The Planting of English America 1500-1733
The American Pageant
Chapter 2
England’s Imperial Stirrings
 Beg. Of 17th cent: only 10% of 1492 native population remained in N. America.
 N. America remained largely unexplored/unclaimed by Europeans.
England’s Imperial Stirrings (2)
 Early 1500s: Catholic England was Spain’s ally – no colonies
 1530: Henry VIII broke with Catholic church – English Protestant Reformation
England’s Imperial Stirrings (3)
 1558: Protestant-Catholic conflicts ended with rule of Protestant Queen Elizabeth.
 Result: rivalry with Catholic Spain intensified, desire to colonize increased.
Elizabeth Energizes England
 Elizabeth encouraged “sea dogs” to plunder Spanish ships & settlements (Francis
Drake).
 Embarrassing 1st colonization attempts:
Gilbert at Newfound-land (1583) and Raleigh
at Roanoke Island (1585).
‘Liz Energizes England (2)
 Spain fought back with Spanish Armada to invade England.
 1588: Defeated by faster, more maneuverable English sea dogs and timely storm
(“Protestant wind”).
‘Liz Energizes England (3)
Defeat of Armada:
‘Liz Energizes England (4)
England now possessed former qualities of Spain:
On the Eve of Empire
 Landlords changing land from agriculture to sheep grazing, and economic depression
of woolen trade in late 1500s resulted in many unemployed.
 Some concluded “surplus” pop.
On the Eve of Empire (2)
 Primogeniture laws resulted in ambitious younger sons who had to seek their fortunes
(Gilbert, Raleigh, Drake).
 Joint-stock company developed in early 1600s, investors pooled capital.
On the Eve of Empire (3)
 Peace with Spain (1604 treaty): opportunity for colonization
 Population growth: workers
 Unemployment, thirst for adventure and religious freedom: motive
 Joint-stock co.: financial means
Jamestown Seedling
 Virginia Co. of London (joint-stock) got charter from King James I for settlement.
 Goals: 1) gold, 2) passage to Indies
 Pressure on colonists to quickly strike it rich for investors
Jamestown Seedling (2)
 Charter of Virginia Co. significant: guaranteed to settlers rights of Englishmen.
Extended to other colonies also and became foundation for American liberties.
Jamestown Seedling (3)
 1607: 100 settlers (all men) landed on banks of James River (Chesapeake Bay area).
Easy to defend, but unhealthful.
 Disaster:
40 settlers died en route, dozens died from disease, starvation.
Jamestown Seedling (4)
 Game/fish were plentiful, but men were not used to fending for themselves and spent
time looking for gold.
 1608: Capt. John Smith saved it from collapse - “He who shall not work shall not eat.”
Jamestown Seedling (5)
 Dec, 1607: Pocahontas/Smith incident helped preserve peace with Powhatan tribe,
provided food for colonists.
 Colonists reduced to eating dogs, mice, exhumed bodies, even wives.
Jamestown Seedling (6)
 Of 400 settlers who came to Va. by 1609, only 60 survived “starving time” winter of
1609-10.
 1610: Attempted to abandon, but caught leaving by Lord De La Warr - ordered to
return.
Jamestown Seedling (7)
 De La Warr imposed military rule, fought natives.
 By 1625, Virginia contained only 1,200 of 8,000 who had settled.
Most died from
disease.
Cultural Clash
 1607: James River native tribes dominated by Powhatan – loosely affiliated into
“Powhatan Confederacy.”
 1610: De La Warr arrived with orders from Virginia Co. to conduct brutal campaign.
Cultural Clash (2)
 1614: First Anglo-Powhatan War ended with marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe.
 1622: Indians renewed attacks, killing 347 settlers, incl. Rolfe.
 Va. Co. called for “perpetual war” – pushed natives west.
Cultural Clash (3)
 1644: Second Anglo-Powhatan War – one last effort to dislodge settlers.
Natives
defeated.
 1646: Peace treaty banished natives from ancestral lands.
 1685: English considered Powhatans extinct.
Cultural Clash (4)
 Powhatans fell victim to disease, disorganization, disposability.
 Disposability: while Spaniards put natives to work in mines, the Powhatans served no
economic purpose once Virginians could grow crops.
VA: Child of Tobacco
 1612: John Rolfe perfected tobacco growing – enormous demand from Europe
 Tobacco was hurriedly planted in streets of Jamestown, between graves, etc.
VA: Child of Tobacco (2)
 Tobacco put VA on firm economic foundation, but was hard on soil resulting in thirst
for new land.
 Promoted plantation system and demand for labor.
VA: Child of Tobacco (3)
 1619: Dutch ship sold 20 African slaves at Jamestown.
 Yet black slaves were too costly for most farmers, only 300 blacks in VA by 1650.
 1700: blacks were 14% of pop.
VA: Child of Tobacco (4)
 1619: House of Burgesses was first representative assembly.
 1624: James I revoked charter of bankrupt Virginia Co. – made VA a royal colony.
 Distrusted Burgesses – a “seminary of sedition.”
MD: Catholic Haven
 1634: founded by Lord Baltimore, prominent Catholic.
 Goals: financial profits, refuge for Catholics, large feudal estates for Catholic friends.
 Attracted others with land offers, mostly Protestant.
MD: Catholic Haven (2)
 Conflicts arose between large land owners (Catholics) and small farmers (Protestants).
Resulted in open rebellion near end of century.
MD: Catholic Haven (3)
 MD prospered, like VA, with tobacco.
 Like VA, initially depended on indentured servants for labor.
 Black slaves came in large numbers toward end of 17th cent.
MD: Catholic Haven (4)
 Initially, MD offered unusual freedom of worship.
 However, surge of Protestants threatened Catholics’ freedom.
 1649: Act of Toleration limited freedom only to Christians – protecting Catholics.
West Indies
 Early 1600s: Weaker Spain was losing grip on much of Caribbean
 Mid 1600s: England claimed several islands, incl. Jamaica
 Sugar: basis of W. Indian economy
West Indies (2)
Sugar vs. Tobacco
West Indies (3)
 Result: Wealthy sugar growers imported 250,000 black slaves 1640-1690.
 1700: Blacks outnumbered whites 4:1
 Needed control: Barbados slave code of 1661
West Indies (4)
 Slave code denied basic rights, prescribed vicious punishments.
 1670: Sugar growing crowded out small farmer: English settlers from Barbados
arrived in Carolina with slaves, slave code.
West Indies (5)
 1696: Carolina adopts version of Barbados slave code, sets pattern for future colonies’
slave relations.
Colonizing the Carolinas
 1640-60: Civil wars in England (Charles I, Cromwell) interrupted colonization.
 1660: Charles II to throne (“Restoration” period), led to renewed colonization with
increased royal involvement.
Colonizing the Carolinas (2)
 1670: Carolina founded by 8 nobles who desired to grow food for sugar islands, and
export wine, silk, olive oil.
 Prospered by trading with sugar islands and capturing/ trading Indian slaves
Colonizing the Carolinas (3)
 1707: Savannah Indians ended slave trading alliance with Carolinians.
attacked in response, removing tribes of coastal Carolina by 1710.
Colonizing the Carolinas (4)
 Rice became principal export crop.
Settlers
 Colonists paid high prices for W. African slaves experienced with rice – benefit:
blacks were immune to malaria.
 1710: Africans were majority.
Colonizing the Carolinas (5)
 Charleston became busiest seaport in South, home to many aristocratic families who
did not get inheritance.
 Occasional conflict with Catholic Spaniards in Florida
Emergence of N. Carolina
 Area south of Virginia was home to rejects from Virginia society, often “squatters.”
 Reputation as uncivilized, developed strong resistance to authority.
Emergence of N. Carolina (2)
 Caught between aristocratic societies of VA and southern Carolina, friction developed.
 1712: Formally separated
 With Rhode Island, regarded as most democratic, independent of colonies.
Georgia: Buffer Colony
 1733: Founded (last of 13)
 Goal: Protect more valuable Carolinas against Spaniards (Florida) and French
(Louisiana).
 Only one of 13 col. to receive cash subsidies from England.
Georgia: Buffer Colony (2)
 Founded by philanthropists to provide haven for debtors.
 Initially kept slavery out.
 James Oglethorpe: dynamic soldier-statesman repelled Spanish attacks, mortgaged
own personal fortune.
Georgia: Buffer Colony (3)
 All Christians except Catholics had freedom of worship
 Development of plantation economy slowed by unhealthy climate, restrictions on
slavery, Spanish attacks.
Plantation Colonies
Maryland, Virginia, N. & S. Carolina and Georgia shared certain characteristics:
Plantation Colonies (2)
Shared characteristics (cont’d):