Early British Colonies

1. Early British Colonies What characterized the first permanent English settlements in N. Amer? Business enterprises Initially few profits Few efforts to blend English society with that of the natives Almost nothing worked out as they had planned American society very quickly began to develop its own habits and institutions Colonies differed from one another Agricultural, but growing merchant class

2. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia 1607 John Smith Investors wanted quick return Disease, hunger (more interested in searching for riches than farming) No women—no sense of society Smith held colony together—forced farming

3. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia Smith injured; returned to England 1609—on verge of famine Sir Thomas Dale’s decision Private ownership and cultivation of land Owners repay company with part- time work and contributions of grain

4. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia Arrival of new colonists and development of tobacco as a cash crop saved the colony By late 1620s, > 1.5 million pounds of tobacco exported to England. Very valuable crop that transformed the colony Problem: Required large tracts of farmland; encroached more on Native American territory

5. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia New immigrants came to grow tobacco. Many were indentured servants Headright System 50-acre grants of land: Each new settler—encouraged family units Also additional headrights if paid for someone else’s passage

6. Early British Colonies Example: Ma and Pa Perrone = 100 acres and. . . …their children = 250 acres For a total of 350 acres

7. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia 100 Englishwomen: bought for 120 lbs of tobacco = 1619—first Africans arrived but were not slaves Eventually, colonists demanded more landfor tobacco, other crops and living space

8. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia July 30, 1619: first meeting House of Burgesses First legislative assembly in America Make local laws that could be vetoed by either the governor or the Board of Directors in England

9. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia War with Powhatan people—when English defeated a people, they drove them off the land Brutal fighting—many slain Pocahontas married John Rolfe— uneasy truce To maintain income from tobacco, British sent more troops and colonists

10. Early British Colonies Calvert: Maryland—speculative venture in real estate and retreat for Catholics First Lord Baltimore Native Americans befriended; worried about rival tribes. Calvert encouraged immigration of Protestants & religious toleration; frequent violence between Protestants & Catholics

11. Early British Colonies Jamestown, Virginia By 1670s, one-quarter of free white men in Virginia wereformer indentured servants Lived on western outskirts of colony Constant battles with native peoples Gov. Wm Berkeley— no help; Bacon’s Rebellion— foreshadowing of future West-East conflict

12. Early British Colonies Leyden, Holland Received informal assurances that the king would Not molest them in Virginia. Opened up English American to dissenting Protestants

13. Early British Colonies New England Puritans—wanted to reform Church of England (too Catholic) Some puritans: separatists Hid from James I. Pilgrims fled to Holland then to America. Founded Plymouth Plantation in 1620. Second Colony in America.

14. Early British Colonies New England Mayflower Compact became an important landmark in the development of American democracy. Later 1620s, other Puritans came to this region-- John Winthrop obtained a royal charter for a joint-stock enterprise called the Massachusetts Bay Colony Better planned, more successful than Jamestown

15. Early British Colonies New England The Great Migration: 20,000 immigrants between 1630 and 1640 Boston became thriving capital Other towns spread outward from Boston A Puritan colony

16. Early British Colonies New England Puritans—belief in a special covenant with God “We shall be as a City Upon A Hill; the eyes of all people are on us.” John Winthrop The concept of liberty was collective, not individual All male Puritans could vote Taxes supported Puritan Church; the law required church attendance Concept of a theocracy

17. Early British Colonies New England Puritans intolerant of dissenters Roger Williams • Claimed English settlers had no • rightful claim to land unless they • bought it from Native American peoples • Government officials had no business • punishing settlers for religious beliefs— • people should be free to worship • according to conscience.

18. Early British Colonies New England Williams tried by General Court Ordered to be returned to England Escaped and fled Massachusetts; went to Narragansett Bay Founded the colony of Providence (later Rhode Island) guaranteeing separation of Church & state & religious freedom

19. Early British Colonies New England Anne Hutchinson—Puritan taught that worshipers did not need the Church or its ministers to interpret the Bible. Tried, convicted and banished—moved to Rhode Island Resulted in Massachusetts Bay Colony increasing restrictions on women’s activities.

20. Early British Colonies New England Settlers moved into western Massachusetts Bay and into new colonies of New Hampshire and Connecticut Initially, Native Americans helped settlers Many Native Americans killed by European diseases; disputes erupted over land

21. Early British Colonies New England First major conflict: Connecticut in 1637— Pequot Nation Massacre of Pequot people at a fort on Mystic River 1675—King Philip’s War Wampanoag chief Metacomet Throughout New England Brutal and bloody N.A. finally beaten by war, disease, hunger

22. Early British Colonies Restoration Colonies • Northern Carolina: • backwoods farmers • isolated • meager existence • no aristocracy or slaves • Southern Carolina: • fertile lands • Charles Town a good harbor • More prosperous economy & more aristocratic • Flourishing trade • Close ties with Barbados

23. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies 1609—Henry Hudson (Englishman employed by Dutch)sailed up river now named for him. Claimed area for the Netherlands Established trading posts at Fort Orange and Manhattan Island Dutch government allowed Dutch West India Company to colonize New Amsterdam (NYC) became capital

24. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies Dutch took over New Sweden in 1655 Friendlier relations with native peoples—more interested in trading than taking land New Netherland included people from several European nations: Dutch, Germans, French Scandinavians, other Europeans and several Africans (free and slaves) Religious tolerance—people all faiths

25. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies 1644—English took over colony without a fight Duke of York (later King James II) owner: renamed New York Gave two friends a portion of his land; later named New Jersey

26. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies In England, Charles II became king following a civil war— The Restoration. Charles II owed a debt to father of William Penn. So as payment, gave land in New World.

27. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies Penn: Society of Friends (Quakers) • Radical religious beliefs for time • No ministers—people free to speak as the Spirit moved them in services • Dressed plainly • Would not defer to rank • Opposed war—would not serve in army Penn wanted society based on Quaker ideals of equality, cooperation & toleration

28. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies Penn guaranteed every adult male 50 acres of land and right to vote. Govt: Representative Assembly Freedom of religion Capital: “City of Brotherly Love” Philadelphia Today called: Assured Native Americans were paid for land used by settlers; set up trade with NA

29. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies Penn recruited immigrants: several from Germany Quakers eventually became a minority Slavery introduced in late 1600s But, Penn’s principles of equality, cooperation, & religious tolerance became fundamental American values.

30. Early British Colonies Middle Colonies Three southern counties of Pennsylvania resisted Penn’s absolute power Charter of Liberties Own representative assembly Became Delaware

31. Early British Colonies Restoration Colonies • Georgia: • philanthropic & • military motives • military barrier • against Spanish lands • Refuge for poor (new start) • Excluded Africans and • Catholics • Strictly regulated trade with Native Americans

32. Early British Colonies Restoration Colonies James Oglethorpe Good, but ultimately unsuccessful Lost grip Trustees removed limitations on individual landholdings and the ban on slavery and rum Eventually became a royal colony

33. Early British Colonies Mercantilism A nation could increase its wealth and power by: Obtaininggold andsilver Establishing a favorable balance of trade Goal: self-sufficiency How did the colonies aid in mercantilism? Provided raw materials & other products

34. Early British Colonies Mercantilism Navigation Acts (1651 on) All trade—on English or colonial ships All ships: crews at least ¾ English or colonial Colonies export certain commodities only to England (tobacco, sugar, rice molasses and furs) Almost all goods traded between America and Europe, unloaded first at an English port

35. Democracy in England William & Mary Mary Stuart and William of Orange became co-rulers of England 1689 Glorious Revolution—turning point in English constitutional history. With monarch’s power limited by the Parliament, a constitutional monarchy

36. Early British Colonies How did the colonies benefit from the Glorious Revolution? • Revived representative assemblies • Successfully thwarted the plan for colonial • unification • Legitimized the idea that colonists had some • rights within the empire—that the English • government needed to consider their views • in making policies that affected them

37. Early British Colonies Colonial Governments Governor appointed by monarch Advisory council appointed by governor Local assembly elected by landowning white males Governor appointed judges and oversaw the colony’s trade Local assembly raised taxes and initiated and passed laws Colonies liked self-government