’t allowed because they were afraid that the Catholics would conspire with the Spanish, who were Catholic.
Some could say that Oglethorpe and his trustees were paranoid because all of the rules they set were to prevent any possible conflicts
During colonization, countries struggled not with just one another, but the NAtives of the lands.
In some parts of English colonization (New England & Virginia), the English quickly established their dominance and displaced any of the natives until the land was dominated by Europeans.
Along the western borders of English settlement, the English and Indians lived in a region where neither side could establish clear dominance.
These regions were called middle grounds, because the Native and European populations coexisted, even with conflicts.
Both populations learned to adapt to one another and their customs
The relationship with the Natives was always rocky, but the French were able to quickly learn how to communicate with them and create a good relationship.
The British finally learned this after years, but by the 1800s, the middle grounds collapsed.
Nevertheless, it is important to see that there was a time when the Natives and the Europeans were able to be stable and in mutual agreement to coexist.
Once the colonies began to become successful, England decided they needed imperial reorganization, to increase the profitability of the colonies, help the English government stay in power over them, and make the mercantile system more successful.
Mercantilism was the theory that any wealth coming from another nation to the colonies could come only at the expense of England itself.
They wanted to control the trade relationships of the colonies.
The colonies would provide a market for England’s manufactured goods and a source for raw materials it could not produce in England, and would increase the wealth of England.
Although this was supposed to benefit the colonies because they could sell raw materials and would create a source for manufactured goods some colonies were not suitable for export to England.
For some time, the English government could not restrict trade in the colonies due to their own internal problems.
When Oliver Cromwell came into power, people really did not like him.
After the Restoration, the crown was restored, and Charles II came into power.
Charles II adopted the Navigation Acts to establish England’s mercantile system in America
Initially, they began with Salutary Neglect, which left the colonies alone to figure out how to properly trade and become more independent.
After a little while, England started creating rules, taking away the new freedom of the colonies
Trade to and from colonies could only be carried in English ships
→ This was beneficial for New England because they produced ships, but the Southern colonies now became dependent on the North
Certain goods (tobacco) could only be sold in England
→ This benefited England but the price of tobacco dropped significantly (more supply of tobacco, less demand because they could only sell to the English)
Colonial goods needed to pass through English ports to be taxed
→ This cut off any relationship that the colonies had with other countries
All of the independence for the colonies was being taken back, resentment was created, and the relationship with England became strained
The enforcement of the Navigation Acts required the stationing of customs officials in America and the establishment of an agency in England to control colonial trades.
In 1679, Charles II tried to increase in control over Massachusetts by stripping the colony of its authority over New Hampshire and chartered his own colony on this land.
Five years later, after the Massachusetts General Court defied Parliament and the Navigation Acts, Charles II revoked the charter for Massachusetts and made it a royal colony.
James II, Charles’ son, and successor, created the Dominion of New England, which combined the government of Massachusetts and the rest of New England as well as New York and New Jersey.
He appointed a single governor, Sir Edmund Andros, to supervise all of Boston, and he became highly unpopular because of his dismissal of the colonists and his crude tactics.
James II was an open Catholic and made powerful enemies when he appointed his fellow Catholics to high government positions.
At the same time, he tried to control Parliament to become an absolute monarch.
He became so unpopular that the Parliament voted to force James from his throne.
He stepped down quietly and left the country after a couple of years to live in France
He was replaced by his daughter, Mary II, and her Husband William of Orange of the Netherlands, both of which were Protestant
This bloodless coup d’etat was known as the “Glorious Revolution”
When people in the colonies, especially the Bostonians, heard of the overthrow of James II, they moved to remove the governor from his position.
They quickly removed him and the sovereigns in England quickly abolished the Dominion of New England and restored separate colonies.
The colonists were freed, at least temporarily, of the strict laws and anti-puritan rule over the land.
The colonies were also very inspired by William and Mary, and is an inspiration for the revolution
The Parliament created a Bill of Rights for the English not the colonies, so as much as they loved the royals, they also began to feel some resentment towards the crown.hhu
The Virginia Company settled in Jamestown in 1607 and named the land after King James I.
When they arrived in Chesapeake Bay, the land was swampy and the colonists quickly realized they couldn’t farm and couldn’t build
This resulted in “The Starving Time”
In the first year, 500 people moved to Jamestown, and only 60 remained at the end
During this time, the colonists had no knowledge on how to hunt or gather food.
They quickly ran out of food and began to depend on the Natives for food and survival.
They had previously severed their relationship with the Natives and were denied food
The food shortages became so severe that they began to eat rats, most of which carried diseases, and some even resorted to cannibalism
The colonists had not realized how much disease would spread and was unprepared for the harsh cold of the Jamestown winter.
The disease that spread was caused by the new environment as well as what the colonists were consuming
During this time, colonists would try to keep rats away from food, so they would use ratsbane or arsenic trioxide to keep them at bay.
When some colonists began to eat rats, they would also consume arsenic, which resulted in many deaths
Typhoid fever and dysentery spread throughout the colony, killing about 30 percent of their population
Early on, colonists had heard about the “savage” behavior of the Natives in the New World from other colonizing countries
When they landed in Jamestown, they began to treat the Natives of the area, the Powhatans, cruelly and with no respect.
Because of their behavior, the Powhatan’s leader forbade his tribe from trading with the
English.
Although John Smith was very civilized during his attempt to gain food from the Natives, the Powhatan’s leader said in response that because of the English’s behavior, the Natives would not trade with the English unless the men came unarmed.
In the end, the Powhatan leader said he would try to give the English any food he could spare.
Without the kindness of the Powhatan leader, the colonists would have quickly been wiped out and died of starvation
In the end, the people of Jamestown elected John Smith as their President, who told the people, “Work or Don’t Eat” (a quote from the Bible) and told all of the colonists to begin working, which finally got the colony out of “the Starving Time”
Spain was the first one to own and discover tobacco, which resulted in them becoming a monopoly in the industry
Because of this, Spain did not trade tobacco or allow others to get tobacco seeds, so no one was able to grow tobacco
John Rolfe, an English explorer, farmer,r and merchant, who was known for marrying Pocahontas, came to Jamestown with tobacco seeds, which no one knew where he got them from
He planted the seeds, and what he hadn’t realized was that Jamestown was the best environment for growing tobacco.
Because of the swampy land of Chesapeake Bay, the tobacco in Jamestown flourished and farmers began to plant more tobacco, so the industry of tobacco began, and Jamestown’s economy was boosted
At the time, the Natives living in the Chesapeake Bay, known as the Powhatans, were more acclimated to the land and swampy environment.
They knew how to farm the land, build on the land, and hunt.
The Indians grew beans, pumpkins, maize (corn)
The English quickly recognized the value of corn, which was easier to cultivate and produced larger yields than any English grains.
Maize saved the colony from starvation on several occasions
The headright system was a system created to attract settlers
Settlers were given “headrights” (50 acres of Jamestown land) for settling in or sponsoring voyages
Many times, landowners would stay in England, so the land they owned was empty
When they sponsored a person to go to the colonies, that person would work as an indentured servant until they paid off their debt
When the colonists began to expand their land and make Jamestown larger, the land was either owned by a landowner in England, or part of Native territory, which made expanding Jamestown very difficult.
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, applied to Charles I for a royal charter for what was to become the Province of Maryland for freedom for Roman Catholics
After Calvert died in April 1632, the charter for "Maryland Colony" was granted to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
After the charter was granted, Cecilius took colonists to Maryland and founded the colony
Jamestown was founded by a Joint-Stock Company called the Virginia Company, which was a corporate charter
Maryland, on the other hand, was a proprietary charter granted by Charles I due to Calvert’s personal relationship with him
After 60 years of a good economy in Jamestown, people began to notice the hierarchy in the colony
As prices of tobacco kept going down, the planter class began to grow frustrated
There was a growing slave and indentured servant population, which resulted in fewer jobs for free laborers
Nathaniel Bacon and the rest of the planter class was frustrated with Sir William Berkeley
Berkeley was the governor of Virginia and was known for favoriting the upper-class
Indentured servants were also frustrated because as they paid off their debts, they were promised land
Jamestown had promised land to so many people that there was less and less land to give the indentured servants
When the indentured servants did not get land, they also lost their right to vote
The indentured servants were frustrated because they were being treated, without a right to vote (no taxation without representation)
Bacon created a militia (of both the planter class and indentured servants), defied Berkeley, attacked the Natives, and burned Jamestown to the ground
This was a successful rebellion in his eyes because it sent a clear message to Berkeley and the government, especially after trying to peacefully resolve the issue many times
Bacon only ruled for about a year, because he died of dysentery in 1677, and Berkeley regained control
Because of the rebellion, the use of indentured servants was ended
Berkeley regained control of Maryland and reinstated many of his laws
The English government also tightened their hold on Jamestown and took away a lot of Jamestown’s freedom
They also began to tax the colonists even more after the rebellion, because of their anger and fear of another rebellion
Without indentured servants, slaves became the main source of labor, increasing the use of slavery by a lot
The Pilgrims were Puritans but eventually decided that they wanted to separate from the English State Church as a whole, and became known as the Separatists.
When Puritans were put in charge of Parliament, they made laws oppressing the Separatists
The Separatists fled to the Netherlands, where they were granted religious freedom
In the Netherlands, they began to lose their English culture
The Pilgrims decided to create a plantation in the New World and traveled to the New World for religious reasons (wanted to spread their religion)
On the ship of the Mayflower on the way to the New World, the Mayflower Compact was created (1620)
the Mayflower Compact was an agreement that bound the signers to obey the government and legal system established in Plymouth Colony.
The Mayflower Compact remained in effect until Plymouth Colony became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.
When the Pilgrims encountered the Natives, one of them spoke English (Scuanto) which made communication easier
The Pilgrims forged a relationship with the Natives and wanted to be taught
Significant harvests → The 1st Thanksgiving
Disease became rampant among the Natives
There was a very significant difference between the success of Jamestown and the success of the Pilgrims
New England became a massive expansion after the first colonization of Plymouth
Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were English Protestants who believed that the reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough.
In their view, the liturgy was still too Catholic. Bishops lived like princes. Ecclesiastical courts were corrupt.
They believed that the church must be purified
Puritans believed that it was necessary to be in a covenant relationship with God to be redeemed from one's sinful condition, that God had chosen to reveal salvation through preaching, and that the Holy Spirit was the energizing instrument of salvation.
Puritans also believed that they were the “elect” and that they needed to be a model citizen to prove that they were predestined for heaven.
The Puritans hoped that this new land would serve as a "redeemer nation."
They fled England and attempted to create a "nation of saints" in America, an intensely religious, thoroughly righteous community designed to be an example for all of Europe and the rest of the world.
Puritans created the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 with the belief that it would create religious freedom for the Puritans
John Winthrop became the governor of the MBC
These new colonies had even more sustainable growth than Plymouth
The only difference between this colony was their religious intolerance of other religions and their strict rules for the Puritans
They lived in a theocracy, which meant that the government was run by the religion
Because of their beliefs of predestination, they believed that they needed to be model citizens and could not sin
People began to spy on one another and if a person was caught sinning they were sent to jail
If a person disagreed with religious or government ideas, they were exiled
Anyone who had differing ideas to the Puritan church was exiled from Plymouth
She was a member of the MBC
She suggested that women should have roles in the church, and because it was a theocracy, that would mean that women would have roles in the government
This was very controversial at the time because there were very specific gender roles in the colony, and people were not supposed to oppose those ideas
She was also known for hosting gatherings after church and she would sometimes speak out against and question the preachers
This was highly forbidden because the Puritans believed that the preachers were saying the words of God, and what they were saying was always correct
For these reasons, Anne was exiled
Roger Williams was a preacher for the Massachusetts Bay Colony
He proposed the idea that the church and state should separate, which would allow
he wanted to stop the chaos and immorality of government from invading the purity of a person's conscience and their freedom to find their own truth or salvation.
He also suggested that the MBC should ally with the Native Americans
Puritans were against this because they believed the Natives were Satanists, they were polytheistic and had different religious rituals
He was exiled and created the colony of Rhode Island
Thomas Hooker, similar to Roger Williams, was a lecturer and preacher for the MBC
He disagreed with some of the beliefs of the MBC so he decided that he wanted to leave
He gathered a group of a couple of other colonists and created a new colony
This colony was known as Connecticut and Hooker became known as the father of Connecticut
In Connecticut, the Pequot tribe controlled the harbor which the English wanted
Taking place in 1636 and ending in 1638 in New England, the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes fought, but it became more of a massacre of the Pequot people
In Massachusetts, King Phillip (Metacom) was the very powerful leader of the Womanoag
He wanted to drive out the English to save the land and culture of the Natives
King Phillip’s War was known as the bloodied war per capita in our history
When Metacom was killed, the war ended with the English winning, and the tribe was destroyed
All of the wars between the Natives and the English began a pattern
To drive out the Natives, the English started many wars, many of which ended the destruction of the tribes and a massacre of their people
These wars began to occur more and more until there were almost no natives left in America
After seeing the trial and error of the New England colonies, the obstacles that colonists had to face to become successful were very dense and difficult
Colonists needed to work out the conflict with natives over their expansion.
Additionally, they would have to deal with religious and political internal conflicts in the colonies.
When King Charles was killed during the English Revolution, Oliver Cromwell came into power
Cromwell was a Puritan, called the Lord Protector, who was hated by the people for his unfair rules and his harsh ruling
After he died, the people restored the monarchy, and Charles II was restored (Stuart Restoration)
Settlements were also restored and proprietors came into power
Proprietors were people who were given full power over the colonies
On March 24, 1663, Charles II issued a new charter to a group of eight English noblemen, granting them the land of Carolina as a reward for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England.
The eight were called Lords Proprietors or simply Proprietors.
In Carolina, a feudal social order was created through the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina
This was one of the first real constitutions in the New World (seed of democracy)
Because of differences, the colony split in 1712
Geography and climate began to change how the two colonies functioned
In South Carolina, there was a large plantation system and lots of slavery (more wealthy, smaller population, more power for the colony)
In North Carolina, they had smaller family farms and grew tobacco
In 1664, Charles II granted his brother James, the Duke of York, all of the territory between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers
A lot of this territory was already claimed by the Dutch, who had established settlements in New Amsterdam
There were large tensions between the Dutch and English
The Dutch were in between the northern and southern English colonies which annoyed the English
This also allowed Dutch smugglers to evade English customs laws
In 1664, England took over New Amsterdam and James renamed the colony New York
Because of the settlements before the English, New York had English, Dutch, Scandinavians, Germans, French, Africans, and members of Indian tribes
James allowed this and made the land religiously tolerant, and New York flourished and continued to grow for decades
William Penn created the colony of Pennsylvania as almost a social experiment for freedom
He was a Quaker, and Quakers believed that all people were equal
William Penn’s dad was an admiral of the Navy, so he had lots of power and the King’s favor, so he was able to grant a proprietorship to William
William Penn began the colony for the freedom of people
He had refuge for Quakers, unrestricted immigration, and had a good relationship with the Natives
Penn wanted diversity for the land and was known for his advocating for equality
Pennsylvania was also known as the “Bread Basket” for its wheat products
Because of their climate (winter) and geography (north), the colony had to diversify and find ways to survive in the winter, differentiating this colony from southern colonies like South Carolina
Although the Spanish were the first to colonize the Caribbean, the English were able to slowly gain land and settle in the land.
The English began experimenting with tobacco and cotton, although most attempts failed.
What they did find was sugar, which was a growing market in Europe.
Sugarcane could be created into rum, which would become an even greater market.
Once sugar took off, many plantations were created, and in the process, trees were cut down, habitats destroyed, and available land decreased.
The British colonized the region primarily for economic reasons, seeking to exploit the islands' resources, including the labor of local populations.
One of the most significant ways British colonial rule affected the local populations was through the use of slavery.
The Caribbean colonies were an important destination for English migrants because they were closely connected to English North America and influenced many of their colonies' development.
Once the English learned that sugar was a very labor-intensive crop, and because the Antive population was too small to provide a workforce, English planters realized that they needed to start importing laborers
They began to bring indentured servants from England, but the work was too difficult for the white laborers, and many found it too hard to adapt to the harsh tropical climate.
English planters began to rely on African slaves, which quickly outnumbered them. (4 times as many slaves as white settlers)
A small population of English planters in the Caribbean began to become very wealthy and held many African slaves
They soon became afraid of slave revolts because they were outnumbered by the African slaves, and there had been previous slave revolts in the Caribbean.
Because of this, they created the black codes to oppress the slaves and avoid slave revolts which were very horrible and codified the power of Whites.
By the end of the 17th century, the Spanish had a small presence in America, with colonies in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California
These colonies attracted religious minorities, catholic missionaries, and many other groups.
They were also very successful in Mexico and further south
The most successful of the Spanish colonies was New Mexico, which had a large agricultural system and a large settlement, but only compared to the other borderlands
The Spanish also colonized California (what they called Baja California) once they realized that other Europeans would establish a presence in the area.
Large cities were created, including San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara.
The French were also exploring west of the East Coast.
They began to explore Mississippi and Louisiana.
Both the French and Spanish were able to create societies that would last for decades, and created the west coast.
In Florida, there were threats of the Spanish towards the English in the Carolinas
Georgia was between the Spanish Florida and Carolina
This was so important because the founder of Georgia was James Oglethorpe.
He was a military leader and a protector
He was known for his very strict rule of Georgia and because of this, Georgia became a buffer zone between Spanish Florida and the Carolinas
This protected the colonies from a war or conflict between the Spanish and English
The founding of Georgia was very different from that of other colonies
The founders of Georgia were a group of unpaid trustees led by General James Oglethorpe, a member of Parliament and a military hero.
The goal of founding Georgia was not just economic success but to create a military barrier between the Spanish and the English colonies.
They also wanted to create a refuge for the impoverished and where people could begin their lives
Georgia had some rules set by Oglethorpe that were both good and bad
Oglethorpe rarely had any slaves put in Georgia because he was afraid of the internal conflicts that slave labor could produce.
He prohibited rum because of moral grounds and the fear of its effects on the Natives.
They strictly regulated trade with the Indians because they wanted to limit the possibility of war with them.
Lastly, Catholics weren’t allowed because they were afraid that the Catholics would conspire with the Spanish, who were Catholic.
Some could say that Oglethorpe and his trustees were paranoid because all of the rules they set were to prevent any possible conflicts
During colonization, countries struggled not with just one another, but the NAtives of the lands.
In some parts of English colonization (New England & Virginia), the English quickly established their dominance and displaced any of the natives until the land was dominated by Europeans.
Along the western borders of English settlement, the English and Indians lived in a region where neither side could establish clear dominance.
These regions were called middle grounds, because the Native and European populations coexisted, even with conflicts.
Both populations learned to adapt to one another and their customs
The relationship with the Natives was always rocky, but the French were able to quickly learn how to communicate with them and create a good relationship.
The British finally learned this after years, but by the 1800s, the middle grounds collapsed.
Nevertheless, it is important to see that there was a time when the Natives and the Europeans were able to be stable and in mutual agreement to coexist.
Once the colonies began to become successful, England decided they needed imperial reorganization, to increase the profitability of the colonies, help the English government stay in power over them, and make the mercantile system more successful.
Mercantilism was the theory that any wealth coming from another nation to the colonies could come only at the expense of England itself.
They wanted to control the trade relationships of the colonies.
The colonies would provide a market for England’s manufactured goods and a source for raw materials it could not produce in England, and would increase the wealth of England.
Although this was supposed to benefit the colonies because they could sell raw materials and would create a source for manufactured goods some colonies were not suitable for export to England.
For some time, the English government could not restrict trade in the colonies due to their own internal problems.
When Oliver Cromwell came into power, people really did not like him.
After the Restoration, the crown was restored, and Charles II came into power.
Charles II adopted the Navigation Acts to establish England’s mercantile system in America
Initially, they began with Salutary Neglect, which left the colonies alone to figure out how to properly trade and become more independent.
After a little while, England started creating rules, taking away the new freedom of the colonies
Trade to and from colonies could only be carried in English ships
→ This was beneficial for New England because they produced ships, but the Southern colonies now became dependent on the North
Certain goods (tobacco) could only be sold in England
→ This benefited England but the price of tobacco dropped significantly (more supply of tobacco, less demand because they could only sell to the English)
Colonial goods needed to pass through English ports to be taxed
→ This cut off any relationship that the colonies had with other countries
All of the independence for the colonies was being taken back, resentment was created, and the relationship with England became strained
The enforcement of the Navigation Acts required the stationing of customs officials in America and the establishment of an agency in England to control colonial trades.
In 1679, Charles II tried to increase in control over Massachusetts by stripping the colony of its authority over New Hampshire and chartered his own colony on this land.
Five years later, after the Massachusetts General Court defied Parliament and the Navigation Acts, Charles II revoked the charter for Massachusetts and made it a royal colony.
James II, Charles’ son, and successor, created the Dominion of New England, which combined the government of Massachusetts and the rest of New England as well as New York and New Jersey.
He appointed a single governor, Sir Edmund Andros, to supervise all of Boston, and he became highly unpopular because of his dismissal of the colonists and his crude tactics.
James II was an open Catholic and made powerful enemies when he appointed his fellow Catholics to high government positions.
At the same time, he tried to control Parliament to become an absolute monarch.
He became so unpopular that the Parliament voted to force James from his throne.
He stepped down quietly and left the country after a couple of years to live in France
He was replaced by his daughter, Mary II, and her Husband William of Orange of the Netherlands, both of which were Protestant
This bloodless coup d’etat was known as the “Glorious Revolution”
When people in the colonies, especially the Bostonians, heard of the overthrow of James II, they moved to remove the governor from his position.
They quickly removed him and the sovereigns in England quickly abolished the Dominion of New England and restored separate colonies.
The colonists were freed, at least temporarily, of the strict laws and anti-puritan rule over the land.
The colonies were also very inspired by William and Mary, and is an inspiration for the revolution
The Parliament created a Bill of Rights for the English not the colonies, so as much as they loved the royals, they also began to feel some resentment towards the crown.hhu
