Colonial America

Colonial America Commonalities, Conflicts and Commerce in Early America

English Takeover • PROBLEM • Dutch settlers in the middle colonies were geographically divisive to New England and the Southern English colonies • SOLUTION • A not so hostile takeover • Duke of York’s ships show up and the Dutch surrender • The groundwork for original 13 colonies is set

Commonalities • Varying religions and backgrounds of colonists led to an attitude that aimed at tolerance for Christian religions as well as Jews • Some early conflicts between Protestants and Catholics did occur, but eventually settled out • Each colony also had some form of government, and most had a representative government

How did these contribute to an American Identity?

Conflicts • Many of the conflicts that arose out of the early colonies arose from injustices • Native Americans • Slaves • Others arose out of taxes and other economic issues • Nathanial Bacon

Native Americans and Colonists • Early colonists at times depended on Native Americans for survival • As colonies developed, the European population of North America grew, and began to infringe on many Native Americans way of life Slavery Land Ownership Over fishing, hunting, farming

King Philip’s War • Metacom, known as King Philip to the colonists, led an uprising against the colonists • Too much European influence • Disagreement over land use • Metacom’s tribe, the Wampanoag, along with other tribes attacked over forty towns • Colonists banded together along with friendly Native American tribes to defeat Metacom, resulting in further expansion into Native American Lands

King Philip (cont.) • Colonists banded together along with friendly Native American tribes to defeat Metacom, resulting in further expansion into Native American Lands • Many of the defeated Native Americans were sold into slavery

Plantations in the South • Southern climate was prime for growing cash crops • Southern farmers established very large farms known as plantations • Plantation owners were society’s upper class • Owners hired out work, acted as nobility • Much of the “hired” help were slaves • WHY SLAVERY

Where Did They Live?

Plantations • Slavery via Africans was the preferred method because • Native Americans were plagued by disease • Native Americans were able to escape from capture relatively easy • Native Americans had family connections and societal ties that allowed for better defense against captors • ***ARTICLES/SOCRATIC CIRCLES***

Slavery • Africans already knew how to do much of the labor required on plantations • African slaves also didn’t have the support systems or family connections to escape easily • Because of the nature of the slave trade, not all slaves even spoke the same language, making unity amongst slaves difficult

Stono Rebellion • To combat slavery, many slaves purposely worked slowly, broke tools, and were defiant • Although the English owned much of the colonies in present day U.S., Spain was still in control of what is now Florida and didn’t allow slavery

Stono Rebellion (cont) • In 1739, 20 slaves gathered to march south killing planters along the way while looking for other slaves to join their march • The rebellion grew to 100 strong, killing 20 planters and burning 7 plantations • The rebellion was eventually put down and those slaves who did not get killed in battle were surrounded and executed

Slave Codes • Events like the Stono Rebellion convinced southern planters they needed a stricter set of laws for slaves • Slaves couldn’t leave without written permission • Slaves couldn’t meet with free blacks • Slaves were not allowed to read • Treatment of slaves became more inhumane as laws such as these were passed

Bacon’s Rebellion • Nathanial Bacon was a former indentured servant who had been living on the frontier • Frontier farmers along with Bacon began to complain to Virginia’s Governor William Berkeley about the number of Native American attacks on the frontier and the lack of protection provided by the Government

Bacon’s Rebellion • Bacon and the frontiersmen who supported him were landless and felt Berkeley supported only the rich plantation owners • Bacon and his followers rebelled and burned much of Jamestown to the ground while taking control of the House of Burgesses • Berkeley eventually hanged 23 of Bacon’s followers after the rebellion ended

Bacon’s Rebellion • After the rebellion, King Charles removed Berkeley from the Governor’s office • The House of Burgesses passed laws to prevent the Royal Governor from taking too much power.

Commonalities in Rebellion • Each rebellion affected the attitudes of colonists • Metacom – Expansion into Native lands • Stono – Stricter Slave Codes • Bacon – Governmental Checks against tyranny

Colonial America