The American Colonies

Jamestown, VA May 13, 1607: Arrival of 104 Male Settlers

WHY?For what reasons did individuals come to America?

Colonizing America

• Wealth

Colonizing America

• Religious dissent

Types of Colonies

• Royal Colonies–King

–Ruled by royal governor

Types of Colonies•Proprietary

–Individuals or groups–King gifted land

Types of Colonies• Charter

–Established by charters–King–Colonies governed themselves

Regional Divisions

New England Colonies

Massachusetts (1620)

• Pilgrims (Plymouth)– Separatists

• wanted to separate from the Anglican Church

– 1st Thanksgiving

– Mayflower Compact• 41 men drew up the agreement

to outline fair and equal laws for the colony; signed on the Mayflower

• 1620

Massachusetts (1630)• Puritans

• Purify and reform Anglican Church• Massachusetts Bay Colony• Strict religious beliefs; radical

• John Winthrop“for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty

upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us”

City Upon A Hill, 1630

– New Hampshire (1630)• John Mason• English and Scots-Irish settlers• Economic freedom• Settled for religious freedom• Escape for those constricted by harsh religious and

economic rules of the Puritans

• Royal Colony

– Rhode Island (1636)• Roger Williams • Exiled by Puritans in Mass. settled in Providence• Religious freedom• Trade

– Connecticut (1636)• Thomas Hooker• Dutch (economic freedom) and English (religious

freedom)• Asked to leave by Mass.• Agriculture and trade

Middle Colonies

– New York (1626)• Peter Minuit• Dutch (Netherlands), taken over by English• Trade and profits• Anglican• Proprietary to royal colony

– New Jersey (1660)• Lord Berkley• Established by Sweden became English• Agriculture, trade and profits• Proprietary to royal colony

– Delaware (1638)• Peter Minuit• Dutch, Swedish and English• Farming, trade and profits• Proprietary

Pennsylvania (1682)– William Penn– Proprietary– Home to many European

Immigrants: Swedish, Dutch, English, Scots-Irish and German

– Farming

• Quakers– Equality and all possessed

“Inner Light”– Pennsylvania

Southern Colonies

Virginia (1607)• Jamestown• 1st permanent settlement mostly males

(indentured servants and treasure hunters)• 60/900 colonists survived• Ruled by John Smith• Founded by the Virginia Company

– Joint-stock company: organized to raise money by selling stocks/shares to investors

– Becomes royal

House of Burgesses (1619)-22 representatives called burgesses met to outline laws for the colony

– Maryland (1634)• George Calvert• Religious freedom for

Catholics• Established for trade,

finding precious metals and to locate a water passage across the continent

• Farming• Proprietary

Maryland Act of Toleration• 1649

• Granted freedom of worship for all Catholics

• Symbolic beginning of freedom of religion

– North Carolina (1653)• Group of proprietors: business venture• Settlers from Virginia • Farming, trade and profit• Anglican

– South Carolina (1670)• Group of proprietors• Settlers from France, English, Africans and Irish• Food crops• Anglican• Proprietary to royal

– Georgia (1733)• General James Oglethorpe• Spanish settlements taken by English• Debtors and convicts protect colonies from Spanish and

French invasions• Slow economic growth farmed, harvested lumber and traded

furs

The Charter of Carolina 1663

Ethnic and Religious Diversity

Discrimination in Massachusetts

• Salem Witch Trials

Discrimination in Massachusetts

• Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams• Banished from Massachusetts

Discrimination

• African Americans– Free– Slaves

• Native Americans– Pushed off land

by westward settlers

Religious Tolerance

• Roger Williams Providence, RI

• Pennsylvania – English Quakers– German Lutherans – Scotch-Irish Presbyterians– Swiss Mennonites

• New York linguistic and cultural diversity– First synagogue

Colonial Economy

Economic Diversity:

-South= Agriculture

-North = Commerce

-Towns and cities

develop along water

Economy

• Mercantilism

– Economic policy– Europe– Way to get rich– Export more than you import

Effect= Britain creates rules for colonial trade

Commerce and Immigrants (New England)

• Port cities– Boston– Immigrant population increases due to

religious freedom and economic opportunities (German, Scotch-Irish, Dutch)

– More towns in North than Southern colonies– Use town meetings to govern

New England Colonies

• Shipbuilding

• Fishing

• Smaller farms self-sufficient

Middle Colonies’ Economy

• Diverse in people and business

• Less slaves – Shops, homes and farms

Middle Colonies’ Economy• Farming

– Wheat, barley, rye

• Commerce– Access to water– Shipping overseas– New York and

Philadelphia

Southern Economy

• John Rolfe and tobacco– Virginia, Maryland, NC

• Plantations develop– Need for labor– Indentured servants

• Agree to work for landowner• 4-7 years

– slavery

Southern Plantation Systems

• Exported cash crops to make money

• Creates: (1) Large farms around rivers

(2) Need for lots of labor

(3) Wealthy class of plantation owners

Slave Trade

• First slaves were captured Native Americans

• African slave trade flourished by 1700s

• Slaves endured a harsh voyage: Middle Passage

• Widespread use in Southern colonies

Colonial Society

Ethnic Diversity

-African Americans

-Native Americans

Class Distinctions– Women– Wealth = power

Bacon’s Rebellion• Virginia, 1676• Cause:

Small farmers treated unfairly; wealthy landowners paidfewer taxes and received many benefits

• Nathaniel Bacon • Failed!• Result:

Need for representation in government for the “common man”

Colonial Government

• Britain allows the colonies to govern themselves– Salutary neglect

• Colonial legislatures hold the power

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• Ancient Greece (800-510 BC)– Greeks practiced democracy– People vote directly

• Romans created a republic (500 BC)– Representative democracy

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• Middle Ages (400-1500 AD)– Republics fade– Autocracies develop

• Government ruled by a single sovereign

– Renaissance (1450 AD)• “Rebirth”• Reconnection to ancient Greece and Rome• Classical republicanism

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• Post Middle Ages– Limited government

– Government that must obey a set of laws– Usually a written document

– Magna Carta or “Great Charter” (1215 AD)• Prevented king from imposing taxes• Needed approval of a council British Parliament

– English Bill of Rights (1689 AD)• Power to Parliament• King could not interfere with Parliamentary elections or impose taxes

– Common Law• Originated in Middle Ages• Law based on tradition or past court decisions instead of written statutes

The English Government• Magna Carta (The Great

Charter)– Guaranteed rights and liberties

to the English people that could not be cancelled by later laws

Common Law-evolved from the Magna Carta; unwritten laws based on customs, usage and precedents

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• Enlightenment (1600s)– Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

• All people are born with certain rights• Protect one’s own life lead to chaos• Strong government is needed• Abuses by government = price of maintaining peace

and order

The Second Treatise of Civil Government

• 1. What is Locke’s argument?

• 2. What evidence does he give to support it?

• 3. Do you agree or disagree with his point about preserving mankind? Why?

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• John Locke (1632-1704)

– Two Treatises on Government (1690)• Natural rights: life, liberty, property• Can’t morally be taken away by government• Social contract theory

– Implied contract between government and citizens

– People submit themselves to follow the law for the common good and to cultivate civic virtue

– Government fails= replace government

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

– Montesquieu (1689-1755)• Separation of powers• Three branches of government• Checks and balances

– Voltaire (1694- 1778)• Free speech, freedom of expression and freedom

of religion

– Jean Jacque Rousseau (1712- 1778)• equality

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

• American Colonies– House of Burgesses (1619)

• First elected body in New World• Citizens should have a voice• Created laws for the colony of Jamestown

– Mayflower Compact (1620)• Document drafted by settlers• Created an elected legislature• Government received power from the people of the

colony• Demonstrates desire to be ruled by local government

instead of England

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

– Town meetings• Representative government• Local citizens met to discuss and vote on issues• Belief in democratic ideals

– Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)• Written body of laws for the colony• Government’s power came only from the “free

consent of the people”• Set limits on what government could do

1.2 Self-Government and the Colonies

– First Continental Congress (1774)• Gathering of colonial leaders• Respond to laws passed by Parliament• “not represented in Parliament” and violations of

“natural rights”

– Second Continental Congress (1775)• Meeting of colonial leaders• Response to the Kings failure to act throw off

British rule