Unit One
Colonization to
Revolution
Beginning in the 15th century, (1400s) European
nations began establishing colonies in the
Americas. Spain, France and Great Britain
(England) claimed colonies in North America.
Chesapeake Bay
Jamestown- 1607 the first
permanent English settlement
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Settled by the Virginia Company
For profit
Men and boys at first
Looked for gold
“Starving time” 1609-1610- only 61 0f
the 500 colonists survived
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1. John Smith assumed the
leadership of the settlement
which suffered from disease,
starvation, and conflicts with
the Native Americans
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John Rolfe introduced tobacco
or “brown gold” but needed
more labor to expand growth
and profits.
Pocahontas
- married
John Rolfe
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To encourage people to come to
Jamestown, the British began using
the Headright System ( anyone who
paid for their own and/or another
persons passage received 50 acres of
land)
They also began using Indentured
Servants (work for 4 to 7 years to pay
off debt of passage to the colonies)
 New
England Colonies – formed in
large part by those seeking religious
freedom
 The first was the Plymouth colony in
Mass. -Pilgrims on the ship the
Mayflower-1620
 Education was very important
– economic life based on
shipping, fishing, ship building,
and lumber (small farms)
– government heavily
influenced by religion- the
Puritans
The Puritans
One of the groups that was unhappy with the power
and politics of the Church of England. They came to
America for the complete religious freedom they did
not have in England.
Beliefs: - man is basically evil, church attendance
was mandatory- harsh punishments for those that
strayed from the church

Middle colonies (NY,Penn.,NJ,
Del.)– fertile soil for wheat and
grains
-known for religious tolerance and
trade
- Most diverse in terms of population
and religion
- Growing Urban population
- Trade/Commerce

Southern Colonies – life and the
economy revolved around the
plantation and slavery – large cash
crops
- No education for most
- Anglicans, Methodists and Baptists
later (poorer people)
- class system
Early Government in Colonies
From
the beginning, we see
interest in self-government
based on British law
 Colonists
took concepts from
the Magna Carta (1215):
 -forced King John to sign
 - limits the king’s power by
law
 - no one is above the law
 -part of the historical process
that led to constitutional law
 and
the English Bill of Rights (1688)
(limited government)
 It limits on the powers of sovereign
(king)
 sets out the rights of Parliament and
rules for freedom of speech in Parliament
 requires regular elections to Parliament
 right to petition the monarch without
fear of retribution
Self-government
The Mayflower Compact -It was in
essence a social contract in which the
settlers consented to follow the
compact's rules and regulations for the
sake of survival
 Ex.
 Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut:
– 1st constitution- describe the gov’t
set up by 3 towns in Conn.
 popular sovereignty (people vote to
make their own decisions) & limited
gov’t

House of Burgesses – the
first representative legislative
body in the colonies
(Virginia-1619)
John
Locke’s
(English philosopher)
ideas influenced the colonists
 Locke believed in three Natural Rights –
life, liberty, and property
Locke's political theory was founded on social
contract theory. In a natural state all
people were equal and independent, and
everyone had a natural right to defend his
“Life, health, Liberty, or Possessions", basis
for the phrase in the American Declaration
of Independence; "Life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness".
 Like Hobbes, Locke assumed that people
established a civil society to resolve
conflicts in a civil way with help from
government
Locke also advocated governmental
separation of powers
 -believed that revolution is not only a
right but an obligation in some
circumstances

These ideas would
come to have profound
influence on the
Declaration of
Independence and the
Constitution of the
United States
The Enlightenment & The Great
Awakening- 1740s
 Enlightenment—intellectual
movement that values reason and
science
 Great Awakening—revivals to restore
Puritan dedication and intensity revives religion, leads many to change
congregations-more religious choice
Effects of the Great Awakening
and Enlightenment
• Both movements lead people to
question authority of church and statebelief in a free press- democratic
thought- religious freedom
• Movements create atmosphere that
leads to American Revolution
Tensions
rose between Royal
governors (appointed by the
king) and colonial legislature
who created laws, decided taxes
as well as the governor’s salary
Vocabulary:
New England Colonies
Middle Colonies
Southern Colonies
Jamestown
Headright system
Staple Crops
Plantation System
Indentured Servants
Slavery
Gentry
Puritans
Salem Witch Trials
Public Education
Quakers
Salutary Neglect
Representative Government
Salutary Neglect
Representative Government
African Americans
Colonial Women
Parliament
Magna Carta
Limited Government
English Bill of Rights
Common Law
Natural Rights
Social Contract Theory
House of Burgess
Colonial Governor
Colonial Legislatures
SAMPLE TEST QUESTION
1. How did a region help determine a colonist’s
profession?
A. Colonists were assigned jobs upon
arrival based on past experience.
B. Colonists trained in the same profession tended
to settle in one region.
C. A region’s available trade and agriculture
made certain jobs more profitable.
D. Colonists could only be farmers in New England.

Answer = C
2. John is a Puritan merchant
who can vote. Where does he
MOST likely live?
A. Massachusetts
B. Virginia
C. Pennsylvania
D. Rhode Island
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Answer = A
3. How did John Rolfe’s tobacco and the slaves seized
by the English and Dutch in 1619 transform Virginia’s
economy?
A. Enslaved Africans and the Powhatan created a rival
colony based on Rolfe’s tobacco.
B. The Dutch recovered the slave ship and stole
Rolfe’s tobacco plant in the process.
C. The enslaved Africans improved upon Rolfe’s
tobacco and created the crop that stabilized Virginia’s
economy.
D. Both established the primary crop and workforce
through which Virginia’s agriculture grew.

Answer = D
African Labor
 Many
were captives, debtors, or
criminals who were sold to European
traders for weapons, jewelry, etc.
 They were brought to the colonies by
ship along the Middle Passage – the
trip Africans made from Africa to the
colonies.
(horrible conditions)
Triangular Trade-
betw. Britain and American colonies
Middle Passage
The purpose of colonies: English settlers
export raw materials and then import (and
buy) manufactured goods
 Mercantilism— a favorable balance of trade
means more exports than imports- colonies are to
make money for the mother country thru trade

Salutary neglect – England does not enforce
laws if colonies are economically loyal &
profitable – colonies begin to govern themselves
 (Colonists still consider themselves British but
want greater political & economic freedom)
The French and Indian War 1754- 1763
 In 1750s, Britain & France compete for
land and resources; both want Ohio River
Valley

Results :
1. The colonies gained self-confidence and
valuable military experience (guerrilla
warfare)
 2. The colonists saw the need for colonial
unity in order to meet common problems

 3.
Proclamation of 1763-
“NO settlement in western land until
further notice”
 4.
Place the colonies under strict
political and economic rule EX.
Quartering of British troops
 5. Taxed the colonies to pay for the
war