1. The Planting of English America

2. England’s Imperial Stirring
Within 100 years of Columbus landing Americas radically transformed
most of North America unclaimed, unexplored
In the 1500s, Britain failed to effectively colonize due to internal conflicts.
Elizabeth I became queen, Britain became basically Protestant, rivalry with Catholic Spain intensified.
Late 1500’s English attack Spanish ships for gold (Sir Francis Drake)
First English attempts at colonization (Newfoundland 1583, Roanoke 1585) failed
1588 English defeat Spanish Armada
Allows English to cross North Atlantic
Victory gives English reason for exploration/settlement

3. England’s Colonization of the Americas
Reasons for English colonization of the Americas
1500’s growing population
New enclosure laws – less land for poor
Wool industry collapsed
Population became mobile (looking for jobs)
Tradition of primogeniture = 1st born son inherits ALL father’s land. Younger sons tried their luck with fortunes elsewhere, like America.
Unity under a popular monarch
Early1600s,  joint-stock company perfected (investors put money into the company with hopes for a good return), provided financing for colonization
Joint-stock companies usually did not exist long, stockholders invested to make a profit, then quickly sell for profit a few years later
Charter gave settlers same rights as Englishmen
Joint Stock Company (Virginia Company) given charter by King James I to settle in New World

4. Jamestown
On May 24, 1607, about 100 English settlers disembarked from their ship and founded Jamestown.  
Problems included:
the swampy site of Jamestown, poor drinking water, mosquitoes caused malaria and yellow fever.
men wasted time looking for gold rather than doing useful tasks (digging wells, building shelter, planting crops)
zero women on the initial ship.
1608  Captain John Smith took over control and whipped the colonists into shape, gave order and discipline, highlighted by his “no work, no food” policy.
Colonists had to eat cats, dogs, rats, even other people. One fellow wrote of eating “powdered wife.”
1610 a relief party headed by Lord De La Warr arrived to alleviate the suffering.
1625 out of an original overall total of 8,000 would-be settlers, only 1,200 had survived.

6. Indian/European Relations
At first English seen potential allies, relations grew worse when English began to raid Indian food supplies
De La Warr began “total war” against Indians
Early 1600’s clashes decimated Indians pushed them westward, removed them from ancestral lands
European colonization disrupted way of life
Disease took out population
Trade intensified competition among tribes
Tribes along Atlantic seaboard felt effects the most
When colonists could grow their own food they had little use for Indians, Europeans wanted their land

7. Virginia Tobacco savior of Virginia Colony
cash crop- Jamestown had found its gold.
Tobacco created a greed for land- heavily depleted the soil and ruined the land.
Representative self-government  in Virginia
1619 settlers created the House of Burgesses, a committee to work out local issues. This set America on a pathway to self-rule
1619 first Africans sold as slaves

8. Maryland
1634 founded by Lord Baltimore as Catholic refuge (from Protestant English)
Second plantation colony
Huge estates given to Catholic families, poorer, Protestants settled there also, created friction between two groups
Tobacco main crop, labor source was indentured servants (slaves came in late 1600’s)
Religious toleration
Permitted freedom of worship to all Christians
1649- Act of Toleration, guaranteed religious toleration to all Christians, but decreed the death penalty to Jews, atheists, others who didn’t believe in the divinity of Jesus
More Catholics in Maryland than any English speaking colony in the New World

9. The West Indies
Decline of Spanish power led British to secure Caribbean Islands
Sugar main crop
Labor intensive, capital intensive
Needed to be wealthy to start plantation
Caused large numbers of slaves to be imported
Slave Codes established in West Indies
1700 slaves outnumber settlers 4:1
defined the legal status of slaves and the rights of the masters. They were typically strict and exacted severe punishments for offenders.
Sugar plantation system caused islands to depend  on American colonies for food, basic supplies
Smaller farmers left islands and settled in southern colonies
1670 group arrives in Carolina, brings slaves from Barbados
Slave codes adopted in Carolina 1696
Slave codes became model for statutes governing slavery across colonies

10. The Carolinas Developed close economic ties with “sugar islands”
Many immigrated from region , brought slave trade with them
Rice major export crop
African slaves had knowledge  to grow rice
Slaves had natural immunity to malaria
Ideal laborers for rice plantations
By 1710 majority of people in Carolinas were African slaves
Charles Town major seaport
Diverse tolerant community
Attracted French Protestant refugees
Caused friction with Spain

11. North Carolina Wild northern expanse of Carolina
Settled more slowly because lack of good harbors
Attracted outcasts and religious dissenters
Raised tobacco and other crops on small farms, little need for slaves (few large plantations)
Distinctive traits: irreligious, hospitable to pirates, spirit of resistance to authority, , democratic, independent minded, least aristocratic of 13 colonies
1712 separated from S.C.

12. Georgia 1733-Last colony to be “planted” Savannah major port
Founded by prison reform group, major leader James Oglethorpe
Debtors from England sent there
Established as buffer between English, Spanish
Only colony to receive money from English government
Diverse communities
Religious toleration for all except Catholics
Least populous colony
Restrictive slavery laws

13. The Plantation Colonies
Agriculture export based economies
Slavery in all colonies
Small group owned most of the land
Rural population made it hard to establish towns, schools and churches
Religiously tolerant