Colonies in America
New England Colonies Colonies: Massachusetts New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Economy: Fur Trading Fishing Lumber Industry Farming
Rhode Island - Founded by Roger Williams - Land peaceably acquired from Indians - Based on religious freedoms that Williams promoted Church and the government are separate Puritan Opinion: “That sewer in which the Lord’s debris had collected and rotted”
Connecticut - Founded by Thomas Hooker - Settled by Dutch and English - Wanted more religious freedom than Massachusetts allowed - Disliked the requirement of citizens to be church members -Fundamental Orders First constitution in the nation Allowed area to be controlled by the citizens
New Hampshire Founded by Puritan communities Settled in little towns independent of each other Led to constant discord within the colony Famous for raising of flax and manufacturing linen goods - Becomes royal colony
New England Unity: By Choice New England Confederation 1643 Participants: 2 Massachusetts Colonies and 2 Connecticut Colonies (All Puritan) Purpose: Defend against foes and to deal with internal issues Organization: Each colony got two votes regardless of population
New England Unity: By Force Dominion of New England 1686 Purpose: To enforce the Navigation Acts Actions: Got rid of town meetings and put heavy restrictions on all areas of life Ended when King was overthrown in England People of Boston overthrew the Dominion
Middle Colonies Colonies: New York New Jersey Delaware Pennsylvania Economy: Fur Trading Lumber Industry Shipbuilding “Bread Colonies”
New Netherland (New York) - Founded by Henry Hudson -Englishman sailing for the Dutch -Explored the Hudson R. and Hudson Bay areas -Dutch found colony at New Amsterdam (New York City) -Lots of different immigrants -Religious freedom - Very aristocratic population - Purpose of Colony: Profit from fur trade - Best Deal: Purchase of Manhattan Island
New York - Problems: Directors incompetent Massive attacks from Indians (“Wall Street”) Attacked by British colonists -English take colony in 1664 -Renamed New York -Part of the region divided into the colony of New Jersey - Dutch influence still evident in America
Pennsylvania - Founded by William Penn -Quakers (Society of Friends) - Religious group who practiced worship without ministers and were pacifists - Refused to support Church of England - No Oaths - Faced much persecution in England
Pennsylvania Best advertised colony in America Gave large land grants -Philadelphia “City of Brotherly Love” -Fair treatment of Indians Used as babysitters -Thriving colony Freedom of Worship Representative Assembly No military defense Disliked slavery
Delaware Settled by the Swedish on property that supposedly belonged to New Netherland Dutch lead military expedition in 1655 and take over colony Absorbed into New Netherland
New Jersey Part of New York at first Colony had religious liberty Divisions between Puritans and Quakers (East and West Jersey) Mostly settled by English Farming towns Escaped troubles because guarded on both sides by New York and Pennsylvania
Southern Colonies Colonies: Maryland South Carolina North Carolina Virginia Georgia Economy: Farming
Maryland - George Calvert Lord Baltimore: Founder of Colony - Established as safe haven for English Catholics Catholics soon outnumbered by backcountry planters growing tobacco Toleration Act guaranteed religious freedom (for all Christians) Death penalty for all who denied divinity of Jesus
Carolina (South Carolina) -Royal colony named after King Charles - Founded by the Lords Proprietors Stretched from Atlantic to Pacific Goal: Grow food to sale to Caribbean -Charles Town became major port city Main Crop: Rice Aristocratic population -Large slave populations
Carolina (South Carolina)
Carolina (North Carolina) North Carolina created as refuge for the poor and dissenters - Mainly came from Virginia Small tobacco farms with little need for slaves Remained thinly populated until mid 1700’s “A vale of humility between two mountains of conceit”
Georgia -Georgia Founded by James Olgethorpe Haven for debtors Buffer from Spanish areas Determined to keep slavery out of colony Tolerated all Protestants Last of 13 colonies to be founded in New World Least populated by end of 1700s
Colonial System -Mercantilism system of nations increasing their wealth and power through trade with colonies -English wanted a favorable balance of trade which meant they sold more than they imported from colonies -Social System widely available prosperity
English Control - Colonies were very successful traders Lumber, furs, fish, grain, tobacco sent to Europe - Large quantities of finished goods bought - Parliament passes the Navigation Acts Restricted how colonists could do business Colonies could only trade with Britain
Seeds of Independence - Glorious Revolution in England, 1688 -Parliament becomes the dominant force in English government - Salutary Neglect very loose supervision of the colonies - Lack of control led to self government religious, political, economic, and social freedoms John Peter Zenger Trial - Established freedom of the press