AP US History
Topic: Early Colonial History
Essential Question: Why did the colonists come to America?
Review
 Roanoke Island (Virginia) disappeared, founded by Sir
Walter Raleigh (English)
 Why did Europeans desire to colonize and come to
America?
 1) Quest for gold and spices
 2) Desire to spread Christianity
 3) Desire to utilize new technologies
Why America?
 1) Economic reasons (lived in poverty)
 2) Religious freedom
 The big question: Was it more “push” or “pull” factors
that brought the English to America?
 Biggest factors to consider:
 Gold, slavery, adventure, religious freedom,
VA & MD
 In the “Chesapeake” Region
 1st 2 successful colonies
 The London Company (a joint-stock company) built
Jamestown (VA)
 3 Biggest problems:
 A) Hostile environment
 B) Unclear goals
 C) Colonists did not work for common good
Historical Background
 In the late 1580s, Sir Walter Raleigh attempted to plant a colony for
England in present-day North Carolina (Roanoke).
 It was not until 1606 that the Virginia Company of London received
a charter from the newly-crowned King James I.
 The Virginia Company was a joint-stock company, which sold
shares.
 All who purchased shares shared in the success or failure of the
venture.
 The Virginia Company was formed both to bring profit to its
shareholders and to establish an English colony in the New World.
 In December 1606, the Virginia Company's three ships, containing
144 men and boys, set sail. On May 13, 1607, these first settlers
selected the site of Jamestown Island as the place to build their fort.
Computer generated view
Jamestown Disasters
 1606-1607 - 40 people died on the voyage to the New
World.
 1609 - another ship from England lost its leaders and
supplies in a shipwreck off Bermuda.
 Settlers died by the dozens!
 “Gentlemen” colonists would not work themselves.
 Smith nearly killed by Indians & Powhatan
 Settlers wasted time looking for gold instead of hunting
or farming.
Enter John Smith
What did John Smith do?
 Imposed military order to the town
 Had to fight off Indians who were raiding the colonists
 "He who does not work, will not eat."
“The Starving Time”
 1607: 104 colonists
 By spring, 1608: 38 survived
 1609: 300 more immigrants
 By spring, 1610: 60 survived
 1610 – 1624: 10,000
immigrants
 1624 population: 1,200
 Adult life expectancy: 40 years
 Death of children before age 5: 80%
Tobacco as a Cash Crop Saves Virginia
 John Rolfe
 1618 — Virginia produces 20,000 pounds of
tobacco.
 1622 — Despite losing nearly one-third of
its colonists in an Indian attack,
Virginia produces 60,000 pounds of
tobacco.
 1627 — Virginia produces
500,000 pounds
of tobacco.
 1629 — Virginia produces
1,500,000 pounds
of tobacco.
Flooding the Market?
Virginia is “Bought Out”
 It’s a long story but basically the joint-stock company
ended in epic failure. There were no real profits, money
was owed to everyone, so in 1624 King James I declared
Virginia a royal colony
 Govt. was established (House of Burgesses)
 New system put in place called the “Headright System”
where investors and residents were able to acquire land
in paying the passage of new settlers
 Women were also brought over…for the men 
Widowarchy
 High mortality among
husbands and fathers left
many women in the
Chesapeake colonies with
unusual autonomy and
wealth!
For further reading
 http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/the-virginiacompany-of-london.htm
 http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0012122005/student_view0/
Homework for the weekend
 Read & take notes on the first 10 pages of Chapter 2
 Expect a reading quiz on Monday:
 Key Terms:
The end
Reading Quiz
 Directions: From the following 5 topics, pick three (3) and in a
sentence or two, explain why you think they made the textbook.
This requires some evidence from your book (and your reading
notes) plus your own interpretation of why the topic is important:
 A) Jamestown
 B) Bacon’s Rebellion
 C) William Bradford
 D) John Smith
 E) Proprietary Colony
 This is timed! 10 minutes is the limit
Things you need to cover
 Powhatan Confederacy
 Powhatan Uprising of 1622
 First Anglo-Powhatan War
 Second Anglo-Powhatan War
 Peace Treaty of 1646
Bellwork
 What were the 3 types of British colonies?
 Royal, Proprietary, and Self-Governing
 With a neighbor, discuss the difference between a proprietary
colony and a royal colony
 Proprietary Colony = type of settlement where favorites of the
British crown (individuals) were awarded huge tracts of land in the
New World to supervise and develop. (Also a way for monarchs to
repay political and economic debts to key individuals) Examples
 Penn, Maryland, Delaware
 Royal Colony = a colony run by a royal governor (owned by the
king) appointed by the British crown, having a representative
assembly elected by the people
House of Burgesses (1619)
 Unsuccessful venture in government BUT 1st example of
representative self government [met in Jamestown]
 Goal was to make local government in Virginia more responsive
to the colonists
 King James I did not trust members (and favored royal colonies) and
hated tobacco
 High death rate ensured rapid turnover of members
 Controlled finances & militia (similar to House of Commons in
England)
 22 members, including a governor; any laws could be vetoed by
London
Atlantic Slave Trade
17th Century Pop. In Chesapeake
100000
80000
60000
White
40000
Black
20000
0
1607
1630
1650
1670
1690
The Middle Passage
Middle Passage
 So called because it was the middle leg of a three-part
voyage -- a voyage that began and ended in Europe.
 The first leg of the voyage carried a cargo that often
included iron, cloth, brandy, firearms, and gunpowder.
 Upon landing on Africa's "slave coast," the cargo was
exchanged for Africans.
 Fully loaded with its human cargo, the ship set sail for
the Americas, where the slaves were exchanged for sugar,
tobacco, or some other product.
 The final leg brought the ship back to Europe.
Quote from Equiano
 "The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate,
added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded
that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost
suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so
that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a
variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness
among the slaves, of which many died.”
Equiano
Slave Codes
 Made blacks [and their children] property, or chattel for
life of white masters.
 In some colonies, it was a crime to teach a slave to read
or write.
 Conversion to Christianity did not qualify the slave for
freedom.
 **These “black codes” or “Slave codes” would again
appear during and after the Civil War era
Bacon’s Rebellion
Bacon’s Rebellion
 Led 1,000 Virginians in a rebellion against Governor Berkeley
 Rebels resented Berkeley’s close relations with Indians.
Berkeley profited from the Indians but refused to deal with
Indian attacks on frontier settlements.
 Berkeley monopolized the fur trade with the Indians in the
area.
 Bacon threatened Berkeley at gunpoint and burned
Jamestown
 Significance: Civilian challenging royal authority in the name
of liberty. Bacon felt his life was threatened by Indians.
Effects of Bacon’s Rebellion
 Rebels attacked Indians, whether they were friendly or
not to whites.
 Governor Berkeley driven from Jamestown.
 They burned the capital.
 Rebels went on a rampage of plundering.
 Bacon suddenly died of fever.
 Berkeley brutally crushed the rebellion and hanged 20
rebels.
What did it expose?
 Socio-economic class differences/clashes between rural
and urban communities would continue throughout
American history.
 Upper class planters searched for laborers less likely to
rebel  BLACK SLAVES!!
Maryland- 1634
 Refer to text for more thorough overview
 Known as a haven for Catholics
 Known as a proprietary colony (granted to an individual
or group by the British crown and that were granted full
rights of self-government.)
 Best 2 examples of P.C. MD & PA
Maryland Toleration Act 1649
 Maryland Toleration Act of 1649
 Supported by the Catholics in MD.
 Guaranteed toleration to all CHRISTIANS.
 Decreed death to those who denied the divinity of Jesus
[like Jews, atheists, etc.].
Plymouth Colony
 Plymouth Lesson
MA Bay Colony
 MA Bay Colony
Review
 We have now covered:
 Virginia & Jamestown / Royal Colony
 Role of tobacco / John Rolfe
 John Smith & The Starving Time
 Maryland as a Proprietary colony
 Maryland Toleration Act 1649
 Bacon’s Rebellion & Significance
 Slave Codes, Middle Passage, Equiano
 House of Burgesses
Colonies Covered
 Virginia
 Maryland
 Massachusetts Bay
 Plymouth (in MA)
Reading Homework
 Tonight read & take notes on pages 43-52
 Possible reading quiz tomorrow
Quiz on Friday
 A) First 10 Presidents
 B) First 10 Amendments
 C) Historical Eras in order with the saying but no freebies
 Point Value will be 30
Study Guide for Exam 1
 Is posted on the website