colonial society, dissension, and the african slave trade

First colony to prosper in the British empire, largely due to the tobacco boom of the 1620s.
Virginia's origins: Founded by the Virginia Company with Jamestown as the first settlement.
Mismanagement led to financial issues; by 1624, the company was bankrupt.
King James I reorganized it into a Royal Colony, appointing a royal governor to oversee it.
Established the Virginia House of Burgesses, the first elected representative government in the New World:
- Voting restricted to white male landowners.
- Legislative body consists of a bicameral legislature: House of Burgesses (elected) and Governor's Council (appointed).
Taxation required to support the Church of England, despite geographical distance.

Founded by George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) as a haven for English Catholics.
Received permission from King Charles I, a Catholic sympathizer.
Maryland operates as a Proprietary Colony, owned by an individual and his heirs.
Named for Queen Mary I, known as Bloody Mary, to provide refuge for persecuted Catholics.
Calvert appointed governors and officials, initially favoring Catholics.
Enacted the Act of Religious Toleration, promoting coexistence between Catholics and Protestants, but only lasted five years.
- Act repealed due to an influx of Protestant settlers taking control of the government.
- By 1689, Protestants establish their own government recognized by the monarchy.
Post-1689, discriminatory measures enacted against Catholics and Quakers, including restrictions on government positions.

Constant demand for labor and land; early labor force primarily consisted of indentured servants (90% of new arrivals).
Dominance of tobacco as a cash crop; cycles of boom and bust influenced by fluctuating market prices.
High mortality rate due to diseases like malaria; average life expectancy was only 48 years.
Conservative social laws were hard to enforce due to weak colonial government.
Gender norms defined roles in labor; men worked outside while women managed household tasks.

Important turning point in colonial society, occurred in 1676.
Resulted from discontent among tobacco planters due to land scarcity and discontent with Governor Berkeley's policy of keeping peace with Native Americans.
Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion against Native Americans and burned Jamestown.
After Bacon's death from dysentery, rebellion collapsed; however, it shifted reliance from indentured servitude to African slavery.
Pre-existing slavery since 1619 evolved from a limited to a harsh chattel slavery system after the rebellion.

Introduction of African slavery began with 1619 arrivals, originally more conditional.
By 1640, more restrictive laws against enslaved individuals diminished previous liberties.
By 1705, enslaved African population tripled, marking a transition to permanent enslavement.
Entry of Britain into the slave trade, notably through the Royal African Company, established competition with Spain.
The British government saw permanent enslaved labor as advantageous compared to indentured servitude.

Established by Puritans; distinct from the earlier Pilgrims of Plymouth who were separatists.
Puritans desired to purify the Church of England rather than separate from it.
Government structure favored church membership, political power restricted to white male Puritans.

New England relied on timber, furs, and fish instead of cash crops due to harsh climate.
Family-oriented society with higher literacy rates; families immigrated together.
More economically equitable society compared to Chesapeake.

Advocated for religious toleration and separation of church and state.
Banished in 1635, founded Providence, Rhode Island as a safe haven for differing beliefs.

Challenged Puritan doctrines and held popular bible studies.
Believed she received direct revelations from God, contradicting church teachings.
Banished in 1637; faced substantial gender bias during her trial.

Caused by land encroachment by Puritans and allied tribes.
Resulted in native village destruction and loss of life, leading to the creation of Connecticut Colony.

Led by Native American leader Metacom (King Philip) in response to land encroachments.
Most deadly Anglo-native conflict, ending with significant loss of native populations in New England.

Reflective of the Puritan belief in witchcraft and increasing societal anxieties within Massachusetts Bay.
Triggered by accusations against specific individuals, leading to mass hysteria and executions.
Contributed to declining influence of Puritanism as colonists began to question the rationale behind the accusations.

Colonial society in British North America was shaped by diverse events and factors.
Rapid changes in labor systems, conflicts with native tribes, and internal dissent significantly influenced early American identity.