The Emergence of Colonial Society, 1625-1700

Introduction By 1700, 250,000 people of European birth or parentage live in North America By 1700, 30,000 slaves live in North America, mostly the Chesapeake and Carolina area

Types of Colonies Corporate Colonies-like Jamestown, operated by a company Royal Colonies- like Virginia after 1624, were under the direct rule and authority of the king’s government Proprietary Colonies- like Maryland and Pennsylvania, were under the authority of individuals granted a charter by the king

I. Chesapeake Society Why do Chesapeake planters shift from using indentured servants as laborers to black slaves?

A. State and Church in Maryland Maryland is a proprietary colony 1632, the king gives Lord Baltimore a charter for a large piece of land, which he calls Maryland. He intended it to be a haven for Catholic. Maryland is successful, initially, because Baltimore carefully studies Virginia’s history

A. State and Church in Maryland However, more protestants settle in Maryland than Catholics Act of Religious Toleration, 1649 Affirms religious liberty for everyone but non-Christians Peace does not last, and protestants repeal the act in 1654, ousting the Governor Stone

B. Death and Gender Tobacco demand rises, bringing 110,000 people to Chesapeake between 1625-1700 90% of these people are indenture servants 80% are male Typhoid fever and malaria are devastating the area Chesapeake has a negative population growth

C. Tobacco Shapes the Region Virginia and Maryland totally dependent on tobacco About 80% of homes located on Chesapeake River Wealthy planters control commerce, so no merchant class emerges in Chesapeake 1629, tobacco prices drop 97% Prices stabilize for awhile, but a total crash occurs in 1660 Headright system allows the wealthy planters to survive, but the servant class suffers

Pattern of Settlement

Chesapeake Tobacco Prices

D. Bacon’s Rebellion Third Anglo-Powhatan War Tensions continue to rise between expanding colonist and Native Americans. c. Governor Berkeley proposes building forts on the frontier to protect settlers. Farmers prefer a less costly solution, exterminate the Indians They turn to Nathaniel Bacon

D. Bacon’s Rebellion 300 colonist elect Bacon to lead them in a war against the Indians in 1676. They massacre a peaceful tribe In June of 1676, Bacon demands and is granted permission to “wage war against all Indians in general” Governor Berkeley changes his mind, and the rebels turn on him, burning Jamestown and forcing the governor to flee On the verge of victory, Bacon dies of dysentery in late 1676

What are the motives of the rebels? Land hungry Poverty Racism

E. From Servitude to Slavery Slavery develops in three stages in Chesapeake: 1619-1640- first Africans arrive, but not assumed to be slaves 1640-1660- growing number of blacks treated as slaves for life, but no slave laws 1661- Maryland passes law defining slavery as life long and inheritable. Virginia does the same in 1670. Slavery is legalized and free blacks disappear from the Chesapeake area.

E. From Servitude to Slavery Two economic reasons why slavery replaces indentured servants: Between 1650-1700, wages in England increase by 50% 1698, the English Parliament lifts the monopoly that the Royal African Company had on selling slaves. This means slavers can bring slaves directly from West Africa to Chesapeake. Slave prices drop.