US History Prehistory -1865 Chapter 2 American Beginnings

US History Prehistory -1865 Chapter 2: American Beginnings 1607 -1650 1

Concepts & Points 1. British Colonization ¡ 2. Slavery ¡ 3. New England different from Chesapeake Bay region ¡ 2

Virginia Colony Privately funded by businessmen ¡ 1607: Br expedition landed off Chesapeake Bay ¡ Est Colony of Virginia – named for Elizabeth I (Virgin Queen); cap Jamestown, named for King James ¡ 3

Virginia Colony ¡ ¡ ¡ Settlers – 100 - wanted wealth - planned to build society like UK - class system, w/ laws > some room for social change England - wanted colony for glory, nationalism 4

Virginia Colony ¡ ¡ ¡ Rough place - disease - fighting w Native Americans - Br still supplied naval protection & money when needed - pop in VA grew over century – ½ million arrived VA & MD good for tobacco – more settlers there than in other places in North Amer 5

Virginia Colony & Other Places ¡ ¡ ¡ Lesser growth in New England (MA, other northeastern colonies) & Middle Colonies (NY, NJ & PA) Some came as single men, others in families Indentured servants – sold themselves into bondage > another party paid their passage to NA, colonies – had to work for years to pay off debt 6

Colonies Indentured servants similar to slaves – sold, punished, controlled, not paid – except: usually white, indenture could end after debt repaid > people put themselves in this to get out of Europe ¡ Most died before service completed ¡ 7

Land Ownership In UK, landowners were most important subjects > settlers wanted to own land in N Amer > become highest in new society ¡ King or Queen granted land (proprietorship) ¡ Large-holders needed workers > most settlers wanted to own ¡ Slaves required ¡ 8

Relations w/ Native Americans Port, Sp & Fr intermarried ¡ Br no !!: ¡ - intermarriage illegal ¡ - just dominate Nat Am & take land ¡ - limited relations to trade ¡ - minimal contact ¡ Pocohontas story more myth than true, unusual person ¡ 9

Taking of Land Organized – handled by colonial leadership ¡ Purchase, treaty ¡ Rarely by unauthorized claims ¡ Clashes – British wanted to protect settlements – nationalism ¡ Indians – wanted to trade w Eur > wanted weapons, ironwork, clothing ¡ 10

Native Americans Wanted to trade ¡ Culture/economy ^^ - hunted for furs ¡ Stopped making goods that they traded for ¡ Liquor ¡ Some said Indians were cheated – both sides got what they wanted ¡ 11

Native Americans Tribes fought over Eur trade ¡ Animals wiped out ¡ Life changed by missionaries, colonial govts, colonists ¡ New agriculture, lands enclosed – nomadic tribes ¡ 12

Jamestown Not enough support from England ¡ Many colonists died ¡ - malarial lands ¡ - starved ¡ - hygiene ¡ Weak leaders until army veteran John Smith – took over as dictator – accident & retired ¡ 13

Settlers Needed to change ¡ - stop prospecting for gold ¡ - farm properly ¡ - create a market for something ¡ - large grants to those importing labor ¡ 14

Government ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ Changed in 1618 - stopped dictators - charter - land grants - create House of Burgesses (~ state legislature) > elected – 1 st of its kind in colonies House of Burgesses - only men who had land could vote - could be overturned by Br authorities (Governor, VA Company) 15

Society Slaves @ Jamestown 1619 – imported by Dutch ¡ Society being created ¡ Local Nat Amers – Chief Powhatan (Wahunsonacock) – controlled 30 tribes ~ 20, 000 ¡ Met Eng colonists – father of Poco – married her to John Rolfe ¡ Poco went to UK, became Christian ¡ 16

Uprising of 1622 After 8 yrs of peace ¡ Powhatan replaced by brother, Opechancanough ¡ No want colonists in VA forever ¡ Push them out ¡ Raided Jamestown – killed 300 in a shock attack ¡ 17

Uprising of 1622 Settlers created army > attacked Indians ¡ VA Governor Francis Wyatt decl war > planned to exterminate them & take land ¡ Opec tried again in 1644 – killed 500 whites ¡ Indian pop down to 2000 ¡ 18

Uprising of 1622 Eventual treaty (peace agreement) ¡ 1. forced Indians to recognize & agree to laws of VA govt ¡ 2. banned Indians from unauthorized entry into colonial lands ¡ 3. reservations est – places for Nat Amer to live (Br did the same in Ireland) ¡ 19

Changes in Virginia Company weakened by Indian attacks ¡ 1624: Co lost charter > govt run directly by Br govt ¡ Settlers died, survivors no make $$ ¡ Investors lost $$ ¡ White pop fell from 6000 to 1200 ¡ 20

Changes in Virginia England ignored VA ¡ Local leadership took over ¡ John Rolfe found tobacco growing in Caribbean > imported plant to VA ¡ Tobacco worked ¡ 21

Tobacco Smoking popular in 17 th century ¡ Some believed it unhealthy then ¡ VA settlers marketed it > no gold there, anyway ¡ Crown (Br govt) collected customs duties on tobacco sales ¡ 1620 s-1680 s – 200, 000 lb to 30 m lb produced ¡ 22

Tobacco Growers became upper class – bought up land, given grants – used Br law so sons could inherit ¡ Major demand for labor ¡ More whites immigrated as indentured labor ¡ 1700: 90, 000 English in NA ¡ Socially ~ UK ¡ 23

Women ¡ ¡ ¡ Most settlers single men Shortage of women 1620 s – VA imported Br “tobacco brides” > arranged marriages; female servants Society ~ UK – but many more single men, widows & orphans – high death rates Single women in VA had right to conduct business/make contracts/inherit property Still – rough life 24

Maryland Another Chesapeake Colony ¡ Smaller than VA, but not very different ¡ Tobacco-based econ ¡ 1632: King Charles I granted MD to Cecilius Calvert – from imp family – this was a proprietary colony = whole state belonged to Calvert ~ Middle Ages ¡ 25

Maryland Would have elected assembly – but Calvert still ruled & he wanted that control ¡ Land-holders would pay rent to Calvert ¡ All settlers had Br rights > this policy did not fit w others ¡ 26

Maryland Calvert family – Catholics ¡ Wanted MD a safe place for Catholics ¡ Many Catholic settlers, few priests ¡ Calvert’s govt mostly Catholic, favors to his family ¡ Most pop was Protestant ¡ 27

Maryland Harsh conditions ¡ Mortality for children 50% ¡ Life expectancy well below 50 yr ¡ 28

Maryland Unsuccessful ¡ Econ expanded too quickly > land grabs ¡ Religious tension ¡ Br political issues brought to colonies ¡ Protestant majority attacked Catholics & Charles loyalists ¡ 29

Maryland New group est a state assembly ¡ > Protestants in charge ¡ > demanded power ~ British Parliament ¡ - make laws ¡ - collect taxes ¡ 30

Religion in Maryland ¡ ¡ ¡ Calvert turned over power to a Protestant Governor MD became safe-haven for Dissenters – Christians who disagreed w Anglican Church 1649: MD make all forms of Christianity ~ state religion (other faiths not protected 1650 s: Br authority > banned Catholicism & promoted Anglicanism 1657: Calvert returned & protected all Christian denominations, incl Catholicism 31

Slavery Better system than indentured servants ¡ Permanent ¡ Property > breeding ¡ Racially distinguishable ¡ Nat Amer never lasted long ¡ Eur bigoted ¡ 32

Slavery Harshly treated to make sure they stayed submissive ¡ Racial divide in Amer – lasting consequences ¡ Slaves used throughout New World ¡ By VA law: ¡ - no serve in army/militia ¡ - no miscegenation ¡ 33