Chapter 2

1. Chapter 2 New World Experiments

2. Reasons for English Exploration • Driving factors for English exploration in the New World: • Rapid population growth in Europe • England had over 8 million people (Today London alone has close to 10 million) • Desire to own land • Unless you were born into nobility, you had no chance of owning land • People were either living in poverty, or feared falling into poverty • Religious disagreements • Puritans, Separatists, Catholic, Church of England

3. Old Ways in the New World • The early English explorers were quick to establish their old beliefs and customs to the new settlements in America • Financing exploration in the New World • New World exploration was about making money • The English financed these business ventures through Joint Stock Companies • Numerous investors would pool their money and split whatever was made amongst them (similar to a modern day corporation) • This allowed investors to buy into the New World without risking their entire fortunes to bankruptcy.

4. The Virginia Company (aka London Company) • The Virginia Company • A joint stock venture that wanted to find New World gold and discover the “western passage” • Settled in Virginia along the banks of the James River • The sight was chosen primarily in an attempt to avoid surprise attacks at the hands of the Natives • The Virginia Company called their settlement Jamestown(1607) • The first permanent English settlement in the New World

5. Early Jamestown • Hardships • Most of the explorers that came to Jamestown were businessmen, and inexperienced in the surviving in the wild. • The early focus of explorers was on finding gold, and no time was spent growing and cultivating food, or learning to hunt and fish. • The “Starving Time” 1609-1610 • Because the explorers wasted their time looking for non-existent gold, and not growing food, hunting and fishing, when the winter came, many of the colonists starved. • Of 500 settlers in Jamestown, only 60 survived the winter of 1609-1610 • The people who lived survived on dogs, cats, rats, and one guy even ate his pregnant wife (he was put to death).

6. Saving Jamestown • During the “starving time” Jamestown looked as if it was going to fail. • Captain John Smith • Rises up as the leader of Jamestown, and whips the colony of Jamestown into shape • Establishes a “work to eat” policy • Basically, if you aren’t contributing to colony by growing food or hunting, you aren’t going to eat. • No more looking for gold that doesn’t exist.

7. Economic Success at Jamestown • John Rolfe • young English settler who arrived at Jamestown at the end of the starving period • brought tobacco seeds with him • A crime punishable by death (the Spanish had a monopoly on New World tobacco and wanted to keep it that way) • Planted tobacco in Jamestown, and the first harvest was worth over a million dollars in today’s money. • Tobacco quickly became the cash crop of the Jamestown colony. • Tobacco thrived in the humid climate of the Chesapeake • It was tobacco, not gold, that made Jamestown a financial success.

8. Growing Virginia • Because of the extraordinary success of tobacco, Jamestown continued to grow. • Land grants were used as the vehicle to attract more workers to Virginia. • The Headright System is established. • A landowner in Virginia would pay for an English farmer (indentured servant) to come to the New World, the worker would be indebted to the land owner for seven years, and would work in the tobacco fields. At the end of the servitude, the worker would go free, and the land owner would be given an additional 50-100 acres of land for each indentured servant that they sponsored. • If you were a landowner in the 17th Century, how would you handle the headright systems?

9. The Effects of the Headright System • Indentured servants • Usually single, lower-class males, in their late teens or early 20s • would work off their debt of passage to the New World in hopes of one day owning land. • Landowners • Sponsored indentured servants passage to the New World • Would gain more land for every indentured servant brought here • The landowners got wealthier, and most indentured servants had no real chance of ever owning land in the New World.

10. Life in the Chesapeake • Life expectancy was about 40 years • Disease – malaria, yellow fever, typhoid, dysentery • Climate – hot and humid summers took its toll on the body • Male to female ratio was about 6:! • Unless you were a wealthy land owner, your chances of getting married and starting a family were slim to none • Women’s rights • Women could be land owners and could inherit land from their husbands • Religion • Played a very small role in the Chesapeake

11. Changes in Virginia • The Virginia House of Burgesses (1618) • The first representative assembly in the New World (an early Congress) • Colonists elected their representation • 1624 - Virginia became a Royal Colony • The King of England took over control of Virginia and appointed a Royal Governor

12. Maryland • 1632 • Maryland was founded by George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) • The Capital became St. Mary’s City • It was founded as a haven for Catholics in the New World • It was originally set up as a feudal society, but that eventually went away • Also began to grow tobacco • Maryland and Virginia became known as the Chesapeake Bay Colonies.

13. Carolina • The emergence of Carolina • Most of the settlers came from Barbados (an island in the Caribbean) • Rice became the main cash crop for Carolina • The majority of African slaves brought to N. America in 1600s came to Carolina because they were already skilled at rice agriculture.

14. Puritans and Separatists • In early 17th Century England, there was a lot of religious dissention from various groups: • Separatists vs. Puritans • All Separatists are Puritans, but not all Puritans are Seperatists • Puritans – a religious sect in England that wanted to “purify” the corrupt practices of the Church of England • Separatists – advocated a complete break from the Church of England

15. The Influence of John Calvin • The religious doctrine of John Calvin influenced the decision of Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries. • John Calvin of Geneva • Elaborated the ideas of Martin Luther • Calvinism becomes the theological credo for the Puritans (New Englanders • Predestination • God predestined people for heaven or hell before birth (the elect) • No belief or good work could save those predestined for hell.

16. The Separatists Leave • Separatists • Left England in 1608 and headed for Holland to escape the religious persecution of the King • After 12 years in Holland, they decided to leave so they could raise their family with English customs • The kids were getting “Dutchified” • 1620 • The Seperatists (aka The Pilgrims) set sail on the Mayflower • They settled at Plymouth (Massachusetts)

17. Establishing Government • Before the Pilgrims stepped off the boat at Plymouth, they set up a system for politically governing the new colony. • The Mayflower Compact • Signed by the men on the Mayflower • Agreed to govern by the consent of the people (democracy) • Not a constitution, but a huge step in the right direction as far as self-determination of government is concerned. • William Bradford became the first governor and was elected annually for 30 years.

18. Puritans in New England • Puritans • Individuals committed to significant institutional change • Thought the best way to facilitate change in the Church of England was to remain connected and try to change the Church from the inside • Based their culture around the family • Congregationalism • Only the “elect” or predestined could be part of the church • You had to be a church member to vote • Women had very little say in the church or government

19. Massachusetts Bay Colony • MBC • Where the Puritans settled • Economy based on: • Furs • Ship building • Fishing • John Winthrop was first governor • Called Massachusetts “a city upon a hill”

20. Religious dissenters • Anne Hutchinson • Challenged gender roles in Massachusetts • Became an outspoken proponent of antinomianism • Predestination didn’t exist • Faith in Jesus Christ was the only way to salvation • Obeying moral or religious laws does not guarantee salvation • Belief in personal revelation • Put on trial and banished from MBC

21. Religious Dissenters Continued… • Roger Williams • Claimed Massachusetts was an illegitimate colony based on it’s lack of Royal Charter • Claimed that the land belonged to the Indians and the Puritans stole it. • Demanded that separation of church and state be implemented in Massachusetts • Put on trial, but fled south and formed his own colony – Rhode Island

22. Rhode Island • Rhode Island • Founded by Roger Williams • Guaranteed complete and total religious freedom (first colony to do so) • Became known as “the sewer” because of its willingness to accept society’s outcasts • Gained a reputation among the colonies of being independent and individualistic

23. Life In New England • Life Expectancy was into the 70’s • The cold climate killed the germs • Cleaner water • Less physical labor • Male to female ratio was about 1:1 • Society centered around the family – “New England invented grandparents” • Education was paramount • Religion played a huge role in society.

24. New Netherland • New Netherland • Discovered by an English explorer sailing on behalf of the Dutch – Henry Hudson • Founded by the Dutch as a commerce center for the Dutch East India Company • Manhattan was purchased from the Natives for 24 dollars • Capital of the province was New Amsterdam • Taken by the English in 1664 • New Netherlands was renamed New York after the king’s brother – The Duke of York • The capital was changed from New Amsterdam to New York

25. William Penn William Penn was a Quaker • Quakers: • Pacifist - Did not believe in war • Refused military service • Did not believe in retaliation • Highly democratic • Believed everyone was a child of God • Had excellent relationships with the Natives

26. Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania • The province was a gift from the King of England to William Penn as repayment of a debt that the King owed to Penn’s father. • Reason for Penn’s founding of Pennsylvania • Founded as a haven for Quakers • They had been the victims of extreme persecution in Europe • Experiment with more loose governmental practices • Turn a profit

27. Connecticut • Hartford, Connecticut • Founded by Dutch and English (1635) • Puritans (Led by Thomas Hooker) swarmed into Hartford • Three years after the establishment of Hartford: • A document called the Fundamental Orderswas drafted • The first modern constitution • Highly democratic (Run by the people) • Used as a benchmark for later state constitutions

28. Georgia • Georgia (1732) • The last of the original 13 colonies • Founded and funded by James Oglethorpe • Georgia became a place where debtors could work off their debt instead of being thrown into a debtor’s prison • Wine became a major export for GA