The Planting of English America

Why was England last to Colonize? n Domestic issues delay English interest in exploration u Religious u Political u Economical

n Henry VII ( ) u Tudor Rulers n Henry VIII ( ) u Splits from Catholic Rome u English Reformation u Religious power struggle ensues for decades in England

n Queen Elizabeth I ( ) u Brings nation together u Protestantism becomes dominant u Creates rivalry with Catholic Spain

Early English Exploration n John and Sebastian Cabot (1497) u Italians sailing for England u Search for the Northwest Passage n Ireland ( ’s) u Brutal treatment of Irish

n Sir Francis Drake ( ) u sails around globe u loots Spanish gold u brings Elizabeth tons of gold u Frank the Pirate

n Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1583) u Establishes a pirate base in Newfoundland

n Sir Walter Raleigh (1587) u Establishes the colony of Roanoke in North Carolina F Names region “Virginia” F Virginia Dare was first English child born in America

F leader John White returns from supply trip to England to find colony missing (“lost colony”) F “Croatan” is carved on a tree

The Spanish Armada n 1588 – Spain launches 130 ship attack on England u “Protestant Wind”

n English victory ensures British naval dominance of the North Atlantic n Turning point in world power n Promoted English Nationalism

The Eve of Empire n James I ( ) u Great Britain formed n Enclosure Movement u forced peasants off the land and into cities

n Primogeniture u only eldest son inherited land u forced younger sons to seek their fortune as adventurers (Gilbert, Raleigh, Drake) n By the 1600’s England had: u “surplus” population u high unemployment u peace with Spain

Joint-Stock Companies n Early modern corporation n Investors pool capital to make a profit n Two companies formed & given charters by King James: u Virginia Co. of Plymouth u Virginia Co. of London

Early English Colonies n Privately funded u Sought PROFITS n “Transplants” of English u Did not blend in to New World n Loosely tied to the Crown u Formed own political & social institutions

English Migration:

The Jamestown Settlement n James I gave charter to London Co. u Guaranteed same rights as if still in England n 1607 – Jamestown established in Virginia u 104 men u Not settling, looking for gold

Jamestown Settlement Map

Problems in Virginia n London Company ordered men to search for gold and the Northwest Passage n Settlement site poorly chosen – malarial swamp n Uneasy relations with natives (Powhatan)

Chesapeake Bay

Powhatan Confederacy

n Men were mostly upper class adventurers u unaccustomed to hard work n No long-term plans for food n By 1608: 38 cannibals left n Died from disease, malnutrition, & starvation

n 1608 – Captain John Smith u forces settlers to work toward survival u “He who works not, eats not.” u Smith was captured by Powhatan tribe & saved by Pocahontas

u Smith got corn from Indians & forced men to plant as the Indians did u Smith was injured in a mysterious explosion and is forced to return to England u Colonists abandoned Smith’s work rules but colony doing better

n Winter of : “The Starving Time” u : 500 arrive u 1610: 60 left n Lord De La Warr n : 8000 arrive u By 1625, only 1200 colonists survived

John Rolfe and Tobacco n John Rolfe began growing a mild strain of tobacco in Virginia u Pocahontas taught him u Married her & took her to England

Pocahontas

n Tobacco’s popularity in Europe brought prosperity to the colony u “Virginia Gold” n Required lots of land and labor to grow u Settlers moved further inland

n Headright System u 50 acres given to anyone paying the way of an indentured servant n Indentured Servants u Sold labor for 5-7 years in exchange for passage u “freedom dues”

Virginia

n Dutch ship brought first 20 Africans to America u under “limited servitude” u By 1670, Africans are fully enslaved

House of Burgesses n st General Assembly “The House of Burgesses” meets

n Granting English rights increases colonization n Local gov’t control given

More Problems for Virginia n Unhealthy conditions and unruly colonists increased the need for indentured servants and slaves n Small farms gave way to large plantations u wealthy owners controlled the Assembly

Jamestown Colonization Pattern:

n Indian massacres in 1622 led James I to revoke the charter u made Virginia a Royal Colony u Established dictatorial governors & limited political rights

Powhatan Uprising (1622)

Maryland: Catholic Haven n Lord Baltimore & son established Maryland as a haven for Catholics

n Proprietary Colony u Privately owned & operated n Baltimore gave large estates of land to his Catholic friends and relatives n Small farms owned by Protestants surrounded the large estates

Colonization of Maryland

n Maryland flourished by growing tobacco n Act of Toleration u gave rights to all Christians

The Carolinas n 1663 – 8 nobles are granted land south of Virginia and found the colony of Carolina n Motivations: u Economic u Military

n Southern Carolina u looked like West Indies u port of Charleston u rice plantations -- needing lots of slave labor u highly structured society u RICH!

Rice & Indigo Exports from SC & GA:

n Northern Carolina u poor outcasts from Virginia u smaller farms (squatters) u runaway ind. Servants u lawless, wild individuals n 1729 – North Carolina and South Carolina separated

Georgia: The Buffer n James Oglethorpe was granted a charter as a trustee n Motivations: u Military - buffer colony between English and Spanish u Philanthropic – the poor

The “Buffer”

n Became a haven for debtors and the impoverished n Original restrictions: u no slavery u plantation size limited u no Catholics n Removed by charter in 1752 u ended up like SC

Carolinas & Georgia

Southern Colonies n Maryland, Virginia, N & S Carolina, & Georgia n plantation colonies n staple crops (tobacco, rice) n ind. servants & slavery n aristocratic atmosphere n religion not a huge factor

Quickwrite: Why was 1619 a pivotal year for the Chesapeake settlement?