Southern Colonies Chapter 3.4

Coming to America Establishing colonies in North America was a great deal of work, and there was a constant demand for more labor. Scottish and Irish prisoners of war were shipped to work in the colonies Many came as indentured servants – work for no pay for 7 years

Coming to America Maryland was established as a colony by Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore). Colonists grew tobacco, corn, wheat, fruit, vegetables and kept livestock. To keep up with the demand for labor colonists imported enslaved Africans and indentured servants.

Coming to America Although Maryland was established as a safe place for Catholics, they had welcomed Protestants too. However, so that they could protect the rights of Catholics Lord Baltimore passed the Act of Toleration (1649) It granted the right of both Catholics and Protestants to worship freely. By 1692, the Protestant controlled assembly made the Anglican Church the official church of Maryland.

Virginia Expands Wealthy tobacco planters held the best land near the coast in the Virginia colony. As more settlers came the only land available was further inland. This caused two problems: This land was of poorer quality This led to conflict with Native Americans.

Virginia Expands A planter named Nathaniel Bacon incited a rebellion against Virginia’s colonial government in 1676. He felt the governor of Virginia should do more to help planters deal with conflict with the Native Americans. He attacked Native American tribes and burned Jamestown. The governor was forced into exile A militia was created to control NA More land was opened up to white settlers.

Bacon’s Rebellion Bacon’s army burned Jamestown and forced Governor Berkeley into exile. England recalled Berkeley and sent troops to restore order in the Virginia Colony.

Settling the Carolinas North Carolina South Carolina Settled mostly by farmers from Virginia’s backcountry. Resources: tobacco, sold timber and tar. Did not have a good harbor More prosperous than N.C. Excellent harbor at Charles Town (became Charleston). Grew rice and indigo, this led to a growth in slavery to work in the large plantations. Traded deerskin, lumber and beef.

Georgia Georgia was the last of the British colonies to be established. It was founded in 1733 by a group led by General James Oglethorpe. It was established to provide a place for debtors and poor people to make a fresh start.

Georgia The colony could also protect British colonies to the north from Spain in Florida. Hundreds of poor people came to the colony from Britain, and many refugees came from Germany and Switzerland.

Summary

New France and New Spain

New France England wasn’t the only European country interested in colonizing North America. French – founded Quebec in 1608. While initially the French were less interested in creating settlements than establishing trading posts and trading furs and fish, New France became a royal colony in 1663.

New France 1670s – two Frenchmen – Louis Joliet (fur trader) and Jacques Marquette (priest) explored the Mississippi River by canoe. They hoped to find gold and silver, as well as a water passage to the Pacific Ocean. They realized that the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, rather than west into the Pacific.

New France Several years later, Rene-Robert Cavelier and Sieur de La Salle followed the river all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. They claimed the river for France and named the new territory Louisiana, in honor of King Louis XIV. The French founded the port of New Orleans in 1718.

New France The French settlement in North America grew very slowly. Settlement in New France consisted of a system of estates along the St. Lawrence River. Estate holders received land in exchange for bringing settlers. These settlers were known as tenant farmers and paid their lord an annual rent and worked a fixed number of days each year for him.

New France The French had the best relations with the Native Americans: They lived among NA tribes Learned their languages Married Did not try to change NA customs and respected their lifestyle They did not push NA tribes off their land (as the British settlers did).

New Spain In response to the growth of British and French interests in America, Spain sent missionaries, soldiers and settlers to protect their empire. Spanish settlers, missionaries and soldiers established the fort at Santa Fe. Spanish missionaries built many missions along the Pacific coast – this allowed them to claim land in CA.

European Conflicts in North America The rivalries between European nations carried over into the Americas. Britain and France – fought several wars in the 1700s. When the two countries were at war in Europe, fighting often broke out between British and French colonists.

European Conflicts in North America France and Great Britain – principal rivals of the colonial period. Both nations were expanding their settlements, and this growing conflict would eventually lead to war.

Summary