Lecture 2 English Colonization

Objectives

  • Understand English motives for colonization

    • Cultural and economic factors

  • Understand early colonial endeavors

  • Understand the role of religion in the early colonies

The English Reformation

  • Broke with Roman Catholic Church in 1534

    • Initially a defender of the faith

    • Resulted from political rather than theological disputes

    • Established himself as the supreme head of the Church of England

Henry VIII and His Wives

  • The six wives of Henry VIII:

    • Catherine of Aragon (1533-1536) => Divorced

    • Anne Boleyn (1536-1537) => Executed

    • Jane Seymour (1509-1533) => Died

    • Anne of Cleves (1540) => Divorced

    • Katherine Howard (1540-1542) => Executed

    • Katherine Parr (1543-1547) => Widowed

Edward VI (1547-1553)

  • Son of Jane Seymour

  • First monarch raised as a Protestant

    • A council ruled during his minority (9 years old)

    • England became increasingly Protestant

    • Abolished Mass and clerical celibacy

Bloody Mary (1553-1558)

  • Daughter of Catherine of Aragon

  • Reverted England back to Catholicism

    • Persecuted Protestants including burning nearly 300 dissenters

Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603)

  • Reversed England to Protestantism

    • Introduced moderate policies and tolerance

    • Celebrated for her virginity

Roanoke Settlement (1584)

  • Location: Norfolk, Virginia Beach

  • Established on Roanoke Island

King James I (1603-1625)

King James and the Virginia Company

  • Economic motives: charters for merchant trading

  • Pursuit of gold, silver, and spread of Christianity

Jamestown (1606)

  • First permanent English colony in the Americas

    • Located in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

    • Related to the lost Roanoke Colony

Native American Tribes

  • American Indians inhabited regions from Pennsylvania to New York circa 1600

  • Significant tribes: Mannahoac, Algonquian, Siouan, Iroquoian, Monacan

  • The Powhatan chiefdom included over thirty tribes

John Smith

  • Notable leader of Jamestown

  • Engaged in conflicts with Powhatan tribe

Pocahontas

  • Daughter of Powhatan and played a significant role in early English-Native relations

Life in Jamestown

  • Settlers faced significant challenges for survival

    • Starvation was a major issue, especially during 1609-1610

    • Strict governance by Lord De La Warr helped stabilize the situation

House of Burgesses (1619)

  • First legislative assembly in the American colonies

  • Included governor, councilors, and elected representatives

  • Experiment with representative democracy

Arrival of the White Lion (1619)

  • Significant as it brought enslaved people to Virginia

Virginia Charter Revocation

  • Revoked in 1624 after Powhatan's death and near destruction of the colony

Tobacco Cultivation

  • Unintentional introduction led to a boom: from 60,000 lbs in 1620 to 35 million lbs by 1700

Headright System and Indentured Servitude

  • Headright: Grants of 50 acres for settlers

  • Indenture: Contracts for 4-7 years of labor; differing conditions for men and women

Social Stratification

  • Rise of the planter elite due to tobacco profits

  • Definition of a yeoman farmer

Slave Codes (1640-1660)

  • Transition from custom to law

  • Exclusion and discrimination laws against Blacks

    • E.g., Blacks excluded from owning arms, enslaved children’s status determined by mother

Evolution of Slave Codes (1680-1705)

  • Enforced racial separation

  • Restrictions on gatherings, rights, and property ownership for enslaved people

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

  • Civil unrest led by Nathaniel Bacon against colonial elites

  • Strengthened control of elite

Puritanism

  • Competing visions within the English Reformation

  • Rejection of ecclesiastical hierarchy; self-governing community

The Plymouth Colony (1620)

  • Founded by English Separatists seeking religious freedom

    • Emigrated from Holland attempting to reach Jamestown

Mayflower Compact (1620)

  • Establishment of self-governance by settlers

Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)

  • Royal charter established a self-governing entity

  • Aimed at forming a "city upon a hill" signaling Puritan ideals

Evolution of Puritan Society

  • Foundation of beliefs: Total Depravity, Predestination, and laws prohibiting games and festivities

Puritan Family Structure

  • Families viewed as "little commonwealths"

  • Inextricable link between family, church, and government

Puritan Government

  • Democratic town meetings prevalent with strict adherence to Puritan laws

  • Institutional discrimination against dissenters

Splintering of Puritanism

  • Growing tensions leading to dissent and questions about religious doctrine

Key Figures in Puritanism

  • Roger Williams: Advocated for separation of church and state, banished in 1635

  • Anne Hutchinson: Held meetings in her home, charged for dissent against Puritan doctrine

Quakers (1650s)

  • Following inner light doctrine; faced severe persecution

Growth of Colonies and Halfway Covenant

  • Influenced by immigration patterns and generational growth

New York (1664)

  • Originally Dutch territory; diversity flourished under Duke of York's leadership

New Jersey and Pennsylvania

  • Established from divisions of New York; came to represent diversity in governance

Pennsylvania (1681)

  • Promoted as a "Holy Experiment" under William Penn, fostering peace with Native Americans and religious freedom

Consolidation of Royal Authority

  • Navigation Acts (1650-1660) aimed at controlling colonial trade and maintaining English economic interests through stringent laws.