Let America
Begin!!!
Get your Colonies
On…..WORD!
Why did the English settle
Here?
• The first permanent English settlement
in North America was Jamestown.
– founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company of
London
– purpose: economic opportunity (to make
money)
• Settlers (all men) were looking for gold and
riches
• Settlers weren’t planning to stay in the New
World
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
• no one wanted to work -- too busy
looking for gold
• location made people sick -mosquitoes, malaria
• John Smith took charge in winter
of 1607 – forced men to work (“He
who does not work, shall not eat”)
• “starving time” (winter 1609) -- all
but 60 settlers died before spring
“Starving Time”
“And one amongst the rest did kill his wife,
powdered [salted] her, and had eaten
part of her before it was knowne, for
which hee was executed, as hee well
deserved; now whether shee was better
roasted, boyled or carbonado'd
[grilled], I know not, but of such a dish as
powdered wife I never heard of.” – John
Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssS6
UoBoiuc
Problems Solved
• 1610 -- Lord De La Warr became new
governor, set up strict martial law
• 1612 -- John Rolfe developed new
strain of tobacco – colony now has
a way to make money
• women and children arrived
• 1640s – Virginia House of Burgesses
established
– first elected assembly in the New
World
Relationships
• Powhatan Indians were indigenous to the
region
• Colonists would take food and land,
Natives would raid colonist establishments
• Marriage between Rolfe and Pocahontas
helps for a while
• Opecancaunoh’s war – Surprise attack of
many colonial outposts.
– Killed 300+ settlers (possibly including John Rolfe)
Location, Location, Location
• The settlers moved into three
different areas for various reasons
– Southern Colonies - seeking economic
opportunity
– New England Colonies - seeking freedom
from religious persecution
– Middle Colonies - seeking both religious
freedom and economic opportunity
Southern Colonies
• settled by people seeking economic opportunity
– Cavaliers – English nobility who received large land
grants in eastern Virginia from the King of England
– Headright System – Anyone who paid for passage of
another would receive 50 acres.
– indentured servants – poor immigrants who agreed to
work for 7 to 10 years in exchange for their passage to
the New World
– other poor immigrants became small farmers or artisans
• settled in the Shenandoah Valley or western Virginia
• Bacon's Rebellion - Frontier settlers sought support against
native Americans from Governor. He refused and rebellion
became violent. Showed differences between wealthy
landowners and poorer frontier settlers.
New England Colonies
• Colonies were settled by Puritans
seeking freedom from religious
persecution in Europe
– Puritans were very religious – often
intolerant of those who didn’t
follow their religion
–Very Ironic…..
We’re not done with NE yet.
• 1620 – Pilgrims (one group of Puritans) arrived at
Plymouth
– wrote the Mayflower Compact
• no government in the area, so must create their own
• formed a “covenant community”
– brought their families, planned to stay forever
• 1630 – more Puritans came to Mass. Bay
– John Winthrop (leader) wanted to create a “City
on a Hill” – set an example for the rest of the
world
• town meeting – a form of direct democracy (all
men of the town discuss and vote on issues)
Yup, more NE, I know seriously
• one problem – religious dissent
– Puritans wanted the freedom to
practice their religion but did not
want others to practice a different
religion -- people who went against
Puritan teachings were punished
– Roger Williams – banished from
Massachusetts, started new colony
of Rhode Island
– Anne Hutchinson – banished
No love for the Middle Colonies
• settled chiefly by English, Dutch,
and German-speaking immigrants
• seeking religious freedom and
economic opportunity
• No bells and whistles, they’re just not worth it.
Do your homework!
• And be nice to your teacher….