English Colonization of the Chesapeake & South

Chespeake and Southern Colonies

How did the English encourage settlement? Joint Stock Companies Investors, not crown controlled Reduced British economic burden - depression Offered settlers rights of Englishmen Wealth

Jamestown Colony (1607) Virginia Company of London - 104 gentlemen adventurers & poor servants April 1607, land along James River

First Colonists - Problems Malarial swamp There to find riches – gold No gold – economy in shambles Did not plant food – hoped to trade with Indians

Powhatan Chief of the Powhatan Confederacy Distrusted English, felt they were fools Traded corn to them as they hunted for gold Expected the English to die off By 1609 distrust and mistreatment led to Powhatan cutting off trade.

John Smith 38 of the 104 remained nine months later - disease or starvation The London company appointed John Smith as the new colonial leader. Orders all colonists to work – 6 hrs a day Colonists largely unmotivated, won’t listen Smith leaves Jamestown in 1609 In fall of 1609, 500 men were in the colony. In spring off 1610 there were 60. When the new governor arrived he found the colonists, “their daily and usual works, bowling in the streets.”

How was Jamestown Saved? Tobacco – John Rolfe – 1612 Right climate Demand in Europe

Population of the Land Plantations Spread out along rivers Recruiting colonists Headright System Indentured Servants Towns did not develop Plantations self-sufficient

Business Booms Tobacco production increased from 200,000 lbs/yr in 1624 to 3 million in 1638 to 10 million in 1660 Tobacco became the economic engine for the Virginia colony This plantation economy developed throughout the Chesapeake and eventually into the deep south and remained the core industry of the south through the Civil War.

Labor Source of the Chesapeake Landowners needed someone to perform manual labor of planting, tending and harvesting crops Indentured servants – 1610s – late 1600s African slaves – late 1600s – 1865 First slaves - 1619 1650 – 300 slaves 1700 – 13,000 slaves

Relationship with Native Americans At first, the English were completely dependent Trading relationship - Indians coveted British weapons and metal tools Expansion caused tensions Tobacco required land Led to conflicts between Virginians and Native tribes 1632 - peace treaty was signed

Jamestown Religion Religion: Anglicans – colonial religion in 1609 American autonomy Bishop of London Widespread population Divide between low-church and high-church

Jamestown Education Not a priority in the culture of Virginia Lack of towns and widespread population Wealthy hired tutors or sent to Europe Poor worked as apprentices

Jamestown Government Colonial legislature - House of Burgesses (est. 1619) First legislative body in North America Controlled by aristocracy Vote - white, male, landowner

Maryland - 1632 Proprietary Colony Lord George Calvert – debt from Crown Haven for Catholics Act of Toleration

Maryland Economy Plantation economy very much like Jamestown Produced tobacco Practiced slavery

Carolinas - 1670 Proprietary Colony – 8 British aristocrats Recruited colonists from Barbados Single cash crop – plantation economies North: Tobacco South: Rice and indigo Native Americans: Guns and slave trade Stono Rebellion

Georgia - 1733 Formed to Gov. James Oglethorpe Provide opportunity for the poor of England Protect the Carolinas from Spanish raids Gov. James Oglethorpe Slavery, alcohol outlawed Economy is similar to SC

Southern Trade Southern colonies Trade goods: Upper south - tobacco (America’s most valuable export), grain, pig iron, and naval stores Lower south - deerskin, rice (America’s 3rd most valuable export), indigo (America’s 5th most valuable export), timber and naval stores.