Southern Colonies Southern Colonies

The Carolinas North of Florida but South of Virginia. Called just Carolina- in honor of King Charles II, included both present-day North and South Carolina. –First capital was Charles Town. –Officially belonged to a group of English aristocrats who had some control in the West Indies. –Colonists did not like being under control by them. In 1691, the aristocrats set aside an official piece of land called North Carolina, distinguishing the two areas. In 1729, both Carolinas wanted the crown to take over. The king appointed their governors.

Carolina developed close economic ties to the West Indies.  Many Carolinian settlers were originally from the West Indies.  They used local Savannah Indians to enslave other Indians (about 10,000) and send them to the West Indies and some to New England  Savannah Indians decided to migrate to PA.  PA promised better relations with whites.  Carolinians decided to “thin” the Savannahs before they could leave  bloody raids killed most of them by 1710.

The West Indies 1670  a group of small English farmers from the West Indies arrived in Carolina.  Were squeezed out by sugar barons.  Brought a few black slaves and a model of the Barbados slave code with them. Named for King Charles II. The King granted Carolina to 8 supporters (Lord Proprietors).  They hoped to use Carolina to supply their plantations in Barbados with food and export wine, silk, and olive oil to Europe.

Port of Charles Town, SC Also named for King Charles II of England. Became the busiest port in the South. City with aristocratic feel. Religious toleration attracted diverse inhabitants.

The primary export. Rice was still an exotic food in England.  Was grown in Africa, planters imported West African slaves.  These slaves seemed to be immune to malaria. By 1710  black slaves were a majority in Carolina.

In colonial times, the main use for indigo was as a dye for spun cotton threads that were woven into cloth for clothes. Today in the US, the main use for indigo is a dye for cotton work clothes & blue jeans.

Catholic Spain hated the mass of Protestants on their borders. Anglo-Spanish Wars  The Spanish conducted border raids on Carolina.  Either inciting local Native Americans to attack or attacking themselves. By 1700  Carolina was too strong to be wiped out by the Spanish!

Northern part of Carolina shared a border with VA  VA dominated by aristocratic planters who were generally Church of England members.  Dissenters from VA moved south to northern Carolina.  Poor farmers with little need for slaves.  Religious dissenters. Distinctive traits of North Carolinians  Irreligious & hospitable to pirates.  Strong spirit of resistance to authority  NC officially separated from SC.

Late-Coming Georgia Founded in Last of the 13 colonies. Named in honor of King George II. Founded by James Oglethorpe.

The Port City of Savannah Diverse community.  All Christians except Catholics enjoyed religious toleration. Missionaries worked among debtors and Indians  most famous was John Wesley.

Georgia 1732, Georgia began as a proprietary colony intended to protect South Carolina against Spanish Florida. Led by James Oglethorpe –He wanted the colony to be a haven for English debtors: people who have been jailed because they could not pay their debts. –Most of the first colonists were poor traders and artisans or religious refugees from Switzerland and Germany. Oglethorpe set up strict rules: –No drinking alcohol –No one could own slaves –They had to work their own land –Colonists were angry and protested to the King who made it a royal colony in 1752.

Maryland Maryland was chartered in 1632, founded in 1634, just North of the Chesapeake Bay. –Named after Mary, queen of the new monarchy. Her husband was James I son. –The King gave Lord Baltimore, a friend and aristocrat, control of this new Southern Colony. Lord Baltimore made it a proprietary colony: Influential individuals or companies were awarded large areas of land to develop and supervise. Established with private investments with little royal control. Usually diverse with immigrants. Feared they would grow too independent of Parliament’s authority. At the beginning of 1700’s, England stopped allowing proprietary colonies. –Maryland was also a refuge for Catholics who were disliked by Protestants in England. Lord Baltimore, also Catholic, was disappointed when more Protestants chose Maryland as their home instead of Catholics.