THE COLONIAL ERA
Early British Colonies
English Settle at Jamestown
• Led by John Smith, a group of British settlers reached
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America in 1607 to establish an English colony
There had been an earlier attempt by the British to
establish a colony in America but all of the colonists
disappeared (Roanoke)
John Smith and the colonists he led, landed at
Chesapeake Bay in VA and built a settlement called
Jamestown
John Smith and the other colonists were part of the
Virginia Company – a joint stock company
The purpose of their colony was to turn a profit for the
company and its investors
English Settle Jamestown
• As Jamestown was funded by a joint-stock company, the
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original colonists hoped to turn a quick profit
They combed the earth searching for gold and other
precious metals, and failed to establish farms
Soon, the first colonists were on the brink of starvation
and suffering from disease
John Smith led the colonists out of this by forcing them to
farm and securing help from local Indian tribes
Smith’s leadership, along with fresh colonists from Europe
preserved the colony
The discovery of tobacco, shared by the Indians, allowed
the colony to become profitable
Tobacco, Labor and Land
• Tobacco was highly profitable for the colonists, but was
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labor intensive
Because of the new opportunities in America, many
British were looking for a way to reach the New World
Due to both of these issues the use of indentured
servants became popular
Indentured servants had their trip to America paid for
along with their room and board
In return, they would work off their debt (usually 4 - 7
years)
Tobacco, Labor and Land
• As more and more indentured servants paid off their debt and
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earned their freedom, a form of class conflict emerged.
Many former indentured servants and some slaves became
increasingly upset with their lack of political voice and
protection from the colonial governments
In Virginia, Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion of mostly former
indentured servants and slaves against the governor
The rebellion was put down, but contributed to the growth of
slavery
It became clear that indentured servants were much more
difficult to manage after gaining their freedom – a problem that
didn’t exist with African slaves.
Tobacco, Labor and Land
• Due to tobacco’s profitability and the growing number of
colonists, land space soon became an issue
• As colonists began to spread out for more farm land,
Native Americans became increasingly hostile towards
them.
• As the British colonists encountered Native Americans,
they sought to drive them out.
• The British did not cohabitate with the Natives (unlike the
Spanish) – Their goal was to always drive them further
away.
Puritans and “New England”
• The Puritans are a religious group that formed out of the
Protestant Reformation.
• Puritans living in England became frustrated with Catholic
traditions practiced in the Church of England, they also
faced persecution for their beliefs
• In 1620, one group of Puritans (Pilgrims) migrated to
America and founded the Plymouth Colony
• The Plymouth Colony was the second permanent English
colony in North America
Puritans and “New England”
• After the first group of Puritans found success with the
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Plymouth colony, other Puritans looked to come to
America.
In 1630, a group of Puritans established the
Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled in Boston, MA
The colonists of Massachusetts Bay were led by John
Winthrop, a preacher.
They believed they had a covenant (agreement) with God
to create a moral society and that their city should be one
that all other model themselves after.
In a fiery sermon to his followers, John Winthrop said,
“We shall be as a City upon a Hill; the eyes of all people
are on us.”
Dissent among the Puritans
• There were some Puritans who had separate religious
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views from the main group.
One such person was Roger Williams, he believed that
land should be purchased from the Indians and that
people should be allowed to worship freely.
The Puritans tried to deport him back to England, but he
fled.
He moved south and bought some land from an Indian
group, he named this new settlement Providence (RI)
In his colony, Williams guaranteed religious freedom and
separation of church and state
Early Representative Government
• After settling Jamestown, the Virginia colony grew to
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include 11 districts.
The need for some form of government in the Virginia
colony became necessary
In 1619, each of the 11 districts sent two citizens
(burgesses) to Jamestown and formed the House of
Burgesses
The House of Burgesses had the authority to raise taxes
and pass legislation (laws) – the English governor could
veto
The House of Burgesses was the FIRST representative
body in colonial America
Early Representative Government
• In Massachusetts, the Puritans also adopted a form of
democratic government in their colony
• Prior to landing at Plymouth, the colonists about the ship
they were traveling on, the Mayflower, signed a compact
(an agreement).
• This document is known as the Mayflower Compact and it
provided a basis for self government in the new colony.
• As a colony they would create “just and equal laws…for
the general good of the colony.”
House of Burgesses
Signing the Mayflower Compact