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English Colonization in the 19th Century

Examples of Colonial disunity were not surprising – Reasons:

English Crown awarded colonial charters to:

1. Merchants 2. Religious idealists – different types of colonists 3. Adventurers

Decisions to Emigrate

1. Rapid Population growth (1580-1650) in created competition for food and jobs 2. New World was the land of opportunity 3. Institute a purer form of worship 4. Escape poverty, debt, jail terms, bad marriages 5. Religious and political persecution in Spain and England

Upon arriving the colonist brought ideas and subcultures of which some were changed by the American environment.

The colonies, the , and the all were distinct in various ways

A. Economy B. Religion

The Chesapeake: Dreams of Wealth

Post Roanoke, New World interest lessened

English interest reappeared with English rivalry with Spain

Jamestown

Colonization was very costly

Solution – Joint Stock Company, large amounts of cash available with a stock investment plan, with hopes of high cash returns.

1st charter –

30 miles up the James River Problem – wealth was the motivation, not permanent settlement. Wealth rather than farming (planting corn)

Captain John Smith – Prevented a Roanoke repeat

A. Brought order and prevented anarchy B. Traded with Native American tribes for food C. Mapped the Chesapeake Bay D. Instituted military rule

John Smith was rescued by Pocahontas

Reorganization in government allowed for joint stock investment to be opened to the general public.

Difficulties continue, a supply ship headed to Jamestown crashed in

John Smith suffered a gun powder injury and returned to England. The colonists face a terrible winter with starvation and cannibalism.

Colonists vs. Powhattan (powerful tribes)

A. Hoped to coexist, but found it impossible so war took place in 1622 and 1644 B. 1644 led to the complete destruction of the Powhattans C. Surviving settlers (1610) looked to abandon Jamestown D. They encountered De La Warr and succeeding who lead by marshal law : Sir Thomas Gates and Sir Thomas Dale E. Saved the colony, but it did not succeed at this point – no profits to settlers

A Stinking Weed

Key to – John Rolfe (married Pocahontas) began to cultivate a Native American crop – tobacco allowing Virginia to send tobacco to England for revenue

1. All vacant land to be planted with tobacco 2. King James who felt tobacco to be immoral changed his tune as he collected import duties (tariffs)

Change in Virginia’s Government

-Sir Edwin Sandys ended marshal law and instituted an assembly The House of Burgesses

-Virginians who paid their transportation to Virginia were given 50 acres (headright) -The more servants brought, the more land (indentured servants)

-Both men and women swept into Virginia

Morality in Virginia

1619-1622 – record numbers in Virginia – most settlers were single males in their teens-twenties (indentured servants)

Servitude depended on age, men were preferred for agricultural labor making the man to woman ratio uneven

 Indentured servants would lead to  They were traded and gambled away

High mortality rates were caused by:

1. Disease 2. Salt in the Water 3. Native American Attacks () 4. Difficult Voyage

Scandal and Reform

Virginia governors sent servants to their private plantations for profit

Results:

1. Characteristics of a Boomtown 2. No Sense of Purpose 3. No Sense of Identity 4. Unrestrained Self-Advancement

King of England due to the problems made Virginia a Royal Colony

House of Burgesses was not democratic – instead it provided wealthy planters with a voice

Representatives met regularly without the king’s consent and wouldn’t surrender their control over local affairs

1634: Virginia was divided into counties by the assembly – wealthy planters served as justices of the peace

The Court was the most important institution of local government

Virginia expanded as tobacco production increased and Native Americans were killed 1705-Jamestown was the only population center

Maryland: A Troubled Sanctuary

George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) – tobacco colony and refuge for Catholics

G. Calvert stated himself to be Catholic, then lost his Secretary of State position in England, his son Cecilius was given the charter

Vague boundaries were established and true boundaries weren’t established until the mid 18th Century by the surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon (Mason-Dixon Line)

Maryland named in honor of King Charles’ wife

Maryland was established as a colony for Catholics, but would exist so that others wouldn’t be scared off, giving Maryland a chance to prosper.

Lord Baltimore became the proprietor with royal and absolute powers

Those members of the colonial ruling class who purchased 6,000 acres became “Lords of the Manor”

Maryland never accepted the feudal system

The colony drew Protestants and Catholics

1. Lacked unity 2. Potential Civil War

Lord Baltimore drafted the Act Concerning Religion (Toleration Act)

 Still, disunity played a major role

Economic conditions poor, 2/3 of the planters lived in houses of only two rooms – comparable to the lowest classes in England

Conquest of New England

Pilgrims – English farmers north of London – Left the Church of England (Separatists)

William Bradford (leader) petitioned for a from the of London

Left on the for Virginia, but navigation miscalculations sent the pilgrims to New England.

To maintain the government they signed the Mayflower Compact

Economy: 1. Fur Trade 2. Commercial Fishing 3. Animal husbandry –grain-livestock

Eventually absorbed into Bay Colony

Puritan Commonwealth

Puritanism transformed England and America – believed in predestination – some were guaranteed salvation, others guaranteed damnation.

They considered themselves the “elect”. The Goal:

1. Live according to scripture 2. Battle sin 3. End corruption

City on a Hill

The wanted to only purify the Church of England – felt the English Kings appeased Catholicism and until the 1630’s, separatism was not in the plan

1629: Puritans turn their attention to America and Company obtains a Charter from the king

The puritans felt that once in America the English government couldn’t interfere in their affairs

In the first year, 2,000 people arrived in Massachusetts Bay

By 1640- 16,000 men –women arrive

Unlike Maryland and Virginia, the puritans came in their nuclear families

Massachusetts settlers possessed strength and stability

 They felt they had a special covenant with God, Whom expected them to live life by the scriptures  God would create for them a “City on a Hill” that would stand as a beacon of righteousness

In England, , a respected minister, urged Puritan emigrations instead of formally separating from the Church of England

They accepted Congregationalism in which they would uphold God’s Law and make a confession of faith

Women and Africans were considered church members, but could not vote for church ministers Massachusetts Bay Company – government structure

 Charter stated investors in a joint stock company could create a business organization  Company leader had placed a government structure into action  Example: Freeman category was given to all male members in the  1630’s – 40% of adult males were eligible to vote, much greater number than England   Magistrate

This government was not a democracy or a theocracy – could be a “tweener”

Congregational ministers had no formal political power in the

The Town became the center of public life

1. Church Services 2. Town Meetings

The Massachusetts Bay Colony remarkably worked together – were able to settle disputes through the courts

Laws and Liberties were the alphabetized code of law printed in England

1. Explained colonial rights and responsibilities 2. Created public trust in government 3. Discouraged arbitrary exercise of authority

One Challenge to Authority was

 He preached separation  He opposed those with ties to the Church of England  Questioned the validity of the colonial charters  Massachusetts had no business punishing settlers for their religious beliefs

Roger Williams was banished and established

Anne Hutchinson also posed a great challenge

1. All but two ministers had lost touch with the Holy Spirit 2. She questioned the basic core of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 3. Sent to Rhode Island by court interventions

New England Colonies

Massachusetts Bay Colony lead to 4 colonies

1. Massachusetts 2. Rhode Island 3. a. Slow growth b. Economically dependent on Massachusetts 4.

Rhode Island was labeled as the colony of riff raff – untrue. In 1644 Parliament issues the , land division. Although constant arguing existed they received a and established an economy based on agriculture and trade.

The Middle Colonies

1. 2. New 3. 4.

Settled for diverse reasons

Each colony developed a heterogeneous population (men-women)

Ethnic and religious differences

New York

 Dutch on the Hudson River  Settlement –New Netherlands  Henry Hudson (NW passage) sailed the Hudson River as he was sponsored by the Dutch Company

Dutch West Company sponsored two outposts

1. Fort Orange (Albany) 2. New Amsterdam () on Manhattan Island a. Purpose – Fur Trade b. Population remains small with a large amount of Nationalities

The English took New Netherlands (Colonel Richard Nicolls)

 Agreement – Articles of Capitulation   A generous agreement to let the Dutch remain and keep property  Charles gave his brother, the Duke of York, the title to New York and surrounding territory  Governor Nicolls created Duke’s Laws to maintain order o Religious tolerance o Local Government

New Jersey

Charter awarded to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret

Located between the Hudson and the

Economy – small farms with a wide variety of European colonists

Quakers in America

Grew out of the

Society of Friends who spread “the Truth” and possessed the inner light

1. Practiced Humility 2. Wore simple clothes 3. Old-fashioned way – pacifists

Penn’s Holy Experiment

Pennsylvania – Penn’s Woods – awarded by the king to William Penn

His charter allowed any form of government

1. Liberty of Conscience – freedom of worship 2. Freedom from persecution 3. No taxation without representation 4. Due process 5. Land

Planting the

Great diversity and little cohesion

Court favorites in England demand compensation for loyalty

 Sir John Colleton – successful English planter 1663 – the king granted proprietors a charter from Virginia to Florida Plan of Settlement

 To save money for transporting colonists overseas, land deals were offered to colonists in the north – proved difficult.  Carolinas divided into 3 distinct districts: o Albemarle – bordered Virginia – attracted dissatisfied Virginians o Cape Fear o Port Royale –  Many were dissatisfied and left

Barbados Connection

Ashley Cooper persuaded Carolinian proprietors to invest in the Carolinas. Once sufficient funds were raised 300 Englishmen were dispatched under the leadership of Joseph West.

West brought additional colonists to the Carolinas by stopping in Barbados – they settled at modern day Charleston – then called Charles Town

Those that purchased vast tracts of land served on the Council of Nobles (proved weak)

 Administer justice  Oversee civil affairs  Initiate legislation

Due to overpopulation in Barbados many arrived. Brought sugar, slaves, and wealth. Became leaders

Because of violence 1792 the king created a separate royal government for North-South Carolina

Georgia

Established to carry out aggression with Spain

Proprietor – James Oglethorpe

1. Home of English Debtors 2. Military movements against Spain 3. Oglethorpe and a Board of Trustees maintained order a. Inheritance through oldest son b. No rum or slavery c. Colonists upset 4. Due to popular unrest the rules change a. Land restriction ended b. Women can inherit c. Slaves and rum allowed