The English Colonies

English Colonies

SSUSH2 The student will trace the ways that the economy and society of British North America developed.

Section 3: Early British Colonies

MAIN IDEA Beginning in the early 1600s, the English established colonies

along the eastern shore of North America

Why English Settlers Came to America

Land

Freedom of Assembly

Freedom of Religion

New Beginning

Joint-Stock Company

England wanted colonies in America to rival Spain and France. Jealously,

wanted a share of the gold and opportunity to build permanent settlements.

But was too costly for individual travel.

English merchants sold stock to investors with the goal to make a profit or

share the risks associated with a bold investment. The objective was to

reward the investors with increased shares (profits) for their stock.

Virginia Company of London

An English firm that planned to make money by sponsoring people to

America to find gold and other valuable natural resources and then ship the

resources back to England. King gave them a charter [legal document

granting the king's permission].

Head Right System

This system promised 50 acres of land to those who would settle in the

colony.

Indentured Servants

Most Englishmen were poor and could not afford the journey to America.

Instead of paying for a boat ticket in cash, individuals often agreed to work

wage free for seven years for a company or individual in exchange for their

tickets to the New world.

Attracted many lower class people to New

World, but sometimes led to abusive situations

for indentured people. Indentured servants

often lived as slaves for a predetermined

amount of time and had few rights or liberties.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Roanoke “Lost Colony”

The English first attempt to settle the New world off the coast of North

Carolina. The expedition was led by Sir Walter Raleigh and John White

(Roanoke leader.) Roanoke will forever be known as the "Lost Colony,"

because it disappeared without a trace. Sir Walter Raleigh left to go back to

England to get more supplies and provisions. He promised to return within a

few months. Unfortunately, England was at war with Spain which delayed his

return for three years.

History Fun Fact:

Virginia Dare, born in 1587 on Roanoke Island, was the first child born of English

parents in the New World. She, like her parents, disappeared.

Roanoke “Lost Colony”

When he returned ... all the settlers were gone? Only one clue left behind

to tell of the settlement's disappearance. The letters “Cro” carved into a

nearby tree.

What happened? Did the letters mean the Croatoans, a local Indian tribe?

Perhaps they went to live with the Croatoans during a time of starvation, or

were they attacked and killed by the Croatoans? Were they the victim of

pirates, Spaniards, perhaps a hurricane? Nobody knows.

The Roanoke Colony became the first American history mystery?

Returning colonists searched in vain, but to no avail.

Welcome to

Roanoke…

Hahaha…

Jamestown:

First Permanent English Settlement in the Americas

Did You Know? The food supply of the Jamestown colonists appears to be limited. Archaeologists have excavated

animal bones from food supplies that dated prior to 1610. The excavation has revealed that the 104 settlers who

landed at Jamestown depended mainly on fish and turtles for food. Reports from John Smith indicate

that the sturgeon was plentiful in the James River. The colonists also ate rays, herons, oyster, and raccoons.

Jamestown

In 1607, colonists aboard the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery

arrived in Virginia and founded Jamestown, the first permanent English

settlement in the Americas. Jamestown settlement was named after King James

I

The land in Virginia was named

after Queen Elizabeth I. Despite

having many suitors, she never

had any children and was thus

referred to as the, “Virgin

Queen.”

Grrrr…That chick

must have fallen

out of the ugly tree

and hit every

branch on the way

down.

Do you believe in love

at first sight, or should

I walk by again?

The Jamestown Settlement was a classic example that if anything could go wrong it did. Too many gentlemen not accustomed to

manual labor wanted to look for gold instead of planting crops and building shelters.

Jamestown Marked By Tragedy

Colony was wracked by tragedy during its early years by mistakes:

Didn't follow advice:

•Jamestown’s location was wrong

Told to settle inland to provide protection from Spanish Pirates.

Settled in swampy area which resulted in the death of many

from malaria. (70% mortality rate)

•Treated the Indians poorly by fighting them whenever they could.

•Too many “Gentlemen,” not accustomed to manual labor who looked

for gold instead of planting crops.

Settled in Swampy Area Looked for Gold Instead of Planting Crops

Treated the Indians Poorly

John Smith was principally responsible for the survival of Jamestown. His

bold proclamation, “He who shall not work, shall not eat,” brought a measure

of discipline to the dissolute colonists. His negotiations with the Indians

prevented starvation.

John Smith

Harsh weather, lack of water, living in a swampy wilderness,

settlers unwilling to work, and attacks from the Powhatan

Indians almost destroyed Jamestown. Only 400 settlers

survived "starving time" of 1610-1611. John Smith’s negotiations with the Indians prevented

starvation.

Smith trained the settlers to farm and work,

thus saving the colony from early devastation.

He publicly stated "He who shall not work,

shall not eat."

Disney’s Romanized

version of Captain

Smith. The real John

Smith was only 5’2”

and weighed about

130lbs. With a red

beard.

1619 Brought Changes to Jamestown

Staple Crops

Crops that are in large demand and provide the bulk of a region's income.

John Rolfe and the Cultivation of Tobacco

There was no gold to be found in the Jamestown colony, but John Rolfe

successfully cross-bred native strains of tobacco with West Indian tobacco.

Tobacco quickly became a major cash crop and became the cornerstone of

Virginia's economy and an important source of wealth in Virginia.

Tobacco was used as money in

Jamestown.

“Colony Built on Smoke,” tobacco made Virginia the

wealthiest colony. Tobacco known as, “Stinkweed,” was

sent back to European markets and became a rave in

Europe.

John Rolfe successfully cross-bred native strains of tobacco with West

Indian tobacco. Tobacco saved the Jamestown settlement.

Plantation System

Economic system that relies on the production of cash crops by huge farms

owned by wealthy landowners.

It made the South very dependent on slavery.

Did You Know? Most

plantations in the

1600s were relatively

small estates. In a few

instances, plantations

were enormous and

resembled the great

estates of England.

Charles Carroll of

Maryland owned one

such plantation.

Carroll was reputedly

the wealthiest man in

the colonies. His

plantation covered

around 40,000 acres

and had 285 enslaved

people.

The First Arrival of African Slaves

In 1619 there were 20 Africans, by 1861 (Eve of the Civil War) there were 7 million Africans in the United States. For the first few

decades there was no racial prejudice in Virginia and most of the first slaves became free after serving a few years as indentured

servants. There was even a record of free Africans owning white indentured servants at Jamestown.

The first African slaves were introduced to the Virginia Colony in 1619 when a

Dutch trader bought 20 slaves to Jamestown. Jamestown settlers treated them

as indentured servants rather than chattel slaves.

Eventually, plantation owners came to rely on African slaves as a more

profitable and renewable source of labor. As a result, Virginia’s colonial

economy became highly dependent on slavery.

The Arrival of Women

In the beginning there were very few women at the Jamestown settlement.

(The ratio of woman to men was 1:4)

Women were sent to colonies to help the settlements grow in population. Men

could often purchase themselves a mail-order bride for as little as 120 lbs. of

tobacco.

House of Burgesses

The Virginia Company established a legislative assembly called the House of

Burgesses. The House of Burgesses was the first European-style legislative

body in the New World.

The representatives were both

appointed by the company’s

governor and elected by land-

owning males of Virginia. Laws

enacted were subject to approval by

the governor and the London board

of directors, but it was the first self-

government in the colonies.

Chief Powhatan

Chief who led a confederation of Native Americans in Virginia. After initially going to

war with the colonists he eventually negotiated an uneasy peace with them.

Hey… that’s

two for

me… and

one for

you…

These whites are

becoming more numerous

than the stars in the sky

and continue to steal our

land. Something must be

done.

Bacon’s Rebellion

In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon led a revolt of former indentured servants who

were opposed to aristocrats and wanted harsher action against the Native

Americans in retaliation for their attacks on outlying settlements. Bacon's

militia set fire to Jamestown and chased Governor Berkeley out of the city.

Bacon subsequently died of disease and eventually Berkeley returned and

crushed the rebellion.

Significance of Bacon's Rebellion:

Planters saw white indentured servants as too

difficult to control and significantly increased

importation of black slaves while reducing number

of indentured servants.

As James town prospered, colonists expanded

farms into plantations Natives attacked colonists

on the frontiers, and the governor (Berkley)

refused to punish the natives

The New England Colonies

New England Colonies

New England Colonies Included:

•Massachusetts

•New Hampshire

•Rhode Island

•Connecticut

Life in New England was dominated by church. The New England Colonies

were marked by poor, thin, rocky soils and relatively short growing seasons

made farming difficult. However, plentiful forests and proximity of the sea led

New Englanders to develop a thriving commercial trade based on fishing,

whaling, and ship-building industry.

Religious Dissent

Religious groups immigrated to the New England colonies in search of

religious freedom and to escape religious persecution.

In keeping with their focus on the home, the Pilgrims settlement of the New World usually

consisted of entire families, rather than young and single men who comprised earlier

settlements in Virginia.

Pilgrims Pilgrims seeking both political and religious freedom founded the Plymouth

Colony in 1620.

Did You Know? The Pilgrims survived in large part because of the assistance of Squanto, a

Pawtuxet. Squanto had earlier been captured by an English explorer and taken to Europe. As a

result, he spoke English and was instrumental in helping the Pilgrims form an alliance with the

local Wampanoags.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

Signed by the Pilgrim men aboard the Mayflower; recognized the people as

the source of power (in theory) could often be very authoritative, dictating

to colonists what the rules of their society would be.

Puritans The Puritans were a Protestant group that hoped to (purify) or to make the

Church of English more pure. Puritans were intolerant of other religions

causing them to be harassed in England for their strict and “pure biblical

teachings” rather than traditional Anglican teachings.

Seeking freedom from religious persecution they sailed to North America in

1630 and established a colony Massachusetts Bay.

Religion and Dissent in New England

Governor John Winthrop and other Puritan founders of the Massachusetts

Bay Colony created a theocracy, or a state ruled by God, with themselves in

Charge. By exercising strict control, they hoped to prevent the devil from

insinuating himself into the new colony.

John Winthrop (1588-1649) an English colonial administrator

who was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony,

served seven terms between 1629 and 1649.

Winthrop and his chosen ministers strictly governed the

Massachusetts Bay Colony with their religious fervor.

PREDESTINATION: Those who will be

“saved” will not get there by doing any

deeds or performing any sacraments. God

already has decided who will be saved, and

who will be damned.

The Puritans believed that to be born on a

Sunday was interpreted as a sign of great

sin.

Opposition to Puritan Rule

As a result of their strict religious beliefs, the Puritan leadership was not

tolerant of religious beliefs that differed from their own. Frequently, those

who disagreed with Puritan ideology and practices were harshly punished

or banished from the colony.

The Puritan Bible

The Puritans sought to purify

the Church of England, thus

were banned and persecuted.

Strict Puritan faith dominated

their community.

There were severe consequences for those who failed to

attend, or, those who spoke out against the Puritan ways.

Puritan Punishments

"T" for thief was

branded on the

light-fingered

criminal's hand.

The ducking stool would

be swung out at the end

of beams over a river or

pond. Some dunked even

drown.

The “gossip's bridle," was

used to control, humiliate

and punish gossiping or

nagging wives by placing a

metal device placed over a

woman's head and a bit

that stuck in her mouth to

effectively prevent women

from talking.

Acting was once considered evil, and actors

in the first English play to be performed in

Puritan New England were arrested.

Stocks were used to

humiliate and

punish individuals

for a variety of

reasons; including,

debt, missing

church service,

gossiping, or even

dating. Ear nailing of a miscreant.

Puritans forbade singing and the

celebration of Christmas.

Roger Williams (Rhode Island)

Roger Williams fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, Williams headed

southwest where he settled at Narragansett Bay and established a Baptist

church. He acquired land from the Narragansett Indian Chiefs and named his

settlement Providence. As a result, Rhode Island would come to be known as a

colony more tolerant of different religious beliefs.

A re-enactor portrays Roger

Williams at a living history site.

Anne Hutchinson (Rhode Island)

Hutchinson challenged the Puritan views on salvation. She believed that all

one needed to be admitted into Heaven was faith and God’s saving grace

and that leading a holy life was not a guarantee of salvation.

She was arrested and brought to trial in 1638 for challenging the clergy and

asserting her belief.

The General Court quoted the Bible to make their

case against Hutchinson, and she responded that she

had come by her beliefs through direct revelations

from God. The Puritan ministers felt this was

blasphemy and banished her from the Bay Colony.

After her husband’s

death in 1643, she

moved to New York

where she and all but

one of her children were

killed by Indians.

Thomas Hooker (Connecticut)

Thomas Hooker was forced to leave the colony because he did not agree

with the Puritan leaders. He believed laws of the colony should be based

on what people wanted, not based on what the Puritan leadership wanted.

Thomas Hooker established the Connecticut colony in 1636.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

•Complete freedom of religion, even

for Jews and Catholics.

•No oaths required regarding one's

religious beliefs

•No compulsory attendance at

worship

•No taxes to support a state church.

•Opposed to special privilege of any

sort.

Half-Way Covenant

By the mid-1600s, not many people were applying to join the Puritan church.

Them Half-way Covenant allowed partial church membership in the church

for the children and grandchildren of full members regardless of any

Conversion experience.

Salem Witch Trials (1692)

Dark period in Puritan history in which several people in

Salem, Massachusetts were tried as witches and executed.

In 1692, the infamous Salem Witch Trials took place. The incident began when three girls, ill with symptoms including convulsions and

“fits”, accused several local residents of using witchcraft to cause the illness. The accusations spread and led to over 150 Massachusetts

colonists being accused of witchcraft. Of the 150 accused, 29 were convicted and 19 hanged. At least six more people died in prison.

Relations Between New Englanders and Native Americans

Initially local Native Americans were wary of the New England colonists, but

eventually a trade relationship developed. Native Americans actually taught

the Pilgrims of Plymouth how to raise corn that helped them survive the first

harsh winters.

However, as the colony began to expand, conflicts with Native Americans

increased. After unsuccessful attempts to drive the colonists out, many Native

Americans fled and sought new places to live.

King Philip’s War (1675-1676)

King Phillip’s War was an early and bloody conflict between English and

regional Native American tribal groups. The conflict originated as the Puritan

community spread out from Boston and took more and more Native American

land. Metacom (King Phillip), the regional leader of the Native Americans led

the rebellion.

Metacom (King Phillip)

Metacom’s (King Philip) wife

and son were sold into slavery

and Philip himself was

captured and beheaded and

his head was displayed for 20

years.

Many colonists died in the war,

but were eventually victorious.

As a result, large areas of

southern New England were

opened to English settlement.

Fifty two of ninety Puritan

towns were attacked and it is

estimated that nearly 20,000

people were killed in this

bloody war.

Middle Colonies

Middle Colonies Included:

New York

• New Jersey

• Pennsylvania

• Delaware

Motives of economic opportunity and religious freedom helped populate the

Middle Colonies. Their harbor and river systems significantly shaped the

Middle Colonies development.

Diversity of the Middle Colonies

The Middle Colonies could be considered the first

“American Melting Pot.”

The Dutch and New Amsterdam

The Dutch established the first colony called New Amsterdam in what is now

New York in 1625. It became a key trading post at the mouth of the Hudson

River by trading with Native Americans for furs that could be sold in Europe.

The colony quickly became profitable and was noted for its diverse population

and its tolerance.

New Amsterdam Becomes New York

As a result of the English winning the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1664,

the British seized control of the colony and King Charles II declared the

entire area under his rule. He renamed the New Amsterdam colony New

York, after his brother, the Duke of York.

Despite the English seizing New Amsterdam and renaming it New York, many

Dutch colonists remained in the new English colony and contributed greatly to its

continued prosperity.

The Duke of York

William Penn and the Founding of Pennsylvania

William Penn belonged to a religious group called the Quakers. Penn hoped

to make the colony a safe place for other Quakers. In 1681, William Penn

gained huge grant from the king in return for money owed to his father. He

received a vast tract of land in North America and started a new colony

named Pennsylvania.

William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania

saw his colony as a “holy experiment,” that

offered religious freedom and guaranteed

every adult male 50 acres of land and the

right to vote..

Unlike most colonists,

William Penn sought to

deal fairly with Native

Americans.

Quakers offered silver

collars like the one

shown to local Native

Americans as a token

of peace.

Did You Know?

Quakers were members

of the religious group

known as the Society of

Friends. The group

grew into an important

force in England in

large part through the

preachings of George

Fox. The term Quaker

was originally meant as

an insult to Fox, who

had told a judge to

“tremble at the name of

the Lord.” In response,

the judge called Fox a

quaker.

Quakers

The Quakers, a religious group, were not well liked by the English monarchs

because they would not recognize class differences and practiced pacifism

(nonviolence) by refusing to perform military duty.

Many Quakers in England were imprisoned because of their religious

views.

Quakers practiced pacifism

or nonviolence by refusing

to perform military duty.

Quakers would not recognize

class differences and sought

gender equality.

Quaker Beliefs:

No tax-supported state church

Freedom of worship guaranteed to all residents

No provisions for military defense; against Quaker pacifist doctrine

Quakers strongly against slavery

Southern Colonies

Southern Colonies Included:

• Maryland

• Virginia

• North Carolina

• South Carolina

• Georgia

Colonists in the southern colonies created a rural society based on farming.

The main crops were tobacco, rice, and indigo. Most of the people worked

small farms. However, owners of large plantations dominated society and the

economy. Planters used enslaved Africans as workers.

The Colony of Carolina

The Carolina colony was created in 1670 by two aristocratic younger brothers

who inherited their father's fortune due to primogeniture laws.)

The Carolina colony became most democratic, independent and least

aristocratic of original 13 colonies where religious toleration existed.

North Carolina created officially in 1712 as a refuge

for poor whites and religious dissenters from

Carolina and Virginia.

Indians and Spanish soldiers attacked southern Carolina

settlements as they opposed British settlement.

Charles Town

(Charleston)

became the most

active seaport in the

South.

Georgia

Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733 and became the last

English colony to be settled.

Georgia was founded as a haven for debtors as well as a buffer state against

Spanish and Indian incursions from the South.

A living history actor portraying

James Oglethorpe, the founder of

the Georgia colony.

When Georgia was governed by Oglethorpe he prohibited

slavery. However, he was overruled by a group of trustees

representing wealthy land owners and he returned to England.

Individualism and Social Mobility

Ability of someone to move from one social status to another through hard

work, etc. as it was not tied to current wealth, family name, or position in a

particular church.

Benjamin Franklin:

Great inventor, scientist, ambassador, writer, and U.S. founding

father that was also an example of Individualism and social

mobility in the colonies.

Snoop Dogg

Rumored to be worth at least 200 million dollars, this skinny rapper with his

own TV show started out a poor kid on the rough streets of Long Beach,

California.

He spent a lot of time after high school in and out of jail, entangled in drug

issues. He used music to turn his life

around.

Dogg, né Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. created hip-hop tapes with the

stepbrother of Dr. Dre, who passed the tapes on to the good doctor. That was

Snoop’s lucky break. Since then, he’s been a master of branding himself. His

vocals are uber distinctive, as are his language and look.

Social Mobility (Example)

First Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was a religious movement that featured passionate

preaching from evangelists who believed that colonists needed to be called back

to sincere Christian commitment. It helped establish separation of church and

state as a valued colonial principle.

Did You Know? Religion was the principal force behind the creation of most institutions of higher learning in the

colonies. Of the six colleges in operation by 1763, four were founded by religious groups primarily for the training

of ministers. These included Harvard University, William and Mary College, and Yale University.

The Great Awakening led to the founding of the College of New Jersey in 1746. It later became known as

Princeton, after the town in which it is located. One of its first presidents was Jonathan Edwards, the famous

preacher of the Great Awakening.

Revivals

Services where traveling preachers would speak.

Mercantilism

Mercantilism was an economic system which created a strong relationship

between England and its North American colonies.

Under mercantilism, England would produce manufactured goods out of

raw materials sent over from the colonies. In turn, the colonies established

markets where manufactured goods from England could be sold.

This created a triangular trade that was beneficial to the colonies as well

as England.

Did You Know? Europeans believed in

the theory of mercantilism, the belief

that a nation’s power depended on its

wealth. Wealth was measured by the

amount of gold and silver a nation

owned. This desire for gold and silver

motivated English, Dutch, and French

pirates in the sixteenth century to raid

Spanish ships. These ships were often

loaded with gold and silver that the

Spanish plundered from Central and

South America.

Importing

Buying goods from other nations.

Exporting

Selling goods to other nations.

Balance of Trade

Theory common in the colonial period which taught that countries needed

to export more goods than they imported in order to gain wealth and

remain secure.

Salutary Neglect

Salutary neglect meant that England relaxed its enforcement of most

regulations in return for the continued economic loyalty of the colonies. As

long as raw materials continued flowing into the homeland and the colonists

continued to buy English-produced goods, Parliament did not supervise the

colonies closely.