European Colonies in America

The English In Virginia

• King James Charter– Plymouth Company and London Company allowed

to establish “Joint-Stock Companies”• The 1st Corporation ever established

– Companies must:• Colonize the territory, maintain it, and govern the area• In return: King allowed all profits to flow to investors

instead of him

The English in Virginia--Jamestown• Colony was led by John Smith• Horrible location—swamps, natives• English Settlers:– Upper-middle class gentlemen not used to

manual labor• 1608: Group 2 arrives from England– By this time only 38/100 still alive

• John Smith• Led raids against other natives to steal food– Imposed military rule in colony• “Those who don’t work, don’t eat”

Virginia—establishment of a political system

• The House of Burgesses– July 1619: All

settlements in Virginia meet via representatives

– Had the power to tax, make laws with approval by Royal Governor

– Americas first taste of democracy

Did You Know:The Iroquois League has a similar system to the H.O.B. many historians believe that the colonists borrowed the idea from the Iroquois

VirginiaColonial Workers

• Indentured Servants: hired English people who worked a # of years. The employer would grant food, shelter, and passage to America.– At the end of the term Servants were supposed to receive

a small piece of land

Why use Slaves?1.Servants had rights as English, slaves did not2. Slaves could not run away like servants or N.A.3. No pay, land grants, or freedom for slaves4. If escaped, could not blend into population5. Slaves less likely to rebel

MassachusettsThe Puritans

• Anglican Church in England• Puritan: Wanted to purify the church by making

further reforms• Dissent in England meant you would be persecuted

MassachusettsBoston

• Success of Plymouth inspired other Puritans to move

• Massachusetts Bay Company:– Establish Massachusetts Colony– 1630: John Winthrop: 11 ships / 700 colonists– Established Boston, Salem, Watertown, Concord,

and many others

Rhode Island• Roger Williams – Boston Dissenter– Believed in Religious tolerance– Separation of Church and State– Believed in purchasing land from

N.A./ not seizure

Purchased lands from Local Natives

-Set up the colony of Providence, Rhode Island-All Religions accepted, even Jews-Gov. and Church were completely separate

New Hampshire

• Anne & Will Hutchinson– Banished from Mass.

Because of beliefs– Established New

Hampshire – Became a royal colony

under direct control of King

The Middle & Southern Colonies• 1640’s: English Civil War

– Monarchy vs. Parliament (Led by Cromwell)

– Parliament wins and has power for several years

• Charles II & the Restoration:– King Charles owed a lot of people money/ favors for supporting

him during the Civil war– Repaid debts through land grants in America

• Proprietary colonies: – Grants of Land to loyal friends, the friends became lord

governor of the land – only answerable to the King– Paid Taxes to the Crown

The Middle & Southern ColoniesNew York

• Proprietary Colony to Charles Brother, James Duke of York (except Dutch controlled land)– What About New Amsterdam?

• 1664: English Fleet sailed into New Amsterdam Harbor – demanded the colony– Very diverse colony –Dutch allowed Germans, Jews, slaves, etc– religious tolerance

New Jersey

• Proprietary Colony: – James (Duke of York)

gave Part of New York to Sir George Carteret & Sir John Berkeley

• Sir George Carteret named his half territory New Jersey

Pennsylvania“Penn’s Wood”

• Proprietary Colony:– William Penn granted land by Charles II

• Penn wanted to colony to be a haven for Quakers

• Officially the “Society of Friends”• Founder said they should “Quake at the name of the Lord”• Beliefs:

1. Believed in direct personal comm. With God2. No ministers or hierarchy of Priests3. No MASS, just a meeting where people stood to talk to the group4. Believed in full equality for Men and Women5. Pacifists – refused to fight in wars

• Persecuted and jailed in England

Pennsylvania

• Experimental colony and City– Colony of Toleration– Philadelphia – “City of Brotherly Love” (Greek)

• Penn Advertised the colony as Tolerant of Everyone– Attracted Amish, Mennonites, Germans, French

protestants• 1701: Penn allows democracy– Established the “Charter of Liberties”– By the People, For the People

Delaware

• Gave the land to the Quakers– The Quakers named the

Colony Delaware

• Gov. Change: Land disputes with Delaware caused King to make New York and New Jersey Royal Colonies

Carolina

• Proprietary Colony– 8 men named the colony

“Carolina” in latin “Carolus” – translated means “Charles”

– The 8 men ran the colony like a business• Tried to steal colonist

from other colonies by offering religious freedom or tax breaks

Northern Carolina

• Developed as a small farm colony– Terrain was rough and

no natural harbors to export goods

– Very few slaves imported

– Colony remains relatively poor

Southern Carolina

• Founded Charlestown• Large estates develop -

Plantations– Bring in slaves

• West Indies Farmers moved in – Bringing Indigo, rice, and Slaves

• 1729: The King bought the colony – Divided the colony into South &

North Carolina

Georgia• Two Problems:– Tensions between Spanish Florida and English South

Carolina were always High• Solution: Established by James Oglethorpe– Create a Buffer state between South Carolina and Florida

just in case of Attack– Allow debtors in England to move to Georgia

Maryland• George Calvert – Lord Baltimore– Catholic

• Founded a colony around the Chesapeake Bay• Colony Attracted Protestants & Catholics – which

caused problems– 1649: Maryland Assembly passed the Toleration

Act• Colony Named for Mary