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The Southern Colonies

This section explores the emergence of cash crops in the Southern Colonies, particularly tobacco, which became the first successful cash crop in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. The demand for tobacco exceeded the supply, enriching plantation owners who relied heavily on indentured servants and, later, enslaved Africans. As wealth accumulated among the planter elite, tensions arose with backcountry farmers leading to Bacon's Rebellion. The shift from indentured servants to slavery marked a significant turning point, influenced by mortality rates and legal changes, cementing racial disparities through strict slave codes.

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The Southern Colonies

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  1. The Southern Colonies Chapter 3, Section 1

  2. Cash Crops • Tobacco became the South’s 1st successful cash crop. Particularly in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. • Rice and indigo were important to South Carolina • All cash crops were grown on plantations

  3. Tobacco • Demand was greater than supply- Plantation owners became wealthy • Transported on ships around the Chesapeake Bay • Required many workers to cultivate tobacco

  4. Indentured Servants • High unemployment rate in England • Shortage of workers in America • The English were offered passage to America in exchange for a set period of service. The contract was often 4-7 years. • Gained freedom and land when their term was finished • High mortality (death) rate

  5. Planter Elite • Wealthy landowners; had a lot of political and economic influence • At first: small plantations and everyone worked side-by-side • As plantations switched to slave labor the plantations grew and owners became more wealthy

  6. Backcountry Farmers • Indentured servants • Owned the land further inland- closer to Indian territory • Worked on small farms and lived in tiny homes • Relied upon subsistence farming

  7. The bottom • Landless tenant farmers (indentured servants) • Indentured servants- still in service • Enslaved Africans • ******Uneven distribution of wealth**********

  8. Sir William Berkeley • Controlled Virginia through the House of Burgesses • Exempted friends for paying taxes • Restricted vote to property owners • Angered back country and tenant farmers

  9. Leading up to the Rebellion • Wealthy landowners in the Tidewater region • Wealthy did NOT support expanding colony into Indian Territory • They feared the repercussions • 1675- war between Backcountry farmers and Susquehannock people • Berkeley did NOT support farmers

  10. Bacon’s Rebellion • Backcountry farmers, led by Nathanial Bacon, raised a militia and attacked Natives • In an effort to “fix things” the House of Burgesses authorized Bacon the right to raise troops- Berkeley restored the right to vote and removed tax exemptions • Bacon- still mad- returned to Jamestown with a militia and seized power. Charged Berkeley with corruption

  11. Berkeley raised his own army and the two fought for months until Bacon died • Rebellion convinced many that slavery was a better option than indentured servants

  12. Slaves vs. Indentured Servants • Reasons for the switch: • Slaves didn’t need to be released and didn’t need land • Fewer English settlers were willing to become indentured servants • Laws changed making the slave trade easier

  13. The Slave Trade • Africans were forcibly removed from West Africa • Europeans traded guns for enslaved Africans • Slaves were crammed on ships and transported across the Atlantic Ocean= MIDDLE PASSAGE • Those that died or became ill were thrown overboard

  14. 1st Africans were brought to Virginia in 1619 • Treated like indentured servants- they did not have slavery at the time • Many Africans converted to Christianity • As more Africans arrived their status changed

  15. Slave Codes • Laws that regulated and defined slavery • Became more strict over time • Limited the rights of Africans in the colonies

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