English Coloniza on
1600 – 1660 Virginia Company of London Virginia Company of Plymouth
Chartered colonies: The Crown grants a charter to a private company to found or plant a colony. The Crown has no financial or poli cal obliga ons for the administra on of the colony. Governance of a chartered colony was le to the owners of the company.
The Virginia Company of London, owned by London Merchants, was chartered by King James I & VI to found a colony in the Chesapeake region.
The Virginia Company of Plymouth, owned by Plymouth [England] merchants, was chartered by King James I & VI to found a colony in the New England region. They a empt to plant a colony in modern-day Maine.
Map legend: Q Québec (French) R Port-Royal (French) Po Popham Colony (English) J Jamestown (English) SA San Augus n (Spanish)
Capt. John Smith Pocahontas 1580 – 1631 (Rebecca Rolfe) c. 1595 – 1617
In April 1607, 104 colonists arrive in Virginia to establish a colony. The colony was governed by a council of seven. The colony suffered from internal strife, poor rela ons with the Powhatan, and a poor loca on – a swamp. One-third of the ‘colonists’ were ‘gentlemen’ while others wsere skilled labourers rather than farmers.
Jamestown Founded 1607 Chief Powhatan Powhatan Confederacy a.k.a. Wahunsenacawh c. 1545 – c. 1618 The Powhatan were an Algonquian people located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. The Confederacy was collec on of chiefdoms that were subservient to the Powhatan chiefdom under Chief Wahunsenacawh who expanded his control from six to more than 30 tribes by 1607. The area covered 20,000 square km. with 15,000 – 20,000 people. Jamestown The first few years of the colony were difficult. Mortality was high because the se lers were not equipped for farming or living in a new environment. The English chose a poor site for the se lement as it was located on swampy island with no fresh water. The winter of 1608-09 was brutal; the se lers lacked sufficient food. They ate what was available: acorns, roots, dogs, cats, a wife, etc. Nearly 80% of the se lers died. Yet, Jamestown had nearby fer le land and abundant fish. By 1616 out of 2259 se lers from England, only 350 were s ll living. By 1640 out of 23,950 se lers, only 8100 were s ll living. Thomas West 1577 – 1618
3rd Baron De La Warr 1602 – 1618
Governor of Virginia 1610 – 1611
The Anglo-Powhatan rela ons were not good. Governor Lord De la Warr took a hard line with the Powhatan. He started the First Anglo-Powhatan War (1610 – 1614) by making demands on Wahunsenacawh who ignored De la Warr. The governor ordered a acks on Powhatan villages, burning them, slaughtering the people, and capturing a royal wife and children of the Paspahegh. On the voyage to Jamestown, the royal children were thrown overboard and shot to death. The queen was slayed in Jamestown. In December 1613, Wahunsenacawh’s daughter Pocahontas was captured. Peace came in 1614 when Pocahontas married John Rolfe. Tobacco the cash crop of colonial Virginia and Maryland Introduced in 1614 by John Rolfe, West Indies tobacco which was superior to na ve tobacco, saved the colony. BY 1617, 50,000 lbs. of tobacco were sent to England. Virginia found its economy, but too late to save the Virginia Colony from bankruptcy. In 1624, Virginia became a Royal colony under James I & VI. Nico ana tabacum 1622 Massacre: The Second Anglo-Powhatan War In 1621 Chief Opechancanough of the Powhatan, successor to Wahunsenacawh, decided to rid the Powhatan lands of the English. He gave the impression of wan ng peaceful rela ons. He planted his subjects among the English and a acked on 22 March 1621 (OS), three days before New Year’s. One-third of the colonists were killed; the Powhatan withdrew thinking the English would abandon the colony or submit. Instead, the English retaliated and during peace nego a ons in 1623, massacred the Powhatan nego ators. War lasted un l 1632. Sir George Calvert Proprietary colony: The colony is owned by one person 1579 – 1632 or a group of people. The owner arranges for st se lement and governance. 1 Baron Bal more 1625 – 1632 The Ferryland colony in Newfoundland was established Proprietary Governor of in “Avalon” in 1621. The colony lasted un l 1629 and Newfoundland was abandoned due to climate. A few se lers remained 1627 – 1629 un l France destroyed the se lement in November 1696.
Ferryland today: Ferryland Na onal Historic Site Lieu historique na onal du Ferryland Cæcilius Calvert 1605 – 1675 nd 2 Baron Bal more Religious tolera on 1632 – 1675 Catholic colony Governor of Newfoundland Legisla ve Assembly 1629 – 1632 Tobacco economy Proprietor of Maryland 1632 – 1675
Modern flag of Maryland Heraldic Banner of Sir George Calvert
Leonard Calvert 1606 – 1647 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland 1634 – 1647 Indentured Servitude
It was a means for a se ler to secure passage to thecolonies in return for seven years of labour a er which you were given back your freedom. For owners, indentured servitude was a cheap way to secure labour in the colonies, especially in the early years when there was high mortality. It was cheaper to take indentured servants rather than invest in slaves. Slavery Slavery is involuntary servitude that lasts for life or un l set free. Unlike indentured servitude which is voluntary and for a set term, slavery is a closed system with no real hope for freedom. Slavery existed alongside indentured servitude.
Spain and Portugal used slavery in their American colonies. By the 1530s slavery was well established in Spanish and Portuguese America. The English start using slavery in their colonies in the early 1600s. Maryland had slave laws by 1639.
Slavery was for “Strangers” (non-Chris an Foreigners). Strangers was a 17th and 18th century term for foreigners or people not from your own community.
By 1808, the end of the slave trade in the Atlan c about 523,000 slaves were imported to Bri sh North America / the United States out of 11,000,000 brought to the Americas. This represents 4.7% of all slaves brought to the Americas.
From 1500 to 1800 about 1,250,000 Europeans (95% of them men) were captured and enslaved North African Muslims. Most were captured at sea, but some mes Arab raiders a acked villages. Raids on land occurred as far north as Britain and Iceland. Paying a ransom could secure freedom. 1670 pain ng showing slaves working in the tobacco sheds of Virginia Ar st unknown
Tobacco was the cash crop. It was labour intensive which made it perfect for slavery. Most slaves in the southern colonies worked in the fields. There was some household slavery. Indentured servants o en worked alongside slaves under the same condi ons. Post-Independence American Church of England Colonial New England before 1691
Plymouth Colony, merged into the Prov. of Massachuse s Bay 1620 - 1691 Massachuse s Bay Colony, merged into the Prov. of Massachuse s Bay 1630 - 1691 Province of Massachuse s Bay 1691 - 1776 Rhode Island and Providence Planta ons 1636 - 1776 Province of New Hampshire, created from Massachuse s Bay Colony 1691 – 1776 Connec cut Colony 1636 – 1776 New Haven Colony 1636 – 1665, merged into Connec cut Province of Maine 1629 – 1640s Part of Massachuse s Bay Colony 1640s – 1673 Cornwall County, Prov. of New York 1673 – 1691, merged into the Prov. of Massachuse s Bay as York County Pilgrims (Separa sts) & Puritans
John Winthrop 1587/8 – 1649 The “Winthrop” Fleet Governor of Massachuse s Bay 11 ships 1630 – 1634, 1637 – 1640, 1642 – 1643, abt 700 se lers & 1646 - 1648 Great Migra on 1630 – 1640
About 20,000 se lers arrive in Massachuse s
Town Forma on in Massachuse s Early Colonial Boston
Harvard College, chartered in 1636 by the General Court of Massachuse s Bay Town Mee ng Lawn Division and Ownership in Colonial New England
Paul S. Boyer, et al., The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, Third Edi on. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company) 1996, p. 60 Town Mee ng: The Legislature of New England Towns Roger Williams and the Narraganse s Rhode Island & Providence Planta ons
Anne Hutchinson 1591 – 1643 (family massacred in New Netherlands by Siwanoy First Na on) 1638 engraving of the a ack on the Pequot Village in Connec cut
Undated engraving of the same a ack Anglo-Dutch-Swedish North America, 1620s – 1660s