AP US HistoryTopic: Early Colonial History

Essential Question: Why did the colonists come to America?

Review

Roanoke Island (Virginia) disappeared, founded by Sir Walter Raleigh (English)

Why did Europeans desire to colonize and come to America?

1) Quest for gold and spices

2) Desire to spread Christianity

3) Desire to utilize new technologies

Why America?

1) Economic reasons (lived in poverty)

2) Religious freedom

The big question: Was it more “push” or “pull” factors that brought the English to America?

Biggest factors to consider:

Gold, slavery, adventure, religious freedom,

VA & MD

In the “Chesapeake” Region

1st 2 successful colonies

The London Company (a joint-stock company) built Jamestown (VA)

3 Biggest problems:

A) Hostile environment B) Unclear goals C) Colonists did not work for common good

Historical Background In the late 1580s, Sir Walter Raleigh attempted to plant a

colony for England in present-day North Carolina (Roanoke).

It was not until 1606 that the Virginia Company of London received a charter from the newly-crowned King James I.

The Virginia Company was a joint-stock company, which sold shares.

All who purchased shares shared in the success or failure of the venture.

The Virginia Company was formed both to bring profit to its shareholders and to establish an English colony in the New World.

In December 1606, the Virginia Company's three ships, containing 144 men and boys, set sail. On May 13, 1607, these first settlers selected the site of Jamestown Island as the place to build their fort.

Computer generated view

Jamestown Disasters

1606-1607 - 40 people died on the voyage to the New World.

1609 - another ship from England lost its leaders and supplies in a shipwreck off Bermuda.

Settlers died by the dozens!

“Gentlemen” colonists would not work themselves.

Smith nearly killed by Indians & Powhatan

Settlers wasted time looking for gold instead of hunting or farming.

Enter John Smith

What did John Smith do?

Imposed military order to the town

Had to fight off Indians who were raiding the colonists

"He who does not work, will not eat."

“The Starving Time” 1607: 104 colonists

By spring, 1608: 38 survived

1609: 300 more immigrants

By spring, 1610: 60 survived

1610 – 1624: 10,000 immigrants

1624 population: 1,200

Adult life expectancy: 40 years

Death of children before age 5: 80%

Tobacco as a Cash Crop Saves Virginia

John Rolfe

1618 — Virginia produces 20,000 pounds of tobacco.

1622 — Despite losing nearly one-third of its colonists in an Indian attack, Virginia produces 60,000 pounds of tobacco.

1627 — Virginia produces 500,000 pounds of tobacco.

1629 — Virginia produces 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco.

Flooding the Market?

Virginia is “Bought Out”

It’s a long story but basically the joint-stock company ended in epic failure. There were no real profits, money was owed to everyone, so in 1624 King James I declared Virginia a royal colony

Govt. was established (House of Burgesses)

New system put in place called the “Headright System” where investors and residents were able to acquire land in paying the passage of new settlers

Women were also brought over…for the men

Widowarchy

High mortality among husbands and fathers left many women in the Chesapeake colonies with unusual autonomy and wealth!

For further reading

http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/the-virginia-company-of-london.htm

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0012122005/student_view0/

Homework for the weekend

Read & take notes on the first 10 pages of Chapter 2

Expect a reading quiz on Monday:

Key Terms:

The end

Reading Quiz

Directions: From the following 5 topics, pick three (3) and in a sentence or two, explain why you think they made the textbook. This requires some evidence from your book (and your reading notes) plus your own interpretation of why the topic is important:

A) Jamestown

B) Bacon’s Rebellion

C) William Bradford

D) John Smith

E) Proprietary Colony

This is timed! 10 minutes is the limit

Things you need to cover

Powhatan Confederacy

Powhatan Uprising of 1622

First Anglo-Powhatan War

Second Anglo-Powhatan War

Peace Treaty of 1646

House of Burgesses

Unsuccessful venture in government

King James I did not trust members and hated tobacco

High death rate ensured rapid turnover of members

Controlled finances & militia (similar to House of Commons in England)

Atlantic Slave Trade

17th Century Pop. In Chesapeake

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

1607 1630 1650 1670 1690

White

Black

The Middle Passage

Middle Passage

So called because it was the middle leg of a three-part voyage -- a voyage that began and ended in Europe.

The first leg of the voyage carried a cargo that often included iron, cloth, brandy, firearms, and gunpowder.

Upon landing on Africa's "slave coast," the cargo was exchanged for Africans.

Fully loaded with its human cargo, the ship set sail for the Americas, where the slaves were exchanged for sugar, tobacco, or some other product.

The final leg brought the ship back to Europe.

Quote from Equiano

"The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died.”

Equiano

Slave Codes

Made blacks [and their children] property, or chattel for life of white masters.

In some colonies, it was a crime to teach a slave to read or write.

Conversion to Christianity did not qualify the slave for freedom.

**These “black codes” or “Slave codes” would again appear during and after the Civil War era

Bacon’s Rebellion

Bacon’s Rebellion Led 1,000 Virginians in a rebellion against Governor

Berkeley

Rebels resented Berkeley’s close relations with Indians. Berkeley profited from the Indians but refused to deal with Indian attacks on frontier settlements.

Berkeley monopolized the fur trade with the Indians in the area.

Bacon threatened Berkeley at gunpoint and burned Jamestown

Significance: Civilian challenging royal authority in the name of liberty. Bacon felt his life was threatened by Indians.

Effects of Bacon’s Rebellion

Rebels attacked Indians, whether they were friendly or not to whites.

Governor Berkeley driven from Jamestown.

They burned the capital.

Rebels went on a rampage of plundering.

Bacon suddenly died of fever.

Berkeley brutally crushed the rebellion and hanged 20 rebels.

What did it expose?

Socio-economic class differences/clashes between rural and urban communities would continue throughout American history.

Upper class planters searched for laborers less likely to rebel BLACK SLAVES!!

Maryland- 1634

Refer to text for more thorough overview

Known as a haven for Catholics

Known as a proprietary colony (granted to an individual or group by the British crown and that were granted full rights of self-government.)

Best 2 examples of P.C. MD & PA

Maryland Toleration Act 1649

Maryland Toleration Act of 1649

Supported by the Catholics in MD.

Guaranteed toleration to all CHRISTIANS.

Decreed death to those who denied the divinity of Jesus [like Jews, atheists, etc.].

Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Lesson

MA Bay Colony

MA Bay Colony

Review

We have now covered:

Virginia & Jamestown / Royal Colony Role of tobacco / John Rolfe John Smith & The Starving Time Maryland as a Proprietary colony Maryland Toleration Act 1649 Bacon’s Rebellion & Significance Slave Codes, Middle Passage, Equiano House of Burgesses

Colonies Covered

Virginia

Maryland

Massachusetts Bay

Plymouth (in MA)

Reading Homework

Tonight read & take notes on pages 43-52

Possible reading quiz tomorrow

Quiz on Friday

A) First 10 Presidents

B) First 10 Amendments

C) Historical Eras in order with the saying but no freebies

Point Value will be 30

Study Guide for Exam 1

Is posted on the website