Early British Colonies

Motivations for Colonization

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We finally have the technology that will allow us to colonize Mars!

What would it take to convince you to be one of the first colonists to

populate this new land?

What were the two major motivating factors behind

British colonization of North America?

Economic Opportunity

and

Religious Freedom

Reason #1: Economic Opportunity (Land and

Money)

Background England’s population in the 1600’s

grew rapidly. At the same time, farming technology improved,

pushing many landless peasants out of farm work and into poverty in the increasingly crowded cities. Land and economic opportunity were

scarce.

Jamestown Colony

-Founded in 1607 in what is now Virginia-Located on a marshy peninsula (for defense purposes) – infested with mosquitoes carrying malaria-Colony also plagued by Indian attacks and bad weather-Only 25% of the colonists survived the first year – hunger, dysentery, malaria, yellow fever

America: The Story of USEpisode 1

(First 9 Minutes)

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More workers were needed in the tobacco fields

Poor young men, ages 18-22 Work as servant for 5-7 years in

exchange for free voyage, free food and shelter, and 50 acres of land

Had few rights, but more than slaves At least 50% of 17th century European

immigrants came as indentured servants

Indentured Servitude

In the video, you heard Donald Trump say, “When somebody’s really

successful it’s rarely luck.” If it wasn’t luck, then what was it made

Jamestown a successful settlement?

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Reason #2: Religious FreedomBackground

Under Henry VIII, the Church of England had become controlled by

the Crown. Some people thought this to

be a violation of Christian principles. For

them, government control of religion was impure. The Church of England harassed those

who practiced other religions.

Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony Separatists: wanted to be left alone to

practice their way After living in exile in the Netherlands, about

100 Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower in 1620 Unlike Jamestown, original settlers were

families who moved to practice religion, not to make money

Half died in first winter alone, semi-successful relationship with local Natives helped them survive

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Puritans: Massachusetts Bay Colony

Arrived in Boston in 1630 Not separatists like Pilgrims, they wanted to

set up a land with a “purified” English church Strong work ethic, well-organized, well-

educated Most successful of early colonies Extremely religious (and intolerant of others) Believed God has chosen them to found a

“city on a hill”

Not everybody CHOSE to come to

the New World.

The “Middle Passage”

• Refers to the side of the slave trade triangle from Africa to the New World

The “Middle Passage” (con’t) Slaves captured in Africa and sold to

European slave traders Brutal conditions on journey over, many

died on the way Slaves arrived early on in Jamestown and

other Southern colonies to tend plantations, but also lived throughout all colonies, largely as personal servants in the North

Between 10 and 20 million slaves in total were brought to the Americas

The stench of the hold…was so intolerably loathsome that it was dangerous to remain there for any time…but now that the whole ship’s cargo were confined

together, it became absolutely pestilential (destructive/harmful). 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.

-Olaudah Equiano