Colonial America Lecture Notes

Read Brinkley Ch. 1 – 3

Earliest Americans arrived via the Bering Strait

See map p. 4
Cultures varied widely depending time and place
See map p. 5
Iroquois Confederation
Political and economic network that dominated Northeast

Europe “discovers” the New World (Western Hemisphere)

Chinese had explored the west coast during the 14 th century
Vikings explored eastern Canada in the 12th century
15th century sees expansion of European explorers
navigation technology (compass, sextant, etc)
economic motivation (gold, land, trade)
population growth in Europe
Christopher Columbus
searching for sea route to Asia for trade
landed on Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola
Hero or Villian?
Hernando Cortes
Spanish conquistador who conquers the Aztecs
see map p. 13
advanced weapons
Native American allies
smallpox epidemic
Spanish are motivated by Gold, Glory, and God

Spanish America
Encomienda System
Spanish monarchs required humane treatment of natives
required instruction in Catholicism
Often abused by conquistadors
Natives forced into hard manual labor
St. Augustine
First Spanish fort/outpost in Florida
never established dominance over Native Americans
Pueblo Revolt of 1680
Spanish established towns and missions in SW US
vastly outnumbered by natives
routinely forced natives in slave labor
Apache and Navajo tribes attacked settlements
Spanish couldn’t protect Pueblos
Pueblos rose in revolt against Spanish
 Spain never fully controls natives in the SW
often forced to pay natives in weapons and tools
diseases such as smallpox routinely devastate native populations
devastation of native population lead to importation of African slaves
In the 18th century Spanish outposts will expand to California and Texas

English Colonization
Like many explorers, English were originally looking for sea route to Asia
John Cabot, Henry Hudson, etc
English exploration was directed by private “charter” companies
leads to later concept of salutary neglect
Mercantilism
early economic thought that wealth was finite
encourages colonies for self sufficiency
Protestant Reformation leads to religious motivations for colonies
Lutheranism -> Calvinism -> Anglicanism ->
predestination and the Puritans
Pilgrims, Quakers are Puritans
1585 – Roanoke settlement established
English settlers antagonized local natives
1590 – the settlement is found abandoned
fate of settlers uncertain
“Croatoan”

French Colonization
France establishes its first outpost in Quebec in 1608
French were primarily interested in trapping and trading animal furs
will be more likely to make friends and allies with Native Americans
trade guns, tools for furs
French trappers focus on the Great Lakes and Mississippi regions

Dutch establish settlements and trade outposts in New Amsterdam

what is currently New York

English colonies take hold

see map p. 37
1607 – Jamestown founded
agricultural assistance from natives key to survival
most colonists succumbed to starvation, disease, nature
indentured servitude was introduced
7 years labor for transport to Virginia
Tobacco becomes the first successful cash crop
Virginia company recruits settlers by promising large tracts of land
1619 – House of Burgesses established
first representative gov in the colonies
1619 – first African slaves arrive in Virginia
 Powhatan natives resist expansion of colonists into their territory
Pocahontas
1624 – Virginia company goes broke, James I makes Virginia royal colony

Maryland
Founded as a refuge for English Catholics
Lord Baltimore
Calvert family given almost complete control of colony
many Protestants also immigrated to Maryland
1649 – Toleration Act
assures freedom of worship to all Christians

Bacon’s Rebellion
number of colonists in Virginia was steadily growing in the 17th century
colonists want more land, come into conflict with natives
Gov. Berkeley didn’t want conflict with natives, so refused to support colonists
Nathaniel Bacon
prominent landholder who resented Berkeley
leadership positions and trade
1675 – natives raid western farm killing a white servant
colonists respond by raiding several native tribes
raids escalate
1676 – Berkeley refuses again to help colonists
Bacon raises army to fight natives
Berkeley proclaimed him a rebel
Bacon twice conquers Jamestown
threatens to take over Virginia
Bacon dies of dysentery
1677 – British troops arrive to put down rebellion
Berkeley forces new treaty with natives to open more territory

New England
1620 – Mayflower arrives in Plymouth (Massachusetts)
Pilgrims = Puritans
Mayflower Compact
Pilgrims benefited from support from Native Americans
smallpox, hunting, agriculture adversely affect natives
William Bradford elected governor repeatedly
Massachusetts Bay Company granted charter by Charles I
selected John Winthrop as governor
also established laws for colony
“freemen” allowed to vote
all free men
Boston becomes headquarters/capital
“city upon a hill”
religious differences led to founding of Connecticut, Rhode Island
 Roger Williams & Anne Hutchinson
Hutchinson’s disciples founded New Hampshire
see map p. 46

Conflicts escalate between colonists and natives

European population of colonies continues to grow
see graph p. 47
drives demand for land and resources
Natives are increasingly seen as problem, inferior
“savages”, non-Christian
Pequot War
1637 – settlers ally with natives against Pequot
English settlers virtually wipe out Pequot
King Philip’s War
1675 – Metacomet (King Philip) declares war on settlers
angry about land incursions and English law
settlers ally with Mohawks
after three years Mohawks kill Metacomet

Charles II establishes new colonies after Restoration to reward followers

Carolina
1663 – land speculation and profit drives landlords
promise free worship for Christians
promise representative assembly for governance
constitution influenced by John Locke
South Carolina developed large plantations
aristocrats and slaves
Charleston develops as key port
North Carolina has smaller farms, more rural

New York
Duke of York (future James II) gets royal charter
given after defeat of Dutch (formerly New Amsterdam)
religious toleration
no representative assembly
diversity of European nationals and landowners
New Jersey given to allies of James II
more small farmers than large landowners

Pennsylvania
1681 – William Penn receives grant from Charles II
colony established as home to the Quakers
no predestination
no clergy
pacifists
considered women and men equal in public life
 Penn establishes Philadelphia (“City of Brotherly Love”)
Penn has good relations with natives
compensates them for land, limits abuse
colonists from different backgrounds immigrate
Penn grants representative assembly
Delaware given authority to have separate assembly

Georgia
founded by James Oglethorpe
wanted barrier between Carolinas and Spanish Florida
no Catholics or slaves initially
most settlers brought in had significant financial debt
restrictive rules limited number of settlers
Oglethorpe later allows slavery and returns colony to king
king allow representative assembly

Mercantilism in practice
Mercantilism meant English colonies could only trade legally with England
frustrated colonists
Navigation Acts (1660, 1663, 1673)
English attempt to enforce mercantilism
stationed custom officials in the colonies for enforcement

Life in the colonies

Indentured Servitude
many settlers come to America through this practice
traded years of service for passage to the colonies
many workers found themselves without resources when servitude ended
Slavery in the colonies
11 million Africans will be imported to the New World
more than European settlers into 19th century
conditions on slave ships were barbaric
see image p. 74
Part of the Columbian Exchange
AKA Triangular Trade
slaves were more concentrated in Southern colonies
working plantations in the field and domestically
initially similar status to indentured servitude
slave codes
18th century laws made whites superior without exception
different than South American caste system
most slaves lived on large plantations
were expected to know English and practice Christianity
formal education was often forbidden
slave maintained some culture from Africa
language and religion
 slave families often formed
could be broken up at anytime through sales
female slaves were often used sexually by owners and other whites
consent was neither considered nor legally possible
conditions varied, but freedom for slaves was rare
Stono Rebellion

Immigration patterns change in 18th century

less English
see map p. 77
French, German, Irish, etc
seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity
French Huguenots, British Presbyterians

Economics
South
cash crops dominated plantation economy
see map p. 83
plantations tended to be self contained
domestic slaves performed many daily chores
Plantation class comes to dominate Southern society
North
substantial agriculture
more subsistence and smaller farms
significantly more craftsmen and artisans
metalworking begins to develop
leads to mining industry
lumber and fishing are also extraction industries
substantially more diverse and greater commerce
Triangular Trade
see map p. 81
little currency circulated in the colonies and many were poor
barter and trade become necessary foundation
raw materials went from the colonies to England
manufactured goods came from England to colonies
slaves came from Africa to New World
Middle passage
gives rise to shipbuilding and shipping industries
Economic class developed differently in the colonies
no default noble class
social status was more likely to be based on wealth
social mobility

Puritan Democracy
most New England towns were self sufficient
town meetings held to make political decisions
 usually adult males could vote
church membership or property requirement common
Salem Witch Trials
19 people put to death for “witchcraft” by 1692
often women who defied social norms
older, unmarried, independent
reflects extremism of Puritan belief system

Religion in the colonies

most colonists were Protestant
many varieties existed
for the most part tolerant and local
Catholics and Jews were more likely to be discriminated against
no voting privileges
small in number
The Great Awakening
rise of religious fervor in the 1730’s & 40’s
John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards
inspiration public speakers
focused on the opportunity with God
the first in a pattern of religious revivals in American history