17th Century
I. The Chesapeake
A. Virginia (Founded in 1607 by The Virginia Company)
1. Jamestown (1607) - First permanent British Colony in the New World.
- Founded by The Virginia Company, received charter from King James I
- Main Goals: Promise of gold, conversion of Indians to Christianity, and new passage to Indies.
- Consisted largely of well-to-do adventurers.
- Virginia Charter - Overseas settlers given same rights as Englishmen in England. This became a foundation for American liberties. These rights extended to other colonies in The New World as well.
2. Tragedy During Early Years
- Famine, disease, and war with Indians were prevalent.
- By 1625, only 1200 of the nearly 8000 colonists survived.
- Only 60 of 400 settlers survived the "starving time" of 1610 - 1611
3. Captain John Smith
- Organized the colony shortly after. He famously stated that "He who will not work shall not eat.
4. Pocahontas
- Became a central figure in preserving peace in early Jamestown.
- Provided foodstuffs for settlers
- Hostage of colonists in 1613 during military conflict.
- Married John Rolfe (Not John Smith. Ignore the movie for a moment.) and taught him the Indian way of curing tobacco.
5. John Rolfe and the tobacco crop economy ("colony built on smoke")
- Tobacco industry became cornerstone of Virginia's economy.
- Plantation system emerged
6. House of Burgesses - An assembly authorized by The London Company in 1619
- 1st miniature Parliament in the British-American colonies
- Representative self-government. Most representatives were substantial property owners. This was created as an incentive to attract settlers to the Virginia "death trap."
7. Virginia Charter revoked by King James I in 1624
- King believed assembly to be seditious but also hated tobacco.
B. Maryland
1. Charles I gave Sir George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, a portion of Virginia for Catholic Haven and profit.
2. Eventually, growth of Protestants meant Catholics rapidly becoming a minority; Catholics feared loss of religious freedom.
3. Act of Toleration (1649)
- Guaranteed toleration to all Christians but instituted death penalty for anyone denying divinity of Jesus.
- Motive - Catholics sought to protect their faith by granting certain degree of religious freedom.
- Maryland became largest Haven for Catholics in British-American colonies
II. The Carolinas
A. Impact of the British West Indies
- West Indies, especially Barbados, developed sugar plantation economy.
- Slaves in British West Indies outnumbered Whites 4 to 1
- Slave codes adopted in Barbados to control slaves
- West Indies increasingly relied on Mainland British America for foodstuffs.
- As sugar plantations began to crows out small farmers, many come to Carolina with their slaves to farm.
- Carolina adopted slave code in 1696
B. American Colonization during English Civil War (1640s) and Cromwells Protectorate (1650s)
- New colonies not founded until restoration to the throne of Charles II (1660-1685)
- New restoration colonies included Carolinas, New York, Pennsylvania.
C. Caroliona created in 1670 after restoration and named after Charles II
- Goals - Grow foodstuffs for sugar plantations in Barbados and export non-English products like wine, silk, and olive oil.
- Exported Indians as slaves to West Indies and new England colonies
- Rice became main cash crop for export; by 1710, blacks outnumbered Whites.
- Charles Town (Charleston) became most active seaport in the South. Became a center for aristocratic younger brothers of English Aristocrats. Religious toleration existed.
- Indians and Spanish soldiers in Southern California settlements resented British intrusion into the region.
D. North Carolina
- Created officially in 1712 as a refuge for poor whites and religious dissenters from Carolina and Virginia.
- Became most democratic, independent, and least aristocratic of original 13 colonies.
- Yet treated Indians ruthlessly and sold many into slavery.
III. Georgia
- Became last British-American colony. Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe.
