Period 2: 1607-1754 - APUSH Outline

Table of Contents

• 2.2 & 2.3 European Colonization

• 2.4 & 2.6 The Transatlantic (Slave) Trade

• 2.5 Natives/Europeans

• 2.7 Colonial Society

European Colonies (British)

2.2 Development and Expansion of Reasons

• A significant factor influencing British colonization was the quest for wealth and resources. Economic opportunities, driven by mercantilist policies, led to the establishment of colonies that could provide raw materials to England and serve as markets for English goods. The mercantilist approach emphasized the importance of exporting more than importing to strengthen the national economy, contributing to aggressive colonization efforts.

• Environmental factors, such as available natural resources (timber, furs, and fertile soil), climate, and geography, played a crucial role in shaping the development of British colonies. For example, in New England, the abundance of timber supported the shipbuilding industry, while the Southern colonies capitalized on the warm climate and fertile land to cultivate lucrative cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo, which were heavily demanded in Europe.

Spanish, French, and Dutch Colonies

Spanish Colonies

• With locations stretching across Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California, the Spanish colonies sought wealth and power primarily through the extraction of gold and silver. The Spanish established missions and presidios (military outposts) to protect their interests and convert Native Americans to Christianity, demonstrating their dual goals of expansion and religious conversion.

• The Spanish developed the encomienda system, which granted colonists land and control over local Native American labor in exchange for Christianizing them. This system created a rigid caste structure based on race and ethnicity, leading to complex social hierarchies where Spanish-born settlers (peninsulares) ranked highest, followed by their American-born descendants (creoles), and then various mixed-race groups.

French Colonies

• The French focus on trade, particularly in fish and furs, rather than conquest, resulted in significant interactions with Native Americans, as they tended to develop cooperative relationships. Founded in Quebec, Canada, the French formed alliances through intermarriage with Indigenous peoples, which facilitated trade partnerships and created a relatively shared economy around fur trapping.

• The fur trade became a cornerstone of the French colonial economy, greatly relying on Indigenous knowledge and labor for the creation of tools and traps used in the trade, as well as the identification of key trading routes. This reliance fostered culturally rich exchanges that often respected Native autonomy relative to land use and resource sharing.

Dutch Colonies

• The Dutch, motivated by trade and commerce, established New Amsterdam (modern-day New York) as a central trading hub that welcomed a diverse range of settlers. Their focus was on creating a thriving commercial empire based on trade rather than conquest, and they engaged in profitable partnerships with Indigenous tribes.

• They are famously known for “purchasing” Manhattan from locals for $24 in trinkets, which underscores the nature of economic transactions during colonial expansion; this event reflects misunderstandings of land ownership between Europeans and Native Americans.

• A collaborative relationship with Swedes in areas like New Jersey and Delaware further helped bolster trade relations in the region, showcasing their adaptability and diplomatic approaches in colonial endeavors.

English Colonies

• Settled primarily along the East Coast: These colonies included New England (such as Massachusetts, Rhode Island), the Middle Colonies (like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania), and the Southern Colonies (including Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, Georgia). Each region developed unique economic and social structures influenced by their geography and socio-political objectives.

• Reasons for Settlement: Motivations for colonization included the pursuit of economic opportunities (farming, fishing, and trade), land acquisition, seeking religious freedom (notably among Puritans and Quakers), and the desire for a better life. The promise of land ownership was a significant draw, with land seen as a source of wealth and a means to build a future.

• Joint Stock Company: This innovative financial model allowed investors to fund expeditions, reducing individual risk while enabling colonies to be established. Prominent examples include the Virginia Company, which was responsible for founding Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Jamestown - 1st Permanent English Settlement

• Founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company, Jamestown’s goal was not only to extract precious resources like gold but also to establish military forts for defense against potential Spanish and Native American threats. Early challenges included geothermal issues such as swampy land and a lack of drinkable water, which hampered early survival efforts.

Successes and Failures of Jamestown

Successes:

• The introduction of tobacco cultivation by John Rolfe transformed the colony's economy by establishing a cash crop that fueled both local expansion and global demand. Tobacco became the linchpin of the colony's survival and sparked a trade boom that made Jamestown economically viable.

• The use of indentured servants allowed for the cultivation of tobacco without immediate financial burden. These laborers, contracted to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America, provided a crucial workforce, although their rights and treatment often faced severe limitations.

Failures:

• The early years were marked by diseases (like dysentery and malaria) and famine due to environmental factors and poor management practices, resulting in high mortality rates—about 50% of settlers did not survive the first few years. Poor relations with Native populations also played a significant role in the struggle for survival.

• The fragile relationships with Native populations fluctuated, ultimately leading to conflicts such as Bacon’s Rebellion (1676), where settlers, frustrated by Governor Berkeley's policies toward Native Americans, sought to retaliate against perceived injustices in land disputes.

Native American Interactions

• Pocahontas (Amonute) emerged as a pivotal figure in the interactions between Indigenous peoples and European settlers. Captured by the English, she later married John Rolfe, helping to facilitate some temporary peace between the settlers and the Powhatan Confederacy. Her life portrays the complex diplomacy and tragic consequences of colonial expansion on Native peoples.

• Her death at a young age in England epitomizes the broader cultural and personal losses incurred by Native Americans during this period of colonization.

Early English Settlements

• Early settlers established communities in regions like Plymouth (1620) and Massachusetts Bay (1630), forming foundational societies that set precedents for self-governance and interaction with Native tribes. The Pilgrims in Plymouth fostered a new social order based on mutual consent among the settlers, which had significant implications for democratic governance in North America.

• The signing of the Mayflower Compact was a landmark event, representing an early agreement for self-governance and the principle of majority rule among settlers seeking autonomy from English authority, serving as a foundational document for future governance.

Society and Governance

Patriarchal Society

• The colonies developed distinctly patriarchal societies where the roles of women were primarily confined to domestic spheres. Expected to be subservient to male relatives, women played crucial but often unrecognized roles in family settings and local economies, engaging in agriculture and household management.

• The Halfway Covenant (1662) expanded church access to more community members, allowing children of baptized but unconverted church members to be baptized, which reflected tensions regarding religious orthodoxy and membership in colonial churches. This was critical in maintaining the church's influence and community cohesion amid changing social dynamics.

Notable Figures

• Roger Williams, a Puritan minister and early advocate for religious freedom and separation of church and state, was banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony due to his beliefs and subsequently founded Rhode Island as a refuge for those seeking religious toleration. His establishment of Providence Plantations emphasized individual rights and principles of democratic governance.

• Anne Hutchinson led biblical meetings that challenged the male-dominated religious structures of the time, resulting in her banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She stands as a symbol of early dissent against patriarchal norms in religious practices, advocating for women's spiritual authority.

Early Government Structures

• The Virginia House of Burgesses represented the first elected legislative body in British America, established in 1619, which emphasized early steps toward establishing a representative government. This body began a tradition of self-governance that would be significant in the lead-up to the American Revolution.

The Middle Colonies

• The Middle Colonies, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, earned the title of "The Breadbasket" for their production of surplus grain, essential for both local consumption and export. The diverse agricultural practices contributed to economic stability and growth in the region.

• Economic growth in the Middle Colonies was driven by diverse trading centers in Philadelphia and New York, where cultural exchanges flourished, resulting from significant immigration and a mix of cultural influences, including that of various European ethnicities and religious groups.

The Southern Colonies

Maryland

• Originally founded in 1634 as a refuge for English Catholics facing persecution, the first settlement in St. Mary’s City was characterized by an early form of representative government guided by the Act of Toleration (1649), which promoted religious freedom for Christians in a bid to attract more settlers. This act exemplified the struggle for religious and political control within the increasingly diverse population.

Other Southern Colonies

• Georgia was established in 1732 as a buffer between British territories and Spanish Florida, primarily intended to prevent Spanish expansion and protect the southern colonies. Meanwhile, North and South Carolina’s economies heavily relied on the plantation system, which utilized enslaved labor for profitability and fostered deep social and economic divisions.

Transatlantic Trade

• The focus on maximizing exports while minimizing imports under mercantilist policies shaped the economic landscape of the colonies and their relations with Europe. This led to the development of a robust trade network that connected the colonies with the British Empire and global markets, greatly enhancing the colonies' economic prospects and complexities.

The Middle Passage

• The horrific conditions on the Middle Passage are characterized by overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, and rampant disease, leading to high mortality rates among those enslaved during transport. Many enslaved individuals faced brutal treatment, and the journey often proved fatal for numerous captives, highlighting the inhumane aspects of the transatlantic slave trade.

European-Native American Trade

• Interaction between Europeans and Native Americans was complex and multifaceted. Furs were commonly exchanged for European goods like firearms, metal tools, and textiles, creating economic dependencies and altering Indigenous ways of life. However, these exchanges had detrimental effects, including the introduction of diseases like smallpox, which decimated Native populations, leading to long-lasting demographic changes and social upheaval.

Conflict in the Colonies

Virginia

• Rising tensions in Virginia, especially due to conflicts with Native Americans over land and resources, escalated reliance on slavery as a labor source to maintain economic stability. Events like Bacon's Rebellion (1676) underscored the frustrations of landless settlers and ignited broader conflicts over land rights and governance.

New England

• Metacom’s War (King Philip’s War) was a pivotal conflict involving the Wampanoag Chief, who united several tribes in an effort to resist colonial encroachment on their lands. The war resulted in prolonged conflict, devastating loss of life on both sides, and a profound impact on the Native American presence in New England, marking a significant shift in the power dynamics of the region.

Slavery in the British Colonies

Indentured Servants

• This system provided laborers a pathway to repay debts, often leading them to work for a specified number of years in exchange for their passage to America. The Headright System incentivized landowners to grow their plantations by granting them land for each indentured servant they brought, contributing to the development of the plantation economy and the social stratification that accompanied it.

Slave Codes

• Enslaved individuals were legally defined as property, and laws (slave codes) were implemented to control the enslaved populations, defining their status and restricting their rights. These codes mandated severe punishments for any acts of rebellion or disobedience, reflecting the colonies’ efforts to maintain control over an expanding enslaved population.

Colonial Society and Structure

• The colonies displayed rich cultural amalgamations due to the diverse influx of European immigrants, creating a unique blend of early American identities. This pluralism fostered a dynamic society experiencing ongoing transformations in political thought, religious practices, and social structures.

• The demographic shifts from 1600 to 1750 included increasing mixtures of cultures, ideas, and practices from various European ethnicities, leading to changing societal norms, tensions between colonists and Indigenous peoples, and evolving views regarding governance and rights.

Religion in the Colonies

• The Great Awakening and Enlightenment generated significant impacts on societal views about religion and governance, prompting movements towards independence and personal religious experiences. These intellectual and spiritual movements encouraged people to question traditional authority and laid the groundwork for the revolutionary ideals that would later emerge.

British Rule and Colonial Relations

Navigation Acts

• The Navigation Acts were implemented to regulate trade in the colonies, enforcing British economic control and providing the framework for trade policies that prioritized British commercial interests. These acts mandated that certain goods could only be exported to England, fostering tension as colonists increasingly resisted what they viewed as restrictive economic policies.

Conflicts with Britain

• The policy of salutary neglect allowed the colonies a greater degree of autonomy in governance and economic activities, which inadvertently fostered a spirit of self-reliance and led to tensions as colonies pushed back against British laws. This set the stage for the growing discontent that presaged the American Revolution as colonists grew accustomed to self-governance and desired to maintain that independence.

Reflection and Further Study

• Consider the shifting levels of democracy present in early American colonies and their constant quest for self-governance. The developing sense of identity and agency among colonists laid the foundation for future political movements, significantly influencing the sociopolitical landscape leading up to the American Revolution.