EQ: What factors influenced the start and
development of the early colonies?
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There were over 30 different tribes in North
Carolina at the time Europeans came
They varied in size from tribes of only a few
villages to tribes of thousands
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Lived along coastal North Carolina
Tribes were held together by a common
language
Largest tribes = Pasquotank and Waccamaw
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Location allowed for
abundant fishing
Ate fruits, melons,
walnuts, cucumbers,
peas, and roots
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Dominated the coastal plain region
The group had about 15 villages with 300 to
500 people in each village
Related to the Iroquois Nation of New York
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Lived along the Catawba river in a
group of towns
They were distinguished by their
burnt black pottery
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The Cherokee controlled 40,000 sq. mi. of
territory – including parts of Tennessee, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and
Alabama
One of the largest tribes in the US (approx.
30,000 members)
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Communities were led by Chiefs
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Chiefs controlled several towns (chiefdom)
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Tribal Councils – advised the chief
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Chiefs served as political, spiritual and military
leaders, also distributed food
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No one unified Native American spiritual
belief system
Great respect for nature
Common legends and folklore to explain
natural events
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English aristocrat and explorer
 Funded his own voyages
 Supported by Queen Elizabeth
I
1584 - Landed at Roanoke Island
 Made connections with local
Native Americans
 Decided to bring settlers back
1585 – 108 soldiers come to
Roanoke to establish first
colony
 1586 – Colonists and Native
Americans at “war,” and
colony is abandoned
 1587 – Second settlement
attempted
117 colonists come to
Roanoke
Governor John White
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• 1587 – John White returns to
England to get supplies
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1590 – White
returns to
Roanoke, but
finds the
colony has
disappeared
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After the Roanoke Colony failure, the English
established their permanent colony at
Jamestown in VA
Colony became wealthy due to the sale of
tobacco
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The “Jamestown”
Colony
1606
Virginia
House of Burgesses
– 1st Representative
Democracy in New
World
1st Permanent
English Colony
1. 1606
2. 1607
King James I
issues a
charter to the
Virginia
Company for
land on the
mid-Atlantic
Coast
• May 13: 104 male settlers arrive at
Jamestown, the first permanent
England settlement in the New
World
• May 26: Indian attacks
• December 10: Capt. John Smith is
captured
• December 29: John Smith is saved by
Pocahontas before Powhatan
3.1608
Settlers at
Jamestown
die in great
numbers
(38 of 104
remain)
4. 1609
• 500 more
settlers come
to Virginia
• Relations with
Native
Americans
grow tense
5. 1610
SeptemberMay: The
“Starving Time”
reduces
population to
60 (from 500600)
6.1612
John Rolfe
tries a crop of
tobacco to
help save the
Jamestown
settlement
7. 1614
John Rolfe
marries
Pocahontas
8. 1618-1623
The “Great
Migration”
increases
Jamestown’s
population
from 400 to
4,500
9. 1619
VA House of
Burgesses
meets for the
first time
• A new colony to the
north will start as well…
Plymouth! But why?
 What
is religion?
 Why does religion exist?
 Where have we seen
religion in the colonies so
far?
“Church of
England”
 Split from
Catholic Church
as part of the
Protestant
Reformation
 Henry VIII Divorce
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Church of
England
Hierarchy
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Desired reforms in
the Church of
England
Settled in
Massachusetts Bay
Pilgrims desired a
split from the
Church of
England
Very devout
Society of Friends
 George Fox – founder

 Established
numerous congregations
1672 – Fox made a pilgrimage to “the
north of Carolina”
 Shocked by violence of Puritans and
Pilgrims

 Salem

Witch Trials
Dominated early Carolina
Originated in Czech Republic
 Started as an objection to the Catholic
Church
 Pacifists – Came to escape war and
religious repression
 Settled in Winston-Salem
 Named the land Wachovia

 Fled
England due to
discrimination of Anglicans
 Settle in Maryland
 Catholics will be the most hated
religious group in the 13 colonies
until well after the American
Revolution. (tell GA story, Mr.
Arzillo)

Roger Williams
 Broke away from Plymouth (for
his “dangerous “ ideas, forms
Rhode Island Colony
 Desired “separation of church
and state”
 May have been 1st abolitionist in
English colonies… forbade any
type of slavery and was friendly
to natives.
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Plymouth Colony
Puritans
1620
Massachusetts
Mayflower
Compact – direct
democracy, social
contract

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the
Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of
God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the
Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to
plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these
presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of
another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body
Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of
the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame,
such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices,
from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the
General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission
and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our
names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our
Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the
eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620
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Land
Usually has a desired resource
Ruled by a country in another location
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System used by nations to ensure wealth
Examples:
Triangle Trade
 Navigation Acts
 Stamp Act
 Townshend Acts (Lead, Glass, Tea, Paint)
 Tea Act
 Molasses Act
 Sugar Act
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Mercantilism is economic nationalism for the purpose of
building a wealthy and powerful state.
Seeks to enrich the country by restraining imports and
encouraging exports.
Dominated Western European economic thought and
policies from the sixteenth to the late eighteenth centuries.
The goal of these policies was, supposedly, to achieve a
“favorable” balance of trade that would bring gold and
silver into the country and also to maintain domestic
employment.
the mercantile system served the interests of merchants and
producers such as the British East India Company, whose
activities were protected or encouraged by the state.
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Mercantilism.html
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1. Joint Stock Company – self governing
colony – operated under shared ownership
(like a company)
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Jamestown (invest capital, enjoy returns)
2. Proprietary Colony – owned by wealthy
landlords (PA, MD, DE) and nobles,
recognized by king
3. Royal Colony – royal governor appointed by
king with elected representative assembly

NY, NC
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Economic Opportunity
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Forced
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Cash Crops (sugar, indigo, tobacco, cotton)
Indentured Servants (poor English peasants)
African Slaves
Plantation System (large farm system)
Middle Passage (slave route to Americas)
Religious Freedom

Document granted from English king, granting
sovereignty
Questions:
 What is sovereignty?
 What powers are gained through a charter?
 Why were charters necessary?
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Colonies of Maryland,
Connecticut, Rhode
Island, and
Massachusetts created
under his rule
1628 -- Granted charters
to colonize lands south
of Virginia, named for
himself – Carolina
The Carolina charter,
known as the “Heath
Patent” granted to Sir
Robert Heath
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Due to lack of
population, Charles
II sold Heath Patent
to the “8 Lord
Proprietors”
Proprietor = owner
Promoted
populating the
colony through
profit incentive

What do they have in
common?
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Self Government
Legislatures
w/elected members
Governor (elected or
appointed by king)
Salutary neglectKing not enforcing
strict laws