THE FOUNDING OF THE 13 COLONIES

Why did Europeans establish settlements in the New World?Unit 1

Reasons for settling Protestant Reformation

- Martin Luther- King James/ Anglican Church

Economy in England- Joint Stock companies (merchants who issued stock to raise funds) were formed to set up colonies

Rivalries with other countries (Spain)

1st Permanent English Colony Roanoke (Va, 1587)- settlers mysteriously

disappeared (failed) Jamestown (Va,1607) -104 settlers

- most came to find riches (gold, silver) - did not know how to live in woods, hunt, or fish Traded with Powhatans, but when more settlers

came food became scarce. Settlers raided food stores, so the natives stop

trading and began attacking the settlers.- “starving time” winter 1609-1610- out of 400 settlers, only 60 survived

Captain John Smith

Leader of Jamestown Became friendly with

Powhatan Confed. and began bartering.

Instituted strict laws- “he that does not work shall not eat”

Resulted in fewer deaths

Virginia’s Government Headrights- settlers

who paid to settle, and received at least 50 acres of land to farm

1622- angry natives attacked Jamestown, killing 350 settlers- caused Va to lose its charter, became a Royal Colony

1618- VA colonists elected lawmaking body.

“House of Burgesses” made up of:- Governor- 6 councilors- 20 reps (2 from each town)

Economy of Jamestown

Tobacco became the cash crop for the colony.

John Rolfe brought seeds from Trinidad and harvested in a different way. The new tobacco sold quickly and soon large amounts were planted.

1619- first Africans were shipped to Virginia as “Christian servants” (not slaves!)

Soon only enslaved Africans were brought

Tensions in the colony

1660s- gov’t run by wealthy planters (no land=no vote)

1675-76- Nathaniel Bacon led 1000 men against Gov Berkeley and natives.

Berkeley raised army caused civil war

Bacon died during conflict, and Berkeley regained power.

Results of Bacon’s Rebellion

Va supported expanding westward (into backcountry)

Planters started turning to slaves for labor.- never be given own land- fewer indentured servants- became easier to get slaves

Founding of New EnglandMassachusetts Bay Colony

Puritans (people who wanted to purify the Anglican Church) came to America.

1620- Sailed on the Mayflower and landed in Plymouth, near Mass. Bay

Plague swept through the colony, only about 50 survived, thanks to a Wampanoag native, Squanto

The next Fall, they celebrated by having Thanksgiving

Mass. Bay cont’d

John Winthrop held stock in Mass. Bay Company (MBC) and received a charter from King Charles to est. the colony.

He became the 1st Governor. He used it as a refuge for Puritans (1643- 20,000

settlers in Mass) The Halfway Covenant allowed people to join the

church without making a public statement, however they were not allowed to vote in assemblies

Salem Witch Trials reflected social change- came from fear of new lifestyle or aimed at women who did not fit the “Puritan lifestyle”

Government

General Court was made up of people who owned stock in MBC or “freemen”

The court became a representative body when they found out Winthrop violated charter.

They then elected deputies from each town.

Local townsmen discussed problems at town meetings, eventually set up local government, only landowners can vote

Mass Govt

Mass required all colonists to attend church, collect taxes to support it, and regulated behavior

Different religious beliefs were not tolerated

Heretics were considered a threat.

King Phillip’s War

Local gov’ts demanded Natives to follow English law; they thought English were destroying their culture

1675- Plymouth executed 3 Wamponoag for murder- led to attacks

King Phillip (Metacomet) was the Wamponoag chief.

War!

War lasted three years to 1678 (Phillip’s head ended up on a pike)

Defeat of Wamponoag’s meant they lost control of their land

Very few remained in New England after this.

Massachusetts as a Royal Colony After years of fighting

in England, King Charles II passed the Navigation Acts.

All shipped goods to and from colonies must be on English ships.

Colonists broke the law and were governed by Edmund Andros

Cont’d

Andros was not a popular guy in Mass or England.

He was eventually ousted.

RI and CT went back to old govt

Mass Bay, Plymouth, and Maine formed a Royal Colony

Founding of Rhode Island

Roger Williams challenged the Puritan beliefs in Mass, caused him to be banned from the colony

Founded the town of Providence, where govt had no say in religion and differences were tolerated

Anne Hutchinson was also banned, she founded Portsmouth

Rhode Island

The two towns joined to become the Rhode Island and Providence Plantations colony

The charter included separation of church and state, and religious freedom

Connecticut

Founded by Thomas Hooker Established mainly for farmland

(religion played little factor) “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut”

1st written constitution in America Similar to Mass, but all men could vote

New York

1609- Dutch hired Henry Hudson to explore N America

Claimed the Hudson River region-New Netherland

Est. New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island

New York

To increase population, anyone could settle there who bought land.

Patroons – given large tracts if they found people to settle.

1664- 10,000 pop (did not grow fast) Why?

1620s-Enslaved Africans came

England wanted New Netherland as a link b/w New England and VA and MD.

James seized it and renamed it New York

New Jersey

James split the land- portion became New Jersey

Offered land grants, religious freedom, and a representative govt to gain population

Co-Founders: Sir George Carteret and William Berkeley.

Was a Royal Colony

William Penn

Penn, a Quaker, received land from King James I.

Was repayment of debt by kings brother Charles II.

Used land as a refuge for Quakers, who believed religion was a personal experience (most fled persecution in Germany)

Penn signed peace treaty with Natives that lasted 70+ years

Philadelphia “City of Brotherly Love” capital FYI- Its grid pattern is modeled

by most major cities

Pennsylvania

Government was directly elected by voters

Colonists who owned 50 acres and were Christian voted.

All religion was tolerated

Penn later purchased land south of PA, named it Delaware

Middle Colonies

As a whole the farmers of the middle colonies were prosperous.

Tobacco, Corn and Wheat were major crops. But cattle was one of the most important. Meat was shipped from N.Y. and Philadelphia to foreign ports.

Quebec

1608- Samuel de Champlain settles the French city of Quebec on the St. Lawrence River

Mainly used for fur trading

Friendly with Natives, even learned language and married into cultures

Also explored Miss. River and traveled to Gulf of Mexico region. (Cajuns)

Maryland

Founded by Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore)

Haven for Catholics Tobacco- main cash crop Maryland Act of Toleration

Toleration for all Christians Death penalty for non Christians

Carolinas

Known as the “Restoration Colonies”

Rice and Indigo main cash crop

Africans in demand Majority by 1710

Charles Town- busiest port, aristocratic

North Carolina

Started by dissenters from VA Poor farmers with little

need for slaves Split from SC in

1712

Georgia

1733 by James Oglethorpe

Haven for debtors Had to grow exotic

goods (ie. silk) Buffer colony

Provided defense for SC from Spanish FL