English Colonies of North English Colonies of North AmericaAmerica

HIST 140 Theme 4HIST 140 Theme 4

Summer 2011Summer 2011

By: Le Thi My HoBy: Le Thi My Ho

American Colonies 6 American Colonies 6 After successfully colonizing Ireland, English leaders After successfully colonizing Ireland, English leaders

extend their colonial conquering across the Atlantic extend their colonial conquering across the Atlantic to the region they called Virginia, named in honor of to the region they called Virginia, named in honor of their queen, Elizabeth I, a supposed virgintheir queen, Elizabeth I, a supposed virgin

1580-1620 Entire mid-Atlantic coast between Florida 1580-1620 Entire mid-Atlantic coast between Florida and Acadia was called and Acadia was called “Virginia”“Virginia”

1616 – The colonist discovered tobacco, which 1616 – The colonist discovered tobacco, which permitted an explosive growth in population, permitted an explosive growth in population, territory, and wealthterritory, and wealth

After an immense cost in lives – natives and colonist After an immense cost in lives – natives and colonist – the English had secured a lucrative, dynamic, and – the English had secured a lucrative, dynamic, and expansive base on the North American continentexpansive base on the North American continent

American Colonies 6American Colonies 6 1616thth Century England concentrated wealth Century England concentrated wealth

and power at the narrow top of the steep and power at the narrow top of the steep social pyramid, in the hands of a monarch, an social pyramid, in the hands of a monarch, an aristocracy, and a lesser aristocracy known as aristocracy, and a lesser aristocracy known as the gentrythe gentry

As the As the wealthiest wealthiest and most and most populous populous kingdom, England dominated the whole, kingdom, England dominated the whole, from the capital in Londonfrom the capital in London

The realm included the distinct kingdoms of The realm included the distinct kingdoms of England, Wales, Ireland, England, Wales, Ireland, and laterand later Scotland Scotland

After the war with Spain in 1585, After the war with Spain in 1585, Queen Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I lacked the means to finance and lacked the means to finance and govern an overseas colonygovern an overseas colony Subcontracted colonization by issuing licenses Subcontracted colonization by issuing licenses

and monopolies to private risk taking adventurersand monopolies to private risk taking adventurers

American Colonies 6 American Colonies 6 ““West Country Men”West Country Men” – Promoters: Sir – Promoters: Sir

Francis Drake, Sir Richard Grenville, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Richard Grenville, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Sir John Hawkins, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Sir Humphrey Gilbert – regarded colonial trade Humphrey Gilbert – regarded colonial trade as the key to imperial power with goals:as the key to imperial power with goals: To Plant Christian ReligionTo Plant Christian Religion To TraffickeTo Trafficke To ConquerTo Conquer

In pleasing investors and the crown, the In pleasing investors and the crown, the promoters addressed a pervasive anxiety over promoters addressed a pervasive anxiety over the proliferation of poverty, vagrancy, and the proliferation of poverty, vagrancy, and crime in the 16crime in the 16thth century England century England

American Colonies 6 American Colonies 6 Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay

1587 – 94 colonists included 17 women and 9 children 1587 – 94 colonists included 17 women and 9 children were the were the first English familiesfirst English families to settle in the Americas to settle in the Americas

Sustained about 24,000 Indians divided into 30 tribes but Sustained about 24,000 Indians divided into 30 tribes but united by an Algonquian language and the rule of a united by an Algonquian language and the rule of a paramount chief named paramount chief named PowhatanPowhatan

Lived by a mix of Lived by a mix of horticulture, fishing, hunting, horticulture, fishing, hunting, andand gathering gathering Men – hunted, fished, cleared land for crops, and made dugout Men – hunted, fished, cleared land for crops, and made dugout

canoescanoes Women – cultivated crops, gathered nuts and fruits, and tended the Women – cultivated crops, gathered nuts and fruits, and tended the

village or camp, putting up the lodges and preparing the skins to village or camp, putting up the lodges and preparing the skins to make clothingmake clothing

Shamans – tended temples, constructed housesShamans – tended temples, constructed houses

American Colonies 11 CarolinaAmerican Colonies 11 Carolina 1670s – West Indian Planters established a 1670s – West Indian Planters established a

new colony on the Atlantic seaboard north of new colony on the Atlantic seaboard north of Florida but south of the Chesapeake and Florida but south of the Chesapeake and named it named it CarolinaCarolina to honor to honor King Charles IIKing Charles II

Carolina officially belonged to a set of Carolina officially belonged to a set of English aristocrats, the Lords Proprietor – English aristocrats, the Lords Proprietor – eight powerful political favorites of the kingeight powerful political favorites of the king

South Carolina featured a broad, fertile South Carolina featured a broad, fertile coastal plain meandered by many large, coastal plain meandered by many large, muddy rivers and broad swampsmuddy rivers and broad swamps

Making a Making a plantation colonyplantation colony , the , the Carolinians feared that their African slaves Carolinians feared that their African slaves might combine with defiant Indians to merge might combine with defiant Indians to merge slave rebellion with frontier war which is slave rebellion with frontier war which is fatal to the new colonyfatal to the new colony

American Colonies 11 CarolinaAmerican Colonies 11 Carolina To secure Carolina, Loads Proprietor To secure Carolina, Loads Proprietor offered offered colonists the most alluring colonists the most alluring incentivesincentives::

Religious TolerationReligious Toleration Political Representation in an assembly with power over public taxation and expendituresPolitical Representation in an assembly with power over public taxation and expenditures Long exemption from quitrentsLong exemption from quitrents Large grants of landLarge grants of land

Promised ambitious and wealthy men the opportunity to get in on the ground floor Promised ambitious and wealthy men the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new colonyof a new colony

Attracted Attracted farmersfarmers and and artisansartisans from both the Chesapeake and the West Indies from both the Chesapeake and the West Indies Planters would enjoy Planters would enjoy “absolute Power and Authority over his Negro Slaves”“absolute Power and Authority over his Negro Slaves” but but

later frontier conditions obliged the planters to allow their slaves more autonomy later frontier conditions obliged the planters to allow their slaves more autonomy than was common in either the West Indies or the Chesapeakethan was common in either the West Indies or the Chesapeake

Even the poor and servants were entitled to Even the poor and servants were entitled to land, clothes, corn, tools land, clothes, corn, tools and someand some freedomfreedom

American Colonies 11 CarolinaAmerican Colonies 11 Carolina Key to managing the local Indians was to recruit them as slave Key to managing the local Indians was to recruit them as slave

catchers by offering catchers by offering gunsguns and and ammunitionammunition as as incentiveincentive The The gun tradegun trade rendered the natives dependent upon weapons rendered the natives dependent upon weapons

that they could neither make nor repairthat they could neither make nor repair If deprived of ammunition, the natives would suffer in their If deprived of ammunition, the natives would suffer in their

hunting and fall prey to slave-raiding by better-armed Indians hunting and fall prey to slave-raiding by better-armed Indians more favored by their colonial suppliermore favored by their colonial supplier

By pushing the gun and By pushing the gun and slave trade,slave trade, the Carolinians gained the Carolinians gained mastery over a network of native peoples, securing their own mastery over a network of native peoples, securing their own frontier and wreaking havoc on a widening array of Indiansfrontier and wreaking havoc on a widening array of Indians

Although they traded with each other, the Indians and the Although they traded with each other, the Indians and the Carolinians did not share the same economic viewsCarolinians did not share the same economic views

American Colonies 11 CarolinaAmerican Colonies 11 Carolina Became the leading colonial producer of Became the leading colonial producer of tartar and and

preeminent cattle country in the English empirepreeminent cattle country in the English empire Became the empire’s great Became the empire’s great RICERICE colony, just as the colony, just as the

Chesapeake specialized in tobacco and the West Chesapeake specialized in tobacco and the West Indies in sugarIndies in sugar

1750s Developed a second valuable plantation crop 1750s Developed a second valuable plantation crop for export – for export – INDIGOINDIGO

Carolina planters became the Carolina planters became the wealthiest wealthiest colonial elite colonial elite on the Atlantic seaboard, 2on the Atlantic seaboard, 2ndnd only to the West Indians only to the West Indians within the empirewithin the empire