CHAPTER 2: EARLY SETTLEMENT IN THE COLONIES

An English Settlement at Jamestown

Disease and starvation nearly kept the United States from ever forming

Spanish rulers funded its explorations to the new world; however the English established companies to fund these voyages. Joint-Stock Companies were the result of

semi-wealthy men pooling their money together to finance a private voyage to the new world.

These companies had to first get a charter (official permit) from the king before sailing off.

English Settlers Struggle in North America

King James granted a charter to the Virginia Company, who hoped to est. a colony on the eastern coast of North America.

The Virginia Company was made up of small investors who would split the profits from the land 80%—the king would get 20%.

The Company could afford three ships—Susan Constant, Discovers, and the Godspeed. There were 150 passengers.

The ships reached land in April 1607—they named the settlement “Jamestown” after their king—James Stuart.

Jamestown, VA.

A Disastrous Start

John Smith was captain of this voyage; he urged people to begin preparing for disaster, but few listened. Rather, they searched endlessly for gold.

Disease from contaminated water hit first, then famine, hypothermia, etc. It was a disastrous start. With only 38 colonist left of the original 150, John Smith became a temporary dictator, claiming all those that do not farm will not eat!

Smith persuaded the local tribe (Powhatan... “POW-a-tan”) to provide food for the settlers. They were skeptical of the new settlers, but agreed to help them survive.

Luckily, 600 new colonist arrived in 1609 with supplies—this greatly alarmed the Powhatan, who then began to sabotage their colony.

Only about 60 survived the “Starving Time”

John SmithPowhatan

“Brown Gold”

Of all the things that helped Jamestown survive— tobacco was the most important.

John Rolfe was able to create a strain of tobacco from Brazil and the natives—this was planted at every house throughout Jamestown, and all of England soon demanded it greatly.

By 1620 (14 years after landing), Jamestown was exporting 1.5 million pounds of the “brown gold” each year to England.

In England, the Virginia Company needed to find a way to get more people to immigrate to Jamestown.

Indentured Servants

They came up with the headright system, which gave 50 acres of land to anyone who paid for their own, or another person’s ticket to Jamestown. Therefore, if you wanted to leave England, and pay

for 4 other to travel with you (total of 5 people), the Virginia Company would give you 250 acres of land for tobacco use. (foundations for plantation system)

The 4 people you brought with you were known as indentured servants, and would work between 4-7 years on your plantation before being “free”, and given their own tract of land.

The Dutch first brought over enslaved Africans in 1619; they were treated like all other indentured servants.

The Settlers Clash with Native Americans

As the colony grew, the settlers continually came into contact with hostile Native American tribes.

Unlike the Spanish who intermarried with the natives, the English established strict levels of society which kept the Natives separated and at the bottom

Settlers took revenge against the Powhatan, who sabotaged them during their time of famine (Starving time). Chief Powhatan’s daughter—Pocahontas, married John Rolfe (tobacco).

The chief’s brother attacked and killed 340 colonists. The Virginia Colony went bankrupt by sending in military aid to protect the colony.

The Settlers Clash with Native Americans

Disgusted by what was occurring in Jamestown, King James revoked the Virginia Company’s charter, thus making Jamestown a Royal Colony —under direct control of the king.

He sent in the British Army to conquer the Powhatan.

By 1644, 10,000 people populated Virginia

Economic Differences Split Virginia By 1670, many Virginian’s were former indentured

servants who had eventually gained freedom. Because they did not own land, they could not vote. These men lived mainly in the western portion (frontier) of the colony.

These men felt oppressed by Virginia’s governor, Sir William Berkeley, who continually imposed taxes on the people in western VA.

The money collected was not used for the good of the colony, but rather for the personal profit of the “Grandees” or planters who lived in the eastern portion of the colony.

The western settlers became engaged in a war against the natives, and pleaded Gov. Berkeley to send in military support—he refused.

Bacon’s Rebellion

This upset Nathaniel Bacon, the son of a wealthy landowner who hated Native Americans.

Bacon raised an army to fight against the natives in western Jamestown—Berkeley declared the army illegal.

Bacon marched to Jamestown in 1676 to protest how the frontier colonists were not represented in the

Virginia House of Burgesses (1st colonial legislature in the colonies) —the protest turned violent, and Berkeley fled by ship only to return once he learned that Bacon had died of sickness.

Bacon’s Rebellion showed King Charles of England the plight of the frontier settlers, and how the policies of Berkeley were counter productive.

NathanielBacon

Ch. 2.3: Puritan New England (p. 49)

Puritans create a “New England” The Puritans, unlike earlier colonist, settled

in the new world for religious, not economic, reasons.

Puritanism’s roots were in England; they wanted to totally “purify” the Anglican Church of all Catholic rituals

Pilgrims were Puritan separatists who felt they needed to leave England in order to est. a new religious order totally free of Catholicism

In 1620 they est. the Plymouth Colony —the 2nd English colony est. in North America

Plymouth Rock, Mass.

Cape Cod Boston

“City Upon a Hill”

John Winthrop obtained a royal charter for a joint-stock co. called the Massachusetts Bay Company—now Puritans had the right of self govt

They est. the Mass. Bay Colony, and Boston was the capital city. Mass migration from England to the Mass. Bay Colony—soon the Plymouth Colony was incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Suffrage was extended to all males who were members of the Puritan Church

The colony operated as a theocracy—Puritan law ruled the land (no drinking, swearing, theft, etc.)

II. Dissent in the Puritan Community Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were

two dissenters within the Mass. Bay Colony Roger Williams preached that the colonists

had no right to the land (it was the natives), and that Puritan law was too strict—people should worship freely

Puritan officials were angry w/ Williams; ordered him arrested and sent back to England.

He escaped, fled south, and est. Providence, the capital city of the new colony of Rhode Island

Roger Williams Rhode Island

“Forced religion stinks in the nostrils of God.”

Dissent in the Puritan Community Anne Hutchinson

was also banished by Puritan leaders of the Mass. Bay Colony; she preached that people could reach heaven themselves w/o the aid of Puritan preachers.

She fled to Rhode Island, and then to New Netherland.

“the Holy Spirit illuminates [enlightens] the heart of every true believer”

Native Americans Resist Colonial Expansion

Native Americans felt threatened by continual colonial expansion into their territory

Issue: Who owns land? Natives- Nobody/ shared their land Europeans- Whoever paid for it/ bought from them

(permanently) 1637: Pequot War- 1st major conflict in New England:

Colonists mass murdered the people of the Pequot tribe Puritans made Native Americans follow Puritan rules (no

hunting or fishing on the Sabbath) Metacom or “King Philip” , leader of the Wampanoag

tribe, felt that Puritan rules were dumb In a full-scale war against the colonist, King Philips War

showed that the Native Americans could resist in full scale (a higher proportion of colonist died in this war than died in the American Revolution or in the Civil War!)

King Philip’s War

Native Americans resentment toward Puritan laws and policies

A colonial victory; the destruction of 16 colonial villages; the death of 10% of colonial military aged men; N.A. suffered disease, food shortages & high Native American casualties; the end of Native power in SE New England

Causes of Conflict Results

Ch 2.4 Middle Colonies

I. The Dutch Found New Netherland In 1609 Henry Hudson sailed under the Dutch

flag and landed just south of New England— est. New Netherlands (1621)

New Amsterdam was the capital city (today it’s NYC)

To encourage settlers, the Dutch opened the colony to many “outsiders”, 1/5 of pop. were Africans

Dutch relations w/ the Natives was more cordial than that of the English—they focused on fur trading rather than harvesting/ land acquisition.

The Dutch Found New Netherland To the English, the Dutch colony was a wedge

separating their northern colony (New England) from their southern colony (Virginia)

1664- King Charles II gave permission to his brother (James II) to raise an army to conquer the Dutch; James’s army landed in New Amsterdam, and the Dutch were unable to rally a resistance. The English took over the land w/o a shot being fired.

James II became the proprietor of the territory, and named in New York—he then gave the southern land to two of his friends, and named it New Jersey.

New Amsterdam New York

The Quakers Settle Pennsylvania William Penn knew that England would never

allow his Quakers to worship freely—they were continually harassed for their beliefs “inner fire”; no positions of title; anyone could lead a

sermon; etc… Penn saw his colony as a “holy experiment”,

every man was granted 50 acres and suffrage; his govt was a representative city, and his capital city was the “City of Brotherly Love”—Philadelphia.

The Quakers had a friendly relationship w/ the Natives

Throughout the 1600s and 1700s England est. a total of 13 colonies in the New World

William Penn

Quaker

Middle Colonies

Pennsylvania and other middle colonies represented equality, cooperation, and religious tolerance

13 British Colonies Map Activity Label the colonies map according to the

following directions Use the map on p. 67 Key Ideas – religious similarities &

differences, comparing the northern, middle & southern colonies

Virginia

The first permanent English colony was est. in 1607 in Virginia, and was named Jamestown.

Its first settlers were men and boys looking for gold.

Label Virginia/ English (E)

Massachusetts

Thirteen years later, the English settled a second colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Many of its first settlers were Pilgrim families looking for religious freedom.

Label Massachusetts/ English

New York

Dutch settlers founded the third colony, New Netherland, in 1626.

In 1664, the Dutch surrendered their territory to the English. New Netherland became New York.

Label New York/ Dutch (D)

Maryland

The fourth colony was given to Lord Baltimore (George Calvert) by the king.

However, Calvert died before the charter was signed—his son received the land.

Maryland was settled by the English, but neither Calvert ever saw the colony.

Label Maryland/ English

Connecticut and Rhone Island The fifth and sixth

colonies were settled by English colonists who left or who were driven out of Massachusetts.

Many of these people moved to Connecticut and Rhode Island for religious freedom.

Label both colonies as English

Delaware

The seventh colony, Delaware, was first settled by the Swedish.

In 1654, New Sweden (as it was called) was captured by the Dutch and became part of New Netherland.

Ten years later, it was captured by the English.

Label Delaware/ Swedish (S)

North Carolina and South Carolina The very first English

colony wasn’t Jamestown…it was actually Roanoke in what is now North Carolina.

Arriving in 1587, the English settlers mysteriously disappeared a few years later.

Over a century later, North and South Carolina became part of one large land grant.

These 8th and 9th colonies were settled by the English. Label both colonies English

New Jersey

The 10th colony was settled by the Dutch in the north and the Swedes in the south.

Like its neighbor, Delaware, the Swedes were forced out by the Dutch and the Dutch land was captured by the English.

Label New Jersey Dutch/ Swedish

Pennsylvania

The 11th colony was originally part of New Sweden.

But, like its neighbors, New Sweden was captured by the Dutch and then the English.

In 1681, the colony was granted to William Penn in payment for a debt.

Label Penn Swedish

New Hampshire

The 12th colony was settled by the English.

It was part of Massachusetts from 1641 to 1680 before it became its own colony.

Label New Hampshire/ English

Georgia

The 13th colony was originally part of South Carolina

English settlers arrived in 1732.

Label it English