Early Settlement of Colonial America

1. Early Settlement of Colonial America The English Settlements

2. Early America: Settlement and Colonization VUS.2 The student will apply social science skills to understand the impact of the Age of Exploration by a) describing the characteristics of early exploration and evaluating the impact of European settlement in the Americas; and b) analyzing the cultural interactions among American Indians, Europeans, and Africans. VUS.3 The student will apply social science skills to understand early European colonization by a) evaluating the economic characteristics of the colonies; b) analyzing how social and political factors impacted the culture of the colonies; and c) explaining the impact of the development of indentured servitude and slavery in the colonies.

3. What you should understand • England wanted to establish an American colony in order to increase her wealth and thus her power. (Mercantilism) • Finding silver and/or gold • Providing a source of raw materials • Open new markets for trade

4. English Colonization • Early European exploration and colonization resulted in the redistribution of the world’s population as millions of people from Europe and Africa voluntarily and involuntarily moved to the New World. • Exploration and colonization initiated worldwide commercial expansion as agricultural products were exchanged between the Americas and Europe.

5. English Colonization Cont. • The explorations and settlements of the English in the American colonies and Spanish in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, often led to violent conflicts with the Native Americans.Many Natives fell victim to diseases carried from Europe. • By contrast, French exploration of Canada did not lead to large-scale immigration from France, and relations with native people were often more cooperative.

6. English Colonization • A desire for land and European feelings of superiority led to conflicts with the Native Americans. At first the Natives were more numerous and were able to win battles. • After the colonies began to grow, they pushed the Natives west into the mountains.

7. European Exploration • Europeans set sail in search of the 3 G’s Gold God Glory

8. Spanish Explorers Christopher Columbus Discovers the new world (Not the first European ever to land in America) Lands in Hispaniola (Haiti & Dominican Republic) Believes he is in India

9. Spanish Territory • Florida, Southwestern US, Mexico, and most of South America

10. French Explorers Champlain La Salle, Joliet, & Marquette Canada (Quebec) Mississippi River Valley

11. Dutch Henry Hudson New Netherlands (New York)

12. First English Attempt to Colonize • Sir Walter Raleigh wanted to give England a colony in the New World. • He set up a colony off the coast of North Carolina near the Virginia line. It was called Roanoke Island, and later it was known as the “Lost Colony”. • When the governor of the colony went back to England to get supplies he did not know that he was about to get caught up in a war.

13. The Lost Colony • Governor White left his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World, along with her family and the rest of the colony to get supplies from England. • It was 1588 and the Spanish Armada attacked while he was there and so it took 2 years for him to return. When he came back everyone was gone and all they found was some letters cut into a tree which spelled Croatan.

14. Croatan • The Croatan was an Indian tribe in the area, as well as the name of an area on the coast of North Carolina. They didn’t know if the message was a warning that they had been killed/captured by the tribe, that they had gone to them for aid, or that they had gone to the Croatan area of Carolina. • No one was ever found and no one knows exactly what happened to them, only speculation.

15. Jamestown Founded in 1607 Created by the Virginia Company, a joint-stock company. The goal of the Virginia Company and Jamestown was to make money 1st Permanent English Settlement in the New World

16. Jamestown • Chose Jamestown as a settlement location: • Easily defendable • Swampy • Mosquitoes • Lack of large game • Surrounded by salt water • The water along the shore was deep enough for ships to dock and they believed fresh water was nearby. • The first settlers had many problems. • They were not used to work and thought they would find gold and did not think about food

17. In 1607, 104 English men and boys established the JAMESTOWN colony, named after King James I. • The colonists were told that if they did not generate any wealth, financial support for their efforts would end. Many of the men spent their days vainly searching for gold. • As a consequence, the colonists spent little time farming. Food supplies dwindled. MALARIA and the harsh winter besieged the colonists, as well. After the first year, only 38 of the original 104 had survived. • For every six colonists who ventured across the Atlantic, only one survived.

18. Building Jamestown Fort

21. Location of Jamestown

22. Jamestown • The area was also not very hospitable with poor soil and no fresh water. • The closest water supply was swamp water which means it is brackish and not good for drinking. • They would also have problems with mosquitoes and that meant disease • Most died from starvation, little food due to not planting a garden and a harsh winter, disease (malaria and dysentery) from mosquitoes and poor water.

23. Jamestown Mosquito Swampland

24. Smith takes control • Despite improved relations with Indians, only 38 original colonists had survived by 1608 • Many were bent on searching for gold, not planting crops • 70 more arrive in January • Pocahontas visited Jamestown several times during this time • Brought food • September, 1608 - John Smith elected President of Colony • Initiated military discipline • “He that will not work, will not eat” • Kept working relationship with natives • Some skirmishes with smaller tribes, but avoided all-out war with Chief Powhatan

25. Jamestown Captain John Smith took charge and was able to save Jamestown. “No Work, No Food” was Smith’s motto for the colonists. The colonists did not like Smith, but the Native Americans did because he was a warrior and treated them with respect when trading with them.

26. John Smith & Pocahontas • John Smith sent to negotiate/trade with Natives • Captured in Dec. 1607 by Powhatan Indians • According to Smith, his life was spared by Pocahontas, the chief’s daughter (11 yrs old) • Stayed with Powhatans, learned to communicate • This stimulated productive trade b/w settlers and natives • Crucial to Jamestown’s winter survival

27. Smith and Pocahontas.GettyImages.HistoryStudyCenter. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

28. Jamestown Powhatan Tribe led by Chief Powhatan. Provided food for the early settlers His daughter was Pocahontas

29. Jamestown The first winter the colonists survived because of the Native Americans (Powhatan) who shared food with them. When they did not plant food for themselves and a bad winter came upon them, they faced what is known as the “Starving Time” (1609-1610)

30. Starving Time 1609-1610 • Out of 500 colonists only 60 alive by spring of 1610 • Drought • Political Unrest • Disease • Starvation • Ate rats, cats, horses, Cannibalism? • Powhatan refuses to trade with settlers in hopes of forcing their departure

31. Burned at the stake for murder(from America the Story of US)

32. Powhatans & Jamestown: Growing Conflict • The Colonists began stealing and attempting to intimidate the Indians. • The Powhatans realized the English settlement would continue to grow and saw the colonists as invaders that would take over their land.

33. Peace of Pocahontas • English colonists trick Pocahontas into captivity in 1611 • Holds her ransom for food, supplies • Finally let her go when Chief doesn’t pay up • She chooses to stay with English • Converts to Christianity • Given name “Rebecca” • Learns to read, write • Marries John Rolfe in 1614 • Given large parcel of land by Powhatan • Have son, Thomas, in 1615 • “Peace of Pocahontas” lasts until 1617 • Rolfe and Pocahontas travel to England in 1616 • Pocahontas becomes celebrity, meets Queen Anne • Reunited with John Smith, whom she thought was dead • Becomes ill shortly after her ship leaves back for America • Returns to England and dies in 1617

34. Jamestown Matoaka – this is the Indian name for Pocahontas With the success of tobacco in Virginia and the popularity of Pocahontas in England, came renewed interest in Jamestown Exporting 50,000 pounds of tobacco/yr. to England

35. Jamestown John Rolfe came from the Caribbean with Spanish tobacco seeds He mixed them with the Virginia tobacco and made the plant better. He turned tobacco into “Virginia Gold” Plantations - large farms Cash crop economy

36. Jamestown • The plantation owners could participate in the Head rightsystem: • If they paid membership in the Virginia Company and paid for passage for any member of their family, including servants, they would get 50 acres of land for each person over the age of 15. • The more land they owned, the more tobacco they could plant and thus make more money • More land=More money

37. Jamestown • During the early 1600s many people in England were in debtors prisons because of the loss of jobs. • The Enclosure Movement occurred when the price of wool went up and the owners of land in England placed fences around their property to keep sheep and they kicked the tenant farmers off. • The displaced farmers then went into the towns looking for work.

38. Jamestown • With not enough jobs to go around, the farmers had no money to pay their bills and ended up in debtors prisons. • When plantation owners needed workers, they would go to the debtor prisons and sign agreements with the prisoners to come work for them for a certain amount of time in exchange for paying their debts and paying for their voyage to the New World. • Not all indentured servants were prisoners. Anyone who wanted a chance to improve their lives could sign a contract.

39. Jamestown Indentured Servants 5-7 year service agreement Voyage to the New World is paid for Food and shelter is provided At the end of the contract the indentured servants would be given tools, and seeds. Along with 50 acres of land.

40. Jamestown House of Burgesses: 1st elected legislative body in the colonies Governor called a meeting in 1619 of the Virginia Assembly Run by the wealthy plantation owners (white males) Created laws for the Virginia colonists Established by the 1640s. It has operated continuously and is known today as the Virginia General Assembly or the General Assembly of Virginia.

41. Jamestown Model

42. Depiction of Jamestown(from America the Story of US)

43. Expansion leads to problems • The colony had expanded outward since the success of tobacco • Looking for more acreage to grow • Provide land for new settlers • Began to worsen relations with natives as more and more native lands are overrun • Native attack in 1622 wipes out • 400 men, women, and children • 1623 - Jamestown Captains Tucker and Potts call for a meeting with Powhatan • Agree to truce • Propose a toast of liquor laced with poison • 200 poisoned, 50 slaughtered

44. Expansion Problems • Poor farmers (back country farmers) want more land (these are the indentured servants) • They can only expand westward and that is Indian territory • They ask the wealthy land owners (gov’t) for help and they refuse because they do not want the Native Americans to attack them and maybe burn their plantations. • The poor farmers turn on the rich farmers

45. Bacon’s Rebellion • Nathaniel Bacon is the nephew of Governor Berkeley of Virginia. • He agrees with the poor farmers and leads them against the Native Americans. • They win and then go after Berkeley and chase him out of Jamestown then burn it. • Berkeley comes back and chases Bacon and his men into the swamp where Bacon dies.

46. Bacon’s Rebellion • This rebellion scares the rich landowners and so they decide that the problem was the indentured servants. • They want to avoid this problem in the future and so instead of getting indentured servants, whom they have to purchase and then let go after their contract expires and purchase more, they switch to slave labor. • Bacon’s Rebellion led to the use of slaves for plantation work rather than indentured servants.

47. Bacon before and after Rebellion

49. Review • What problems were faced by the settlers in the New World? • Native Americans, disease, harsh winter, little food (bad conditions) • Who was the colonist that saved the colonists from starvation? • John Smith • What crop saved the Virginia Company? • Tobacco

50. Review • What were the big farms called? • Plantations. • Who worked on the farms? • First indentured servants and later slaves • Name of the 1st legislative body in the English colonies? • House of Burgesses