NEW WORLD EXPERIMENTS: ENGLAND’S SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY COLONIES America: Past and Present Chapter 2
Breaking Away Rapid social change in seventeenth-century England English population mobile Different motives for migration religious versus economic personal: to escape bad marriages, jail terms, or lifelong poverty
The Stuart Monarchs
Four Colonial Subcultures The Chesapeake New England Middle Colonies The Carolinas
The Chesapeake: Dreams of Wealth Richard Hakluyt and other visionaries keep alive the dream of English colonies Anti-Catholicism prompts English people to challenge Spanish claims in New World
Entrepreneurs in Virginia Joint-stock companies provide financing English stockholders in Virginia Company expect instant profits Jamestown settled 1607 Colony’s location in a swamp unhealthy Competition from expansive Powhattans Colonists do not work for common good
Chesapeake Colonies, 1640
Spinning Out of Control 1608-1609--John Smith imposes order 1609--London Company reorganizes colonial government 1610-- “Starving Time” ended by arrival of Lord De La Warr, fresh settlers Conflict with Powhattans Contributes to “starving time” 1622—natives attempt to drive out English 1644—second attempt to drive out English; Powhattan empire destroyed
“Stinking Weed” 1610--John Rolfe introduces tobacco 1618-- “Headrights” instituted to encourage development of tobacco plantations Headright: 50-acre lot granted to each colonist who pays his own transportation, or for each servant brought into the colony Allows development of huge estates 1618--House of Burgesses instituted for Virginia self-government
Time of Reckoning Population increase prevented by imbalanced sex ratio 3,570 colonists to Virginia 1619-1622 Men outnumber women 6:1 after 1619 Contagious disease kills settlers 1618: Virginia population numbers 700 1618-1622: 3,000 immigrate 1622: Virginia population numbers 1,240 1622--Powhattan attack kills 347 settlers
Corruption and Reform 1624--King James I dissolves London Company Virginia becomes a royal colony House of Burgesses continues to meet
Maryland: A Troubled Refuge for Catholics Initiated by Sir George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) as refuge for English Catholics 1632--Calvert’s son Cecilius (2nd Lord Baltimore) gains charter to Maryland Requires toleration among Catholics and Protestants
Maryland: A Troubled Refuge for Catholics (2) Wealthy Catholics unwilling to relocate in America Common settlers demand greater voice in Maryland government Protestants refuse to tolerate Catholics Protestants seize control in 1655 Scattered riverfront settlements of poor tobacco planters
Reforming England in America Pilgrims Separatists who refused to worship in the Church of England, fled Escape persecution in Holland 1620--Plymouth founded Plymouth a society of small farming villages bound together by mutual consent 1691--absorbed into Massachusetts Bay
“The Great Migration” Puritans Wish to remain within the Church of England, work to eliminate all remaining vestiges of the Roman Catholic past 1629--Puritans despair as King Charles I begins Personal Rule 1630--John Winthrop leads Puritan group to Massachusetts, brings Company Charter
“A City on a Hill” 1630-1640--16,000 immigrated Settlers usually came as family units Area generally healthy Puritans sacrifice self-interest for the good of the community
“A City on a Hill” (2) Puritans establish Congregationalism a state-supported ecclesiastical system in which each congregation is independently governed by local church members Puritan civil government permits voting by all adult male church members Elected officials not to concern themselves with voters’ wishes
“A City on a Hill” (3) Local, town governments autonomous Most participated in public life at town level Townships commercial properties, shares of which could be bought and sold Village life intensely communal Laws and Liberties passed in 1648 to protect rights, ensure civil order
Limits of Dissent: Roger Williams An extreme Separatist Questioned the validity of the colony’s charter Champions “liberty of conscience” Williams expelled to Rhode Island, 1636
Limits of Dissent: Anne Hutchinson Believed herself directly inspired by the Holy Spirit Believed “converted” persons could live without the Moral Law Charged that Congregational ministers preached a “covenant of works” Banished to Rhode Island by General Court
Mobility and Division New Hampshire--insignificant until eighteenth century Rhode Island--received dissenters from Massachusetts Connecticut--founded by Thomas Hooker New Haven--absorbed into Connecticut
New England Colonies, 1650
Diversity in the Middle Colonies New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware
Middle Colonies, 1685
Anglo-Dutch Rivalry on the Hudson Location: Hudson River New Netherlands originally property of Dutch West Indies Company Population included Finns, Swedes, Germans, Africans, as well as Dutch 1664--English fleet captured colony
Anglo-Dutch Rivalry on the Hudson (2) New York made personal property of James, Duke of York Property included New Jersey, Delaware, Maine, and various islands Inhabitants had no political voice beyond the local level James derived little profit from the colony.
Confusion in New Jersey Colony sold by Duke of York to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret Settlers refuse to pay rents grounds: New York governor had promised representative assembly Berkeley splits colony by selling out to Quaker group
Confusion in New Jersey (2) West Jersey becomes Quakers’ colony Democratic system of government introduced Diverse, contentious Neither Jersey prospers, reunited by the crown in 1702
Quakers in America Pennsylvania founding inseparable from Quakers “Quaker” a derogatory term for those who “tremble at the word of the Lord” Members call sect “Society of Friends”
Quaker Belief and Practice Founder: George Fox (1624-1691) Believed in “Inner Light” Rejected idea of original sin, predestination Each may communicate directly with God Each has responsibility to cultivate Inner Light Persecuted as dangerous anarchists
Penn's "Holy Experiment" Aristocrat William Penn converts to the Society of Friends Obtains a charter for Pennsylvania "Holy Experiment"--a society run on Quaker principles Promotes religious toleration Protects rights of property-less
Settling Pennsylvania Immigrants recruited from England, Wales, Ireland, and Germany Quaker population racked by contention Non-Quaker population does not share Penn’s ideals 1701--Penn grants self-rule to Pennsylvania colonists, independence to Delaware
Planting the Carolinas Reliance on slave labor produced superficial similarity to Chesapeake Diversity of settlers, environment produced great divergence from Chesapeake
Proprietors of the Carolinas Granted by Charles II in 1663 to eight “Proprietors” to reward loyalty Tried to recruit settlers from established American colonies they were not easily persuaded Few inhabitants in first years
The Barbadian Connection Anthony Ashley Cooper encourages settlement by planters from Barbados Barbadians settle around Charleston “Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina” drawn up by John Locke Barbadians reject Fundamental Constitutions for greater self-government French Huguenot settlers oppose 1729--Strife prompts Crown to take over, divide Carolina
Founding of Georgia Georgia founded in 1732 Strategic purpose: buffer between Carolinas and Spanish Florida Charitable purpose: refuge for imprisoned debtors from England By 1751 a small slave colony
The Carolinas and Georgia
Living with Diversity All colonies faced early struggle to survive Distinct regional differences intensified and persisted throughout the colonial period Colonists eventually saw themselves as a distinct people