English Settlements Several factors led to England’s growth in colonization: defeat of Spanish Armada, population growth (economic growth), joint stock companies

Jamestown King James I chartered Virginia Co. (joint-stock) that est. first permanent English colony in N. America in 1607 Great hardships: Indian attacks, famine and disease Many settlers wanted gold! And refused to farm/hunt Captain John Smith’s leadership helped the struggling colony John Rolfe est. tobacco industry

Jamestown John Rolfe John Rolfe develops a sweeter strain of tobacco to sell in Europe Marries Pocahontas This brings financial prosperity to the colony This required a large labor force: indentured servants In 1619 African slaves arrive for the first time Both are used for labor

Jamestown The Virginia Company fell heavily into debt and went bankrupt The company’s charter was revoked in 1624 and Virginia came under the direct control of King James I Virginia became the first royal colony

Puritan Colonies Religious Motivation (Plymouth and Mass. Bay) Settled by English Protestants who were influenced by John Calvin’s teachings, including predestination In the early 1600s many people in England wanted to change the Church of England They wanted to “purify” their church of Catholic influences James I viewed these Protestants as a threat and had them arrested and jailed

The Plymouth Colony Separatists: wanted to organize a completely separate church, independent of royal control These Pilgrims first migrated to Holland and then to America Set sail for VA in 1620 After 65 days the Mayflower landed off MA coast Rather than go to VA they est. Plymouth Colony

The Plymouth Colony After a harsh winter the settlers at Plymouth befriend the Native Americans and adapt to the land First Thanksgiving: 1621 Strong leadership of Capt. Miles Standish and Gov. William Bradford Fish, furs and lumber help the economy grow

Massachusetts Bay Colony Charles I continued to persecute Puritans, so another group set out for religious freedom (not Separatists) They gained a royal charter and in 1630 about one thousand set sail, led by John Winthrop They landed in MA and founded Boston The English civil war drove thousands out of England (Great Migration), many to MA Bay Colony

Early Political Institutions Plymouth: Aboard the Mayflower the Pilgrims drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact Pledged to make decisions by the will of the majority Represented early form of colonial self-govt. and early form of written constitution

Early Political Institutions The VA Company sought to encourage settlement in Jamestown by guaranteeing colonists the same right they had had in England This included the right to be represented in the lawmaking process IN 1619, 12 years after the founding of Jamestown, VA’s colonists organized the first representative assembly in America: Virginia House of Burgesses

Early Political Institutions In the MA Bay Colony there were limited democratic actions All free men – male members of the Puritan Church-had the right to participate in yearly elections of the colony’s governor and his assistants

Early Political Institutions Only male property owners could vote in the colonies Women and those who did not own land had few rights Indentured servants and slaves had practically no rights Many colonial governors ruled with autocratic powers, answering only to the king Therefore, democracy in the Americas developed slowly

The 13 Colonies Chesapeake Colonies: MD and VA MD: Act of Toleration VA: House of Burgesses, Bacon’s Rebellion, headright system New England Colonies New England Colonies: RI, CT, NH, MA RI: Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson CT: The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut NH: royal colony

The 13 Colonies Restoration Colonies: NC, SC, NY, NJ, PA, DE NC & SC: agriculture and slavery NY: New Amsterdam to NY PA: William Penn, Quakers, “Holy Experiment” Last Colony: GA GA: defensive buffer, debtor destination

Slavery Slave population grew rapidly in late 1600s and early 1700s By 1750 half of VA’s and 2/3s of SC’s population were slaves Increased demand for slaves: 1.) reduced migration 2.) Dependable work force (indentured servants=Bacon’s Rebellion) 3.) Cheap Labor

Slavery

Detailed Drawing of a Slave Ship

Slavery White colonists enacted laws to ensure Africans remained in bondage Whites regarded blacks (whether slave or free) as inferior Racism and slavery became an integral part of American colonial society

African Slave Trade

Slavery Triangular Trade: many colonial merchants entered the profitable slave trade Rum from New England to W. Africa to be traded for slaves Middle Passage to West Indies, where slave were traded for sugarcane Return to New England to trade sugar for rum

Triangle Trade

Africans in America Slave life in the South was very tough, as rice growing was much harder than tobacco Many blacks in America evolved their own languages, blending their native tongues with English. Gullah Blacks also contributed to music with instruments like the banjo and bongo drum A few of the slaves became skilled artisans( carpenter, bricklayer)

Africans in America

Revolts did occur In 1712, a slave revolt in NYC cost the lives of a dozen whites and 21 blacks were executed N 1739, SC blacks along the Stono R. revolted and tried to march to Spanish Florida, but failed

Slave Rebellions