Settlements, Alliances, and Resistance: The Arrival of Europeans in the New World

Chapter 3: Settlements, Alliances and Resistance

Introduction

  • Topic: The Arrival of Europeans in the New World

  • Presenter: Prof. Katie Farmer (Lone Star College)

Croatoan

  • Year: 1587

  • Significance: First attempt to colonize by the British.

Jamestown (Virginia)

  • Founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company

    • Investors aimed to generate profit through colonization.

  • Named after: King James.

  • Goals:

    • Produce wealth through the extraction of minerals.

    • Seek a passage to Asia.

    • Learn from Native Americans.

  • Emphasis on wealth over settlement led to:

    • Lack of farming and livestock.

    • Consequences: Hard winters and high mortality rates among settlers.

Native Americans: Overview

Slavery

  • Year of initiation: 1619, with John Rolfe purchasing 20 slaves.

  • Status: Enslaved individuals were legally considered property without any rights.

  • Types of Work:

    • Predominantly on plantations in the Southern colonies growing crops (tobacco, rice, indigo).

    • Some worked as house servants, craftsmen, or laborers.

  • Living Conditions:

    • Characterized as harsh with long hours, poor housing, insufficient food, and frequent physical punishments.

  • Freedom:

    • Condition: Enslaved for life, with status passed on to children.

  • Resistance Methods:

    • Work slowdowns, escaping, rebellions, preservation of culture and traditions.

Indentured Servants

  • Status: Poor Europeans signed contracts (indentures) for 4–7 years of labor for passage to America.

  • Types of Work:

    • Varied from farm labor to household work and skilled trades.

  • Living Conditions:

    • Difficult: long hours and strict rules, yet generally better than those of enslaved individuals.

  • Freedom:

    • Upon completion of contract, indentured servants would generally receive land, tools, or money.

  • Rights: Limited legal rights; able to pursue court but it was difficult.

Pocahontas

  • Background: Powhatan girl, daughter of Chief Powhatan of the Powhatan Confederacy in Virginia.

  • Age at Jamestown arrival: Approximately 10–12 years old in 1607.

  • Historical Event: Allegedly saved John Smith from execution by placing her head over his.

    • Note: Historians question the authenticity of this account.

  • Kidnapped in 1613 by colonists, used as leverage against Chief Powhatan.

    • Captivity led to her learning English, conversion to Christianity, and renaming to Rebecca.

  • Marriage: To John Rolfe in 1614; portrayed by English as proof of peaceful colonization.

  • Travel to England: In 1616, represented as an "Indian princess."

  • Death: Became ill while preparing for return to Virginia, dying in 1617 at about 21 years old.

Religious Freedom

  • The Separatists (Pilgrims): Sought religious freedom from the Anglican Church.

    • Year of arrival: 1620, funded by the Virginia Company.

    • Original destination: Virginia, but landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

  • Governance: Agreement among passengers to work together (Mayflower Compact).

    • Pros of Plymouth: High hill for protection, harbor proximity, absence of Native American resistance (over 1,000 natives died from disease).

    • Cons: Late arrival hindered shelter construction and farming setup leading to many deaths.

  • Native Interaction:

    • Somoset introduced settlers to Massasoit, ruler of the Wampanoag.

    • Squanto acted as a translator and teacher, teaching settlers to fertilize corn with herring and fish for eels.

    • Resulting in 54 years of peace between settlers and Native Americans.

New England Colonies - Plymouth

Mayflower Compact (1620)

  • Purpose: Establish a self-governing structure for Pilgrims and settlers in Plymouth.

    1. Social Contract: Adult men agreed to work for the colony's good.

    2. Just Laws: Promised to create and abide by laws for the colony's general good.

    3. Order and Cooperation: Provided governance in absence of established government, ensuring orderly conduct.

    4. Legitimizing Authority: Collective agreement for governance, marking a step toward self-government in America.

Massachusetts Colony

  • Puritan Flight: Puritans fleeing King James' persecution for a new life in North America.

  • Beliefs: Advocated reading and interpretation of the Bible by all.

  • Massachusetts Bay Company: Corporately funded the Puritan voyage.

  • Landing: Established in Salem (north of Boston).

  • Year 1603: Departure of over 1,000 people and 200 cattle under Governor John Winthrop.

  • Growth: Over the next decade, more than 20,000 followed.

  • Charter: Formed a permanent self-governing colony, envisioned as a "City Upon a Hill."

Rhode Island

  • Founded by Roger Williams, advocating separation of church and state.

  • Relations: Collaborated with Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes, purchasing land.

  • Anne Hutchinson: Promoted her interpretations of the Bible and was subsequently banished from the colony.

Maryland (1634)

  • Significance: First proprietary colony granted by the king to an individual, depicting private land ownership.

  • Land Grant: King Charles I granted territory to George Calvert (Lord Baltimore).

New York (1626)

  • Start: Founded by the Dutch as New Amsterdam under New Netherland in 1624.

  • Renaming: In 1664, England renamed the colony to New York, honoring the Duke of York.

  • Explorer: Henry Hudson's exploration down the Hudson River.

  • Manhattan: Emerged as a fur trading post, integrating various ethnicities.

  • Major City: New Amsterdam (later New York City) served as America's first multiethnic community.

Pennsylvania (1682)

  • Formation: Granted by King Charles II to William Penn and his Quaker followers in 1681.

Carolinas (1663)

  • Grant: King Charles II bestowed ownership to eight Lord Proprietors, establishing exclusive colonial ownership.

  • Capital: Charles Town (later Charleston).

  • Document: The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina outlined governance.

Pequot War

  • Tribe: The Pequot tribe, situated in Connecticut, was a formidable force.

  • Causes: Strain over trade, territory control, and cultural misunderstandings ignited conflict.

  • War Timeline: 1636–1637.

  • Specific Incidents:

    • The English accused Pequots of starting conflicts and killing traders.

    • The Mystic Massacre (1637): English colonists allied with Mohegan and Narragansett attacked a Pequot village, resulting in numerous deaths.

  • Outcomes:

    • Survivors faced death, capture, or enslavement.

    • Substantial destruction of the Pequot tribe and solidified English dominance in southern New England, establishing a precedent for future colonial-Native conflicts.

King Philip's War

  • Timeframe: 1620 – 1675; period marked by peace between Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians.

  • Leadership: Metacom (King Philip), Chief of Wampanoag tribe.

  • Tensions: Rooted in colonial expansion, violated treaties, and cultural conflicts.

  • Trigger Event: Arrest and execution of three Wampanoag men for the murder of John Sassamon.

  • Escalation: The Wampanoag attacked the colonial town of Swansea.

  • Major Battles: 52 of 90 settlements attacked, resulting in widespread devastation.

    • Example Incident: Great Swamp Fight (1675), where colonial militias devastated a Narragansett fort.

  • Metacom's Fate: Captured and beheaded; his head displayed as a warning.

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

  • Context: Social division in Virginia amongst colonists, natives, slaves, and indentured servants by 1660.

  • Leadership: Nathaniel Bacon led disenfranchised settlers demanding aggressive action against Native tribes.

  • Governor's Opposition: Sir William Berkley favored peaceful relations with Native Americans, leading to tension.

  • Result: Bacon's actions prioritized conflict over peace, leading to various chaotic encounters.

French Exploration and Impact

Quebec (Canada)

  • Early Exploration: Conducted by Jacques Cartier (1530s) and Samuel de Champlain (1608); established Quebec as a fur trading stronghold.

  • Settlements concentrated along the St. Lawrence River for efficient trade with Native tribes like Huron and Algonquin.

Montreal (1642)

  • Foundation: Established by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve on the St. Lawrence River, vital for trade and defense against the Iroquois Confederacy.

French Exploration of the Mississippi

  • Claiming Land: Robert Cavelier de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Valley for France, denoting it as Louisiana in 1682.

  • New Orleans Foundation: Established in 1718 as a pivotal trade and military site, it integrated slaves from Haiti, influencing cultural music development, leading to jazz and blues.

French Cultural Impact

Architecture

  • Characterized by wrought-iron balconies and courtyards, reflective of French colonial style.

Cuisine

  • Creole culinary contributions: Gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, étouffée.

Religion

  • French Catholicism dominated, creating a prolific center for Catholic practices in the South, illustrated by structures like St. Louis Cathedral.

Music

  • Cultural blending led to Creole music fusions and early jazz formations, incorporating African rhythms with European melodies.

New Spain Territory

  • Regions: Florida (1565), New Mexico (1598) with Santa Fe's establishment in 1610.

Pueblo Revolt

  • Background: Revolt led by Pope against oppressive Spanish governance, culminating in violence and property destruction.

  • Consequences: Spanish control in the region was not fully regained for 12 years.

  • Defense Response: In reaction to French incursions, Spain erected San Antonio and constructed a fort in San Diego.