Jamestown: An English Settlement The first permanent English settlement in North America is founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
NEXT • Joint-stock companies—investors fund colony for the purpose of collecting profits ($) • In 1607, Virginia Company sends 150 people to establish Jamestown
A Difficult Start • Colonists seek gold, suffer from disease and hunger (disease was the main disrupter of Jamestown) • John Smith forces colonists to farm; gets help from Powhatan people • (1609) 600 colonists arrive; Powhatan destroy farms; “starving time” NEXT English Settlers Struggle in North America
Jamestown Begins to Succeed • Colony grows (new arrivals) • Jamestown colonists grow tobacco (cash crop)
“Brown Gold” and Indentured Servants • Tobacco becomes profitable; export 1.5 million pounds by late 1620s • Head-right system—purchaser of passage gets 50 acres of land—used by England to attract settlers to Virginia. • Plantation owners use indentured servants— work 4–7 years for passage (eventually replaced by African slaves) NEXT English Settlers Struggle in North America
The First African Laborers • First Africans arrive (1619); treated as indentured servants • Late 1600s, owners begin importing costly slaves across the Middle Passage from West Africa
NEXT The Settlers Clash with Native Americans
The Settlers Battle Native Americans • Continued hostilities between Powhatan and English after starving time due to conflicts over land • 1614 marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe creates temporary peace • Renewed fighting; In 1624 King James I makes Virginia royal colony under his control, in order to help protect colonists from Native Americans
NEXT SECTION 2
Economic Differences Split Virginia
Hostilities Develop b/t Gov’t and citizens • Former indentured people settle frontier, cannot vote, pay high taxes • Frontier settlers out on the frontier battle Native Americans; tension between frontier, wealthy • Governor & House of Burgesses (Virginia’s first elected representative assembly) refuse to give money to help frontier fight local natives Bacon’s Rebellion • Nathaniel Bacon raises army to fight natives
on frontier (1676) Image • Governor calls Bacon’s army illegal; Bacon sets fire to Jamestown (similarities to Amer Rev)
NEXT New England Colonies Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, & Connecticut
NEXT The Massachusetts Bay Company •In 1630, joint-stock company founds Massachusetts Bay Colony • Puritans and Pilgrims—groups who flee England and establish colony of Massachusetts for religious freedom • John Winthrop is Puritan colony’s first governor (“City on a Hill”) • Puritans adopt Half-Way Covenant to allow partial membership for Puritan children until age 14 • New England colonies had town meetings (direct democracy) and legislatures (representative democracy)
NEXT Thirteen Original English Colonies
Three Groups: New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies Dissent in the Puritan Community
The Founding of Providence • Roger Williams—Puritan minister with controversial views • General Court orders his arrest; Williams flees • In 1636 he founds colony of Rhode Island - guarantees separation of church and state, religious freedom—(Pennsylvania, Maryland, etc)
NEXT The Puritans Clash with Native Americans
King Philips War 1675 • War between Puritans and Indians over religious issues – Sabbath • Metacom, called King Philip by Puritans, organized local tribes to oppose rule by the English • Native Americans attacked English in spring of 1675 using hit- and-run tactics • War lasted over a year; brutal and destructive • Puritans (guns) wore down Native Americans (spears/bows & arrows) and won clear victory • Metacom killed during war; Puritans kept his head on display at Plymouth for 20 years
Loss of Massachusetts Charter •English King Charles II passed the Navigation Acts in 1684. •These forced the colonists to sell only with England (not France, Spain, etc) •Massachusetts colonists continued to smuggle goods out to other countries •In response, King Charles revoked the colony’s corporate colony and made it a Royal colony— colony under direct control of the king
NEXT Salem Witch Trials • February 1692, several Salem girls accused West Indian girl of witchcraft • Witch hysteria resulted from these unsettled social and religious conditions in Salem • Many women and men were accused of witchcraft and executed (19 total), over 150 jailed • Witchcraft court finally closed after realizing it was non-sense
NEXT Section 4 Settlement of the Middle Colonies The Dutch settle New Netherland; English Quakers led by William Penn settle Pennsylvania.
NEXT Settlement of the Middle Colonies The Dutch Found New Netherland (later becomes New York) A Diverse Colony • In 1621, the Dutch West India Company colonizes New Netherland (New Amsterdam) • Dutch trade for furs with Native Americans
English Takeover • In 1664, James, Duke of York becomes proprietor (owner) of New Amsterdam - renames colony New York (very diverse colony)
NEXT The Quakers Settle Pennsylvania Penn’s “Holy Experiment” • In 1681, William Penn founds Pennsylvania on Quaker principles (diverse population, like New York) • Quakers ideas: equality, cooperation, religious toleration, pacifism • Aspects of Pennsylvania: - adult males get 50 acres, right to vote - representative assembly - freedom of religion
Continued . . .
NEXT The Quakers Settle Pennsylvania A Thriving Colony • Penn recruits immigrants; thousands of Germans go to Pennsylvania • Quakers become minority; slavery is introduced Thirteen Colonies • Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, founds Maryland as a refuge (safe place) for Catholics; has religious freedom for all • James Oglethorpe founds Georgia as 1. haven for debtors 2. as a “buffer” b/t Spanish Florida and North and South Carolina • By 1752, there are 13 British colonies in North America NEXT The French settle Quebec
• 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded town of Quebec (France’s first permanent colony in North America) • French priests and traders settled Quebec and spread out from there • Robert de la Salle claimed the Mississippi River Valley for French King Louis XIV – Named it Louisiana • French territory known as New France • Catholic priests came to convert Native Americans to Christianity • Fur traders exchanged guns/rum for furs from local Native Americans tribes