Colonization and Settlement of “America”

Nations’ Reasons for Exploration

New, cheaper, more efficient routes to China, India, East Indies and Asian goods (i.e. spices, silk, porcelain – that is, Luxury Goods) …SE route (Portugal); SW route (Spain); “NW

Passage” (England, France, Netherlands)

THREE G’S—IN THIS ORDER1. GOLD: any riches (gold, silver, resources) - most important to most explorers

2. GLORY: to make a name for self and country (and therefore win favor with king/queen)

3. GOD: to win converts to Christianity

But, why would an individual risk life and limb and go out to

explore?

FIRSTS

• First European explorers to reach the Americas: Vikings – Leif Eriksson - in Canada – around 1000 A.D.

• First European to make it to the “New World” during Age of Exploration: Christopher Columbus - in Caribbean - 1492 A.D., then 3 more times by 1504

• First European country to permanently colonize anywhere in the Americas (“New World”): Spain

Ask me: “Why was the ‘New World’ called the Americas?”

Hint: This guy

Three Spanish Systems of Colonization

Conquistador – To conquer the land; Pizarro and Cortez

The Plantation System – To use the land for its natural resources…To mine(gold and silver) and farm (sugar cane) the land

The Encomienda System –, using natives as workers on the plantations in in the mines. –HORRIBLE TREATMENT, but the most deadly problem for natives….

Disease, particularly Smallpox

Native populations were devastated by disease

Bartolomé de las Casas•  16th-century Spanish historian, social

reformer, and Catholic priest. • He started his colonial experience in

Hispanola, but became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians”.

• His extensive and most famous writings A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies and Historia de Las Indias, chronicled the first decades of colonization of the West Indies and focused on the atrocities committed by the colonizers against the indigenous peoples….let’s see what he had to say…

It worked...well, sort of.The New Laws of 1542 (and the reality of the

dramatically declining Native populations) meant that The Encomienda system would be replaced by African Slavery in the New World…

The Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange: The widespread exchange of animals,

plants, culture, human populations, and communicable diseases between the ”Old World” (Europe and Africa) and the “New World” (Americas) following the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus and the resulting colonization, trade, and institution of the African Slave Trade by Europeans in the Americas.

PumpkinsTurkeysSquashAvacado

yellow fever

Location, Location, Location

So, let’s pick up US History here-

The English focused on the Atlantic Coastline of North America because: Looking for NW

Passage and “found the Atlantic Coast of North America”

Interested in room for expanding population

Agriculture Protestant Reformation

– Religious Freedom Late entering American

colonization due to issues at home (Civil War)

Roanoke Voyages

The English made 3 voyages to the Atlantic Coast of North America – specifically the Outer Banks of NC - organized by Sir Walter Raleigh (Raleigh himself never visited North America, but NC capital will be named for him)

1st voyage: 1584— landed on Roanoke Island - named land “Virginia”, but included modern-day VA, WV, MD, NC, and SC

2nd voyage: 1585—”discovered” Chesapeake Bay; attempted to create military settlement, ended in violence with local natives

3rd voyage: 1587/1590—The Lost Colony—a colony of men, women, and children (Virginia Dare, born in Roanoake colony on August 18, 1587) led by John White; White left for England to get help/provisions; do not know what happened to the 115ish colonists- had disappeared by the time White returned in 1590

1st permanent English settlement –1607 (though brief abandonment in 1610); Funded by joint- stock company (The London Company)

John Smith (colonial leader); John Rolfe (tobacco cultivator); helped by Pocahontas (daughter of local Powhatan chief) married Rolfe, not Smith, whom she saved from execution

Colony almost did not survive – tough (marshy) location; bitter cold, and weak colonists. In the "Starving Time" of 1609–1610, the Jamestown settlers faced mass starvation for want of additional provisions. Only 61 of the 500 colonists survived the period.

1619 House of Burgess (1st representative assembly), English women arrive, Africans brought as Indentured Servants; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvvZ1TEQRB8

Jamestown (King James I)

Split into three regions: New England

Colonies Middle Colonies Southern

Colonies

The Success of Jamestown

Brought Further English

Colonization to North America

New England ColoniesMiddle ColoniesSouthern Colonies

Massachusetts (1630)Rhode Island (1636Connecticut (1639)New Hampshire (1638)

The New England Colonies

New England (MA, NH,RI,CN) – settled by many people seeking religious freedom examples:•Pilgrims - Settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts -1620•Puritans - Settled in Boston, Massachusetts -1630Economy was based on fishing, lumbering, and shipbuilding/trade with the “Old World”

The Middle ColoniesNew York (1626)Delaware (1638)New Jersey (1664)Pennsylvania (1682)

Middle Colonies (NY, NJ,PA,DE) ––More of a mix coming for religious freedom (ex: Quakers in Pennsylvania; Catholics in Maryland), as well as economic opportunities – more diverse backgrounds

The Southern Colonies

Virginia (1607)Maryland (1633)North Carolina(1653)South Carolina (1663)Georgia (1732)

cotton

Southern Colonies –(MD, VA, NC, SC, GA) mostly came for economic opportunities Economy was based on agriculture – Tobacco, Cotton, Rice, Indigo; Georgia founded as a place for debtors and the poor to live

CarolinasSettled by members of

the other colonies. Original settlers were English. Granted a private company in 1653 and later divided into two colonies.

Great climate/conditions to grow indigo, rice, and tobacco, and cotton.

Name came from the Latin word carolus, meaning “Charles.”

Great Wagon Road

Colonial Social Structure

Social Classes1. Gentry – rich planters, doctors, lawyers2. Artisans – craftsmen – blacksmith, cobblers3. Free Small Farmers – Yeomen – biggest group4. Indentured Servants – poor people who bought

their passage to America with their service (usually 7 years).

5. African Slaves and Indians

African Slavery - Triangle TradeEurope to Africa – manufactured trade goodsAfrica to America (Middle Passage)- slavesAmerica to Europe – raw materials (lumber, cotton, tobacco)

Triangle Trade

Early Government in the Colonies

English Bill of Rights – limited King’s power; gave representative government (Parliament) more power

Representative Government – the people elect representatives to speak for them in government

Mayflower Compact – first attempt at self-government in the English colonies

Town meetings – first form of American government in which all free men could participate

House of Burgess – first representative government in America

Proprietary colony – privately-owned colonyRoyal colony – government-run colony