Colonial Era Review Guide
Colony
Year
Founder
Purpose
Virginia
New
Hampshire
(Plymouth)
Massachusetts
Maryland
1607
Virginia Co. (John Smith
Gold, Christianity
1620
1629
Pilgrims (Bradford, Robinson
Gov. John Winthrop
Lord Baltimore (George
Calvert)
Thomas Hooker
Roger Williams
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Religious freedom
Religious freedom
1634
Connecticut
1635
Rhode Island
1644
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Haven for Catholics
"liberty of conscience"
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Restoration Colonies after 1660—no colonization during the English Civil War
North Carolina
wanted separation from autocratic
1664
SC
New York
British want Dutch out of N.
1664
Peter Minuit--New Amsterdam
America
New Jersey
1664
South Carolina
1644
Grow food & supplies for Barbados
Pennsylvania
1681
William Penn
"Holy Experiment"
Delaware
1681
Georgia
1733
James Oglethorpe
Haven for debtors
Virginia Never Met Mary Cuz Roger Never Needed New Silver Plates During Graduation
Major themes:
I. 17th century: Three major regions of colonial America
A. New England: MA, CT, RI, NH
a. 1620, Plymouth Colony founded by Pilgrims; Puritans arrive in 1629
b. economy
c. Rocky soil
d. Dominated by Puritans
e. Education
f. Close-knit communities; long life-expectancy
B. Middle: NY, PA, NJ, DE (New Sweden)
a. “Bread colonies”
b. Most diverse region ethnically & religiously
c. Religious toleration in PA; NY more autocratic
d. Communities more close-knit than in South
e. Some education
C. Southern: MD, VA, NC, SC
a. Economy
b. Huge number of indentured servants
c. Anglican Church, MD=religious toleration
d. Significant increase in black slaves after 1676
e. Few women & low life-expectancy
f. Society was spread out; little to no education
g. Less democratic and more aristocratic
II. 17th Century major events and issues
A. Democratic trends
-House of Burgesses
- Pilgrims in Plymouth: Mayflower Compact
- Puritans – Townhall meetings
-Rhode Island – Roger Williams “liberty of Conscience
-Fundamental Orders, 1639
-Maryland Act of Toleration, 1649
-Connecticut and Rhode Island are charter colonies
-“Holy Experiment” - Pennsylvania
-Bacon’s Rebellion, 1675 - Virginia
- Leisler’s Rebellion (1691) New York
B. Trends toward colonial unity
-New England Confederation, 1643
-Cambridge Platform
-Defeat of the Dominion of New England, 1689
III. 18th Century major events and issues
A. How are 18th century colonies different?
1. Society is more hierachical
2. Puritans no longer dominate New England
3. Congregational Church is open
4. Scots-Irish inhabit frontier areas – battle Indians
5. GA is a haven for debtors
6. Much larger population (2.5 million by 1775)
B. Triangular Trade
C. Great Awakening (1740s)
II. 18th Century major events and issues
A. Democratic trends
-“Salutary Neglect"
- Colonial assemblies (representative gov’t)
-Zenger case, 1736
-Regulator Movement, 1771 (N. Carolina); Paxton Boys (in PA), 1764
- Enlightenment philosophy
B. Trends toward colonial unity
-Albany Plan for Union, 1754
-Stamp Act Congress, 1765: The Association
-Massachusetts Circular Letter, 1767
-Boston Massacre, 1770
-Committees of Correspondence, 1772-73
-First Continental Congress, 1774
-Lexington and Concord, 1775
-Second Continental Congress, 1775
-Bunker Hill, 1775
-Common Sense, Thomas Paine
-Declaration of Independence, 1776
V. Religion
A. Puritans (New England)
-Calvinism: predestination; conversion experience; “visible saints”
-Covenant theology: “City on a Hill”; perfectibility of society through God’s laws
-John Cotton: major religious figure
-“Great Migration” in 1630s
-Close knit communities; families are extension of authoritarian government
-Harvard College, 1636: train clergy members (also Yale)
-Jeremiad: used to scold 2nd generation Puritans to be committed to their faith
-Half-Way Covenant (1662): Those with no religious conversion could attend church and their kids
could be baptized.
-Salem With Trials, 1692: Hurts prestige of clergy (including Cotton Mather)
-Established Church in New England (all pay taxes to the church, even if they don’t belong)
o Anglican Church (Southern Colonies and parts of Middle Colonies)
-Follow seven sacraments of the Church of England (similar to Catholic Church)
-Established Church (all persons pay tax even if they don’t belong)
o Quakers (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware)
-Believe all people have an “inner light” (God)
-Pacifists (get along well with Indians)
o Great Awakening (1740s)
- “New Lights” seek more emotion in religion; emphasize hell-fire and damnation
-Jonathan Edwards (began movement); George Whitfield (most important)
-Fractured American denominations along old light/new light lines.
Slavery in the colonial period
o First Africans arrive in Virginia, 1619 (as indentured servants); most labor by white indentured servants
o Tobacco in the Chesapeake results in some black slavery
o Barbados slave codes brought into Carolinas after 1660: black slavery needed for rice and indigo
o Bacon’s Rebellion (1676) leads to a decline in white indentured servitude and rise in black slavery
o Triangular Trade brings many slaves to North America during the 18th century
o Stono Rebellion, 1739: 1st significant slave rebellion leads to further oppression on slaves
o By 1750, African-Americans account for 20% of the colonial population (most are slaves)
o By 1750, 90% of slaves in South; Middle Colonies have some slaves (usually servants); few slaves exist
in New England (Newport, RI is the largest slave port in the colonies)