Download
1 / 42
420 likes | 546 Views
Chapter Two: The Planting of English America. Interest in colonization grew in England because of: 1. A desire to compete with Spain 2. Almost constant religious strife 3. The growth of merchant capitalism – joint stock company 4. An increasing population and decreasing food supply.
E N D
Interest in colonization grew in England because of: 1. A desire to compete with Spain 2. Almost constant religious strife 3. The growth of merchant capitalism – joint stock company 4. An increasing population and decreasing food supply. 5. The desire to own land and break out of poverty.
The English believed that colonies would: 1. Provide a place to send excess population 2. Be a place where human settlement could start anew 3. Relieve England of dependence on a foreign supply of natural resources 4. Offer new markets for the wool industry
Sir Walter Raleigh • “Sea Dog” • Affected by primogeniture – only oldest son could inherit land
Early Colonies 1. Newfoundland - failed 2. Roanoke The Lost Colony founded by Raleigh – disappeared “Croatoan” 1st English baby, Virginia Dare, born there 3. Jamestown Maltese cross
The Spanish Armada Balance of Power Shifts 1. Spanish built “Invincible Armada” 2. Entered English Channel 3. Routed by smaller, faster English ships 4. Ended Spanish dreams of empire 5. Led to period of English confidence
Common characteristics of English colonies in the early 1600s: 1.They were business enterprises designed to produce a profit 2. They were part of a complex and changing society 3. They could not get things to work as they had planned 4. They were tied only indirectly to the British Crown
English Colonization • The Charter of the Virginia Company: • Guaranteed to colonists the same rights as Englishmenas if they had stayed in England. • This provision wasincorporated into future colonists’ documents. • Colonists felt that, even in the Americas, they had the rights of Englishmen!
England Plants the Jamestown “Seedling” • Late 1606 VA Co. sends out 3 ships • Spring 1607 land at mouth of Chesapeake Bay. • Attacked by Indians and move on. • May 24, 1607 about 100 colonists [all men] land at Jamestown, along banks of James River • Easily defended, but swarming with disease-causing mosquitoes.
Chesapeake Bay Geographic/environmental problems??
The Jamestown Nightmare • 1606-1607 40 people died on the voyage to the New World. • 1609 another ship from England lost its leaders and supplies in a shipwreck off Bermuda. • Settlers died by the dozens! • “Gentlemen” colonists would not work themselves. • Game in forests & fish in river uncaught. • Settlers wasted time looking for gold instead of hunting or farming.
Captain John Smith:The Right Man for the Job?? (1608) There was no talk…but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold… He who shall not work shall not eat.
High Mortality Rates • The “Starving Time”: • 1607: 104 colonists • By spring, 1608: 38 survived • 1609: 300 more immigrants • By spring, 1610: 60 survived • 1610 – 1624: 10,000 immigrants • 1624 population: 1,200 • Adult life expectancy: 40 years • Death of children before age 5: 80%
Chief Powhatan • Powhatan Confederacy • Powhatan dominated a few dozen small tribes in the James River area when the English arrived. • The English called allIndians in the areaPowhatans.
Culture Clash in the Chesapeake • 1610-1614 First Anglo-Powhatan War • De La Warr had orders to make war on the Indians. • Raided villages, burned houses, took supplies, burned cornfields.
Culture Clash in the Chesapeake • 1614-1622 peace between Powhatans and the English. • 1614 peace sealed by the marriage of Pocahontas to Englishman John Rolfe. • 1622-1644 periodic attacks between Indians and settlers. • 1622 Indians attacked the English, killing 347 [including John Rolfe]. • Virginia Co. called for a “perpetual war” against the Native Americans. • Raids reduced native population and drove them further westward.
John Rolfe What finally made the colony prosperous??
Tobacco Plant Virginia’s gold and silver. John Rolfe, 1612
Indentured Servitude • Headright System: • Each Virginian got 50 acres for each person whose passage they paid. • Indenture Contract: • 5-7 years. • Promised “freedom dues” [land, money] • Forbidden to marry. • 1610-1614: only 1 in 10 outlived their indentured contracts!
Tobacco Prices: 1618-1710 Why did tobacco prices decline so precipitously?
Growing Political Power • The House of Burgesses established in 1619 & began to assume the role of the House of Commons in England • Control over finances, militia, etc. • By the end of the 17 century, H of B was able to initiate legislation. • A Council appointed by royal governor • Mainly leading planters. • Functions like House of Lords. • High death rates ensured rapid turnover of members.
Virginia Becomes a Royal Colony • James I grew hostile to Virginia • He hated tobacco. • He distrusted the House of Burgesses which he called a seminary of sedition. • 1624 he revoked the charter of the bankrupt VA Company. • Thus, VA became a royal colony, under the king’s direct control!
Maryland Colony: 1. Established as a retreat for English Catholics 2. It experienced no starving time like the colony in Virginia 3. It drew both Catholic and Protestant immigrants 4. It copied part of Virginia’s economic and social system
The Settlement of Maryland • A royal charter was granted to GeorgeCalvert, Lord Baltimore in 1632. • A proprietary colony created in 1634. • Tobacco would be the main crop. • His plan was to govern as an absentee proprietor in a feudal relationship. • Huge tracts of land granted to his Catholic relatives.
A Haven for Catholics • Baltimore permitted high degree of freedom of worship in order to prevent repeat of persecution of Catholics by Protestants. • High number of Protestants threatened because of overwhelming rights given to Catholics. • Toleration Act of 1649 • Supported by the Catholics in MD. • Guaranteed toleration to all CHRISTIANS. • Decreed death to those who denied the divinity of Jesus [like Jews, atheists, etc.]. • In one way, it was less tolerant than before the law was passed!!
The Carolinas • Charles I overthrown; replaced by Oliver Cromwell; Charles II regained throne 11 years later (1660) • Colonization interrupted – when “Restoration” began, colonization became more intense, and government-run The English Civil War
Colonizing the Carolinas Carolina developed close economic ties to the West Indies. • Many Carolinian settlers were originally from the West Indies. • They used local Savannah Indians to enslave other Indians [about 10,000] and send them to the West Indies [and some to New England]. 1707 Savannah Indians decided to migrate to PA. • PA promised better relations with whites. • Carolinians decided to “thin” the Savannahs before they could leave bloody raids killed most of them by 1710.
Crop of the Carolinas: Rice The primary export. Rice was still an exotic food in England. • Was grown in Africa, so planters imported West African slaves. • These slaves had a genetic trait that made them immune to malaria. By 1710 black slaves were a majority in Carolina. American Long Grain Rice
The Emergence of North Carolina Northern part of Carolina shared a border with VA • VA dominated by aristocratic planters who were generally Church of England members. • Dissenters from VA moved south to northern Carolina. • Poor farmers with little need for slaves. • Religious dissenters. Distinctive traits of North Carolinians • Irreligious & hospitable to pirates. • Strong spirit of resistance to authority. 1712 NC officially separated from SC.
Late-Coming Georgia Founded in 1733. Last of the 13 colonies. Named in honor of King George II. Founded by James Oglethorpe.
Georgia--The “Buffer” Colony Chief Purpose of Creating Georgia: • As a “buffer” between the valuable Carolinas & Spanish Florida & French Louisiana. • Received subsidies from British govt. to offset costs of defense. • Export silk and wine. • A haven for debtors thrown into prison. Determined to keep slavery out! • Slavery found in GA by 1750.
The Port City of Savannah Diverse community. • All Christians except Catholics enjoyed religious toleration. Missionaries worked among debtors and Indians most famous was John Wesley.
