The Development of the American Colonies APUSH – Mr. Hesen.

The Development of the American Colonies

APUSH – Mr. Hesen

Southern Plantation Colonies - Characteristics • Dominated by plantation economy: tobacco & rice • Slavery in all colonies• Large land holdings in the hands of the few• Sparsely populated• All practiced some form of religious toleration

– Church of England (Anglican Church) most prominent • Expansionary attitudes – need land for tobacco economy

The Chesapeake (Virginia & Maryland) • Virginia (founded in 1607 by Virginia Company) • Jamestown (1607): 1st permanent British colony in

New World • Founded by Virginia Company that received charter

from King James I– Main goals: Promise of gold, conversion of Amerindians to

Christianity (just like Spain), and new passage through North America to the East Indies (Northwest Passage)

– Major players: well-to-do adventurers

Virginia Charter • Overseas settlers given

same rights of Englishmen in England

• Foundation for American liberties; rights extended to other colonies

• Later revoked by King James

Early Tragedies:– Famine, disease, war

with Indians – By 1625, only 1200 of

the nearly 8,000 colonists survived

– Only 60 out of 400 settlers survived "starving time" of 1610-1611

Captain John Smith • "He who will not work shall not eat." • His leadership helped Jamestown survive the “starving time”• Relations with the Powhatans - kidnapped• Smith "saved" by Pocahantas, Powhatan's daughter

Pocahantas • Preserved the peace– Provided foodstuffs to settlers– Took hostage by colonists during war– Married John Rolfe • Taught how to cure tobacco

John Rolfe and Virginia • Tobacco crop economy: "Colony built on smoke" • Introduced new tough strain of tobacco and it became perhaps the most

important reason for Virginia’s survival• Tobacco industry became cornerstone of Virginia's economy

Plantation system emerged

House of Burgesses – 1619– First colonial parliament in the British American colonies– Representative self-government

• Representatives were wealthy land owners • Created to attract settlers to Virginia (by offering more liberty)

AP Question of the Day

The Indian peoples of the New Worlda. developed no advanced forms of

civilization.b. were divided into many diverse cultures

speaking more than two thousand languages.

c. were all organized into the two large empires of the Incas and Aztecs.d. relied primarily on nomadic herding of

domesticated animals for their sustenance.

AP Question of the Day (1999)

The belief that the Spanish only killed, tortured, and stole in the Americas while doing nothing good is referred to as

a. the encomienda.b. the mission of civilization.c. the Evil Empire.d. the Black Legend.

Maryland– Sir George Calvert (Lord Baltimore)– Secured a portion of VA from King Charles– Catholic haven FOR profit– Catholics became a minority– Act of Toleration (1649)

Act of Toleration (1649)– Guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians– Death penalty to all others (Jews)– Motive: Catholics protect faith– Result: Largest haven for Catholics in British colonies

Life (and Death) in the Chesapeake– Disease devastating early on (10 yrs off life expectancy)– Malaria, dysentery, typhoid fever– Half of all those born in early Virginia and Maryland did not live past

age 20– Less than 25% of men lived to see 50 -- women only 40

Colonial Immigration– Most immigrants single men in late teens & early 20's; most died soon

after arriving – Surviving males competed for extremely scarce women– Women married early (some came over as “tobacco brides”)– Most men could not find mates

– Region stabilized with immunities to diseases– Rising influx of women– By 1700, Virginia was most populous colony• 50,000 colonists• MD was third with 30,000 colonists

The Tobacco Plantation Economy – First Africans arrived in 1619– Mostly indentured servants in early

17th century – White English indentured servants

more predominant until late 17th century

"Headright" System– A person who paid for the passage of a white indentured servant

received 50 acres of land– Indentured servants served 5-7 years– By 1700, planters brought in about 100,000 indentured servants

• 75% of all European immigrants to Virginia and Maryland

Colonial Passenger Lists

AP QUESTION OF THE DAY (2006)

After the Act of Toleration in 1649, Maryland provided religious freedom for all

a. Jewsb. atheistsc. Protestants and Catholicsd. those who denied the divinity of Jesus

Colonial Slavery – West African coast (Senegal to Angola) – Originally captured by African coastal tribes who traded them to European

and American buyers– About 40% died en route– Total – 50 million Africans

Olaudah Equiano

“The Middle Passage”

•

Colonial Slavery– Most slaves came after 1700 – Rising wages in England in 1680's reduced immigration to America

• 1680s: black slaves outnumbered white servant• 1750: outnumbered whites 3 to 1

Slave Codes– Laws passed to control slave population– Most common codes stated:

• Property for LIFE• It was a crime to teach literacy to slaves• Conversion to Christianity was not grounds for freedom

Slave Life – Slavery harshest in lower South (esp. SC); least harsh in

middle colonies. – Brutal & isolated conditions in rice and indigo farming led

to many deaths – Fresh import of slavery needed to sustain productivity

Slave Culture • Mixture of American and African folkways

Gullah language evolved on islands off South Carolina coast– Blended English with several African languages

While reading the section from Morgan’s Slave Counterpoint and the newspaper articles from

Virginia:– Identify what Morgan’s argument is and his major

supporting points;– Describe how the newspaper article authors

describe their runaway slaves;– How does this go against everything you’ve ever

known about American slavery?

Southern Society -- 18th Century – Southern class structure (from most powerful to least powerful) – Plantation owners at top of social ladder --Ruled region's economy and

monopolized political power– Small farmers comprised largest social group– Considered far below the prestige and power of planter class Most

lived meager existences; some owned 1 or 2 slaves

– Landless Whites -- most were former indentured servants Indentured Servants (lowest of whites)• Decreased as black slavery increased

Only black slaves were lower in the class structure • Constituted about 20% of colonial population by 1775

The Southern Characteristics– South remained underdeveloped – Few cities emerged – Life revolved around southern plantations– Poor transportation: waterways were principal

means of transportation

Rebellion in the Colonies

Bacon’s Rebellion

(1676)

Stono Rebellion

(1739)

Leisler’s Rebellion

(1689-1691)

Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism• Martin Luther – questioned authority of Pope• John Calvin – Predestination – Institutes of Christian

Religion

Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism• England

– Henry VIII split with Catholic Church– Forms Church of England

• Puritans (Separatists) - broke from CoE– James I – kicked out many Puritans and threatened action

against those who stayed

Pilgrims at Plymouth– Separatists leave England for Holland– Unhappy in Holland– Settled in America outside the Virginia Company• Miles Standish

– Prominent New Englander– Negotiator

Mayflower Compact (1620)

– Simple agreement – NOT CONSTITUTION

– Form of crude government

– Submit under the majority

– 41 adult males– First attempt at a

government in the colonies

– William Bradford• Elected 30 times as

governor of colony

The Bible Commonwealth– Charles I dismissed

parliament in 1629• Massachusetts Bay Company –

non-Separatist Puritans

– Great Migration (1630s) • 70,000 English arrive in

America• Looking for the West Indies

(sugar)• John Winthrop – first governor

– 19 years– “City on a Hill…”

Building the Bay Colony– Winthrop did not like

DEMOCRACY– Freemen elected

governor and General Court• “Visible Saints” –

another name for Puritans– John Cotton – very

devoted Puritan– Michael

Wigglesworth – “Day of Doom” 1662

Trouble in the Bible Commonwealth

– Anne Hutchinson• Challenged Puritan

orthodoxy• Talked about sermons in

home• Banished from MBC to

Rhode Island

– Roger Williams• Minister – challenged the

Church• Extreme Separatist -

banished

New England Spreads Out– Connecticut established – Thomas Hooker– Fundamental Orders

• First basic Constitution• Based on the consent of the people – popular sovereignty• Established a system of govt. by wealthy landowners

Religion and Politics in the MBC– Governing was open to all free males (2/5 population)– Puritans converted to Congregational Church– Town Hall meetings emerged as staple of Democracy

• Men could vote in 1631; non-Christians and women could not vote

• Purpose of government – serve God’s will– Congregational Church – people pay taxes to govt.

supported church• Clergy men not allowed to hold political office

– Cambridge Platform (1648)• MBC, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven –

congregational form of church govt.

Decline of Puritanism– People began losing religious zeal– People started to move outside of the community

and away from church– Jeremiad – used to scold parishioners to be more

attentive to their faith– Half-Way Covenant (1662)• Church sought to attract more members by giving

partial memberships to unconverted

Salem Witch Trials (1692)

AP Question of the Day

Which of the following was NOT a motive for European exploration?a. The new Renaissance ideals of individualism b. Spreading Christianity to the native peoplesc. Matrilineal and matrilocal societal normsd. New technologies that enhanced travel

Dominion of New England– Established by James II in 1686– Mercantilism• Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country

– Navigation Laws• No trade with non-British colonies and allies

Sir Edmund Andros – Appointed by James II to

oversee DNE– Colonists despised

Andros and authoritarian ways• Town hall meetings

abolished• Enforced unpopular laws

– Navigation Laws• Overthrown in 1688

during Glorious Revolution in England

• Parliament forms constitutional monarchy

How does the Puritan faith contribute to American character?

– Democracy – town meetings and voting rights to church members• Regularly met to elect officials

– Perfectionism – sought to create a “perfect society” based on God’s laws• Argued against slavery – first signs of problems

between North and South• Protestant work ethic

• Education– Harvard College (1636) – first college in the

colonies• Stress was placed on training ministers for church

– Massachusetts School of Law (1642/1647)• Towns with 50 or more people• Required to have elementary education for children to

read the Bible

• New England Family– Strict! Conservative lifestyles!– Cooler climate + better crops = less disease– Life expectancy was 70 years old– Many children in families– Strong families and stability = strong social

structure in N.E.

Child Rearing in the New England ColoniesThe New England Primer