English Settlement

Overview of European Colonization in North America

Major Colonies and Native Peoples

  • New France (1534)

    • Québec (1608)

    • French Relations with Native Tribes:

    • Huron, Abenaki, Ottawa, and others

  • New Netherland (1624)

    • Hudson River area, later New York

    • Iroquois Tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora

  • New Sweden (1638)

  • English Colonies:

    • New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

    • Chesapeake Bay: Virginia, Delaware

    • Southern Colonies: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania

  • Spanish Colonies in Florida (1513)

English Colonization Insights

  • Territorial Absorption:

    • The English colonies absorbed or displaced others, pushing Native peoples towards the Appalachian Mountains.

  • Regional Division:

    • Regions of the English colonies:

    • New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

    • Chesapeake Bay: Virginia, Delaware

    • South: Carolinas, Georgia

  • Havens for Religious Minorities:

    • Maryland and Pennsylvania served as initial havens for Catholics and Quakers.

  • Conflict with the French:

    • French colonies posed threats from the North and West.

Early Attempts at Colonization

  • The Roanoke Experiment:

    • Sir Walter Raleigh's Attempts:

    • First attempt in 1585 and a second wave in 1587.

    • Located on the North Carolina coast.

    • Investors' Involvement:

    • Investors wanted to accompany settlers to ensure their investment's safety.

  • Settlement Challenges:

    • Settlers lacked necessary survival skills, leading to conflicts with Native peoples and governance issues.

    • Resupply Efforts: 1591 resupply ship found no settlers; the fate of the colony remains a mystery.

Establishment of Jamestown

  • Virginia Company of London:

    • A private joint-stock company that received a charter from King James I.

    • Jamestown founded in 1607, focused on profitability.

  • Economic Shift:

    • Discovery of tobacco as a lucrative cash crop leading to significant profits, though it was labor and land-intensive.

    • Developed the Headright System granting 50 acres for any settler's arrival, leading to the rise of indentured servitude.

    • Population Growth: 9,000 arrivals between 1610-1622, with only 2,000 survivors.

Tobacco as a Cash Crop

  • Early Exports:

    • First tobacco shipped in 1617, interrupted in 1622 but rebounded by 1624 with 200,000 lbs exported and further expanded to 3,000,000 lbs by 1638.

  • Labor Sources:

    • Settlers mostly comprised of the poor, orphans, prisoners.

    • Mortality rate: approximately 1 in 20 survived due to harsh conditions.

  • Slavery and Labor Dynamics:

    • Concerns arose about enslaving Native peoples leading to establishment of plantation systems instead.

Native American Relations in Jamestown

  • Captain John Smith's Encounter:

    • Captured by Powhatan, leader of an alliance of 30 tribes, provided initial assistance to Jamestown.

    • Notable Figures:

    • Pocahontas: Powhatan's daughter who played a pivotal role in early English-Native relations.

  • Conflict Developments:

    • Smith returned to England; relations soured following his departure.

    • Pocahontas Kidnapping: 1613 English forces kidnapped her to negotiate for captives.

  • **Consequences and