Jacob Schulman
Chapter 2: Europeans Colonize North America (1600-1640)
What is the beginning of American History?
- Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock (Pilgrims)- ?
- 1607: Founding of Jamestown- ?
*Native Americans: They were here first
- Widespread; had very different beliefs and customs
- Came to American 20-30k years agoCrossed the Bering Strait
1492: Columbus sailed for India but landed in Hispaniola (70m NA’s in NA)
Showed that there were other advanced civilizations elsewhere
Spain: First to start major colonization outside of Europe
- Columbian Exchange: Interaction b/w NA & Spain
- Brought horses, disease (smallpox); Got STDs, malaria, corn, tomatoes
Virgin Soil Epidemic: Immune systems of NAs weren’t able to fight Euro diseases
- Spain moved down to Florida (Ponce de Leon & The Fountain of Youth)
- Sent mainly menMarried NA women and even some black women
- Enslavement of NAs and Africans to find Gold and Silver
- Sent Priests for missionary work
*Spain will become the world’s wealthiest nation
Spain will set the model for other countries getting involved in colonization
1598: Spain celebrated crossing the Rio Grande into Texas and had 1st Thanksgiving
France: Set up small trading outposts along the St. Lawrence River
Wanted to control the fur trade (Especially the Beaver Pelt trade)
- Send mostly men, Jesuits Copied the Spanish with this
- Set up temporary settlementsMake money and go (built up the interior)
Dutch: Trading posts- New Amsterdam (Manhattan)Make it very financial and business
oriented
Portugal: South America & Especially Brazil
Great Britain:
Motivations:
1. Religion: English Reformation & Henry VIII
Puritans: Want to change the church and leave for America for religious freedom
2. Economy: In England, there are too many people, and not enough land
In Colonies: Too much land, not enough people
- 1530-1680: Population of England doublesNot enough land to go around
- People move to London: Job shortages and overcrowding
- Colonies become a “Safety Valve”- send the excess population elsewhere
- Source of Gold, Silver, trade, manufactured goodsMercantilism
British Realize that they need to stake their place
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1580s: Lost Colony of Roanoke (Sir Walter Raleigh)- 1st Colony
1606: Virginia Company Established (joint-stock company)
1607: Jamestown, Virginia established (*First Permanent English Settlement*)
- Ships from GB: Discovery, Susan Constant, GodSpeed
- 144 people originally cameVery proper and aristocratic (not well suited for this life)
- *Not really permanent: Didn’t send whole families and such
- Think that they will just enslave NAs to work for them (*Because the Spanish did*)
- Set up on a swamp; Much disease
- Name the colony Virginia (for Elizabeth- “the virgin queen”)
Powhatan Confederacy: Trade with each other
1609-1610: “The Starving Time”- can’t grow food, some resort to cannibalism
John Smith: Kept the military order in Jamestown
*1611: Tobacco cultivation saves Virginia (John Rolfe)
Becomes a major cash crop- something they can sell guaranteed
- Daniel Boorstin: Plymouth is “A Colony founded upon smoke”
- Tobacco needs land and labor (needs more land to grow)
- “Head-Rights System”: 50 acres of land for every person you bring over
Indentured servants worked for 7 years then got “Freedom Dues” (land and
necessary goods to live on your own)
- 1620: 40k pounds of tobacco cultivated; 1630: 1.5 million pounds cultivated
Politics:
1619: House of BurgessesFirst representative assembly in America
- Only male landowners could vote
- Abolished temporarily; then brought back in 1629
* Colonists were very interested in Self-Government
Native Americans:
- Powhatan Confederacy: Most dominant Indian tribeTrade guns and knives for corn
They will be peaceful for some time, but will come to fight
- Colonists thought the NA men were lazy; NA men thought colonists were lazy
- Different Beliefs: NA- Land is communal ; British- Land is personally owned
Social: 1624- 1,300 settlers in Jamestown (very small)
- Women: 1-3 children (less than in GB), few women
Military: John Smith & military command in the colony
Religion: Colonists are Anglican (more economically motivated than religiously)
- Care more about making money
- Chesapeake: Virginia & Maryland (Calvert Family- Roman Catholic [from Charles V])
- 1640: Maryland Toleration Act- Religious freedom for all Christians
Puritans:
Separatist Puritans: (Plymouth Colonies)Want a complete break from Church of England
- Came from Holland (EngHollandPlymouth)Holland was too liberal
Mayflower: 102 people, only 1/3 were Separatists
- Came for religious freedom & Because Holland was too liberal
- Mayflower Compact: (*Democracy)- Established political and legal stability
- Encountered the PokanoketsAllied with them GunsFood
Made the NAs stronger than their enemies
- Celebrated Thanksgiving to commemorate the cooperation
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Non-Separatist Puritans: (Calvinists, Mass Bay Colony)Want to purify and reform the
Church of England
Religion: John Winthrop- Governor 15-16x, sailed on the Arbella
- “City Upon a Hill” (sermon)Stresses community is more important than the individual
1. Compares the Puritans to the Jews (Moses)Says they are the new Jews
2. Covenant: Puritans will accept God and his laws, God will protect them
3. Want to set up a religious commonwealthLive the perfect Christian life, and make
God appealing to everyone else (Says they are watched [metaphoric hill])
If they fail, god will look bad, and people will mock God and his power
America as a CUAHAmerica was the example for the world (unique, exceptionalism)
Native Americans: Pequots- Connecticut based; Controlled the lucrative fur trade
Puritans started moving into CT; Will go to war in 1637- almost exterminate them
Land Distribution: General Court- Mass Bay Colony (decision making)Apply for land and
set up towns (*Makes NE known for cities and towns)
Politics: Theocracy- church leaders and political leaders are the same
- Male, landowning, church members could be involved
- System with a governor, & 2 House legislature
Dissenters:
1. Anne Hutchinson: Challenges wisdom of Puritan leaders and says that anyone can
get salvation (“covenant of grace”)
2. Roger Williams: Wants separation of church and state; more religious tolerance
Moral Code: Strict CodeNo children out of wedlock, homosexuality, adultery
Nathaniel Hawthorne: Scarlet Letter (adultery)
*Freedom: The ability to practice their religion and the submission to god
John Demos: “Life in Plymouth Colony”:
17th Century Family: Religious, strict, patriarchal, close knit, nuclear families
Women & Men: “He for god only, she for got in him.”
- Men: Heads of the family, religious guardians
- Women: Seen as evil due to Eve’s actionsLess trustworthy, “tainted”
Adultery: Tried to keep all stabilityAdultery hurt this
Courts became involved if the solution couldn’t be found at home
- Double Standard: Women more severely punished than men (they were violating their
husbands and the community)
- Married men got off very well compared to women
Some situations were ridiculous, but not every family was really messed up
Filial piety was expected
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