Chapter Two: The Planting of English America
English Exploration Religious conflict delayed English Exploration in the 15th Century Protestant Reformation Catholic vs. Protestant Queen Elizabeth ascends to the thrown in 1558 Elizabeth is Protestant Start of a new rivalry with Catholic Spain Spain Attacks England by sea in 1588 Storm destroys the entire Spanish Armada Ensured naval dominance in North America
Newfoundland (England) 1583 Roanoke Island (England) 1585 Early Colonies Push / pull factors Newfoundland (England) 1583 Roanoke Island (England) 1585 Jamestown (England) 1607 Quebec (France) 1608 Santa Fe (Spain) 1610 Overpopulation Religious Conflict Primogeniture Adventure 3G’s – God, Gold, Glory Unemployment Joint Stock Companies Investors pool capital and invest in a colony
Jamestown (1607) Charter granted settlers the same rights as if they still lived in England Purpose: Resources, Gold, Route to the Indies Originally not a long term plan Virginia Company granted charter from King James
Jamestown Continued Mosquito infested (malaria) Many die from disease, malnutrition & Starvation English “Gentlemen” not fit for “survival” Spent time looking for gold instead
“He who shall not work shall not eat” Jamestown Continued Captain John Smith Kidnapped by Powhatan Chief Meets Pocahontas Mediates and helps maintain peace Hard times continue to plague the colonists Starving Time Winter of 1609-1610 Cannibalism Eat dogs, cats, rats, ect. 60/400 settlers survive “He who shall not work shall not eat”
“War Without Peace or Truce” New Governor Lord De La Warr Imposes harsh military rule on colony Declares war against Natives in region Powhatan Confederacy: small tribes loosely affiliated with Powhatan supremacy Powhatan wars and disease drive Natives west and decimate population Powhatan’s fall victim to the 3 D’s Disease, disorganization & disposability
Demographic & Cultural Change Horses – allow natives to migrate west Disease – devastates native populations Trade – European desire for goods (guns, furs, ect) creates competition between tribes
The “Pungent Weed” John Wolfe perfects method to grow tobacco 1612 European demand increases Gave Virginia a firm economic foundation Increased need for labor Promoted plantation system
Virginia First representative Self Government in the colonies The House of Burgesses Representative parliamentary assembly that established a precedent for government in the English Colonies King James Revokes the Charter in 1624 Does not trust the assembly Virginia becomes a Royal Colony under his control
Maryland Actually provided less religious toleration Founded by Lord Baltimore in 1634 Purpose: profit and refuge for Catholics Tobacco colony relies heavily on tobacco Act of Toleration: provided religious toleration to all Christians living in Maryland Death penalty for Jews, atheists, and anyone who denied the divinity of Jesus Actually provided less religious toleration
The West Indies England claims several islands in the West Indies Tobacco = poor mans crop Sugar Cane = Rich mans crop Needed large quantities to yield profit Needed a large labor force By 1700 slaves outnumber whites 4:1 Barbados Slave code (1661) Denied fundamental rights to slaves and gave masters complete control over them
The Carolinas King Charles II grants aristocrats land Many small English farmers were eventually pushed out of the West Indies by large plantation systems Start moving to the Carolinas around 1670 Rice emerges as the principal crop Many brought the slave system with them By 1710 majority of Carolinians were slaves
North Carolina Royal Colony – separates from South Carolina in 1712 Least aristocratic of Colonies Democratic, independent minded Many come from Virginia “the quintessence of Virginias discontent” Newcomers were often squatters: without legal right to the soil, small farmers with no slaves
Georgia Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733 Created as a buffer Spanish in the South French in the South east Least populated colony Place where debtors in prison could go to start a new life
The Plantation Colonies Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia Devoted to exporting commercial agriculture (tobacco & rice) Slavery was found in all the plantation colonies to some extent Soil Butchery: excessive tobacco growing Drove settlers west