Notes

Historians divide the colonies into 3 regions:
- The New England, The Middle Colonies and the Southern Colonies
- Each region has distinct characteristics

## England enters the Exploration and Colonizing Game

- Henry VII breaks away from the Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation begins in England
- Elizabeth I takes over the crown and Protestantism reigns supreme in England
- She institutes Protestantism in Ireland and the Irish took the Spain for aid.
- Spanish aid doesn't amount to much but it does create conflict
- Elizabeth's desire to increase the wealth of England and spread Protestantism leads to the plundering of Spanish ships in the Atlantic
- In 1577 English semi-piratical "sea dogs" under Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe
- Drake plundered ships far and wide and his actions outraged Spain
- Tensions are extremely high between England and Spain

## England's First Attempts at Colonization

- England tries to colonize off the coast of Newfoundland but the attempt is abandoned when the leader, Sir Humphrey Gilbert dies at sea in 1583
- Most people are unaware of this attemptl
- In 1585 another attempt is made by Sir Walter Raleigh at Roanake.

## The Mystery of Roanoke

- Settled off the Cost of present day North Carolina
- They did call the larger region Virginia at the time after Elizabeth I , ("The Virgin Queen")
- Several false attempts were made sarting in 1585
- A settlement was establish in 1587 by John White
- Tensions grew between the native Croatoan tribe and the settlers.
- White returned to England to get aid
- A return to Roanoke was delayed because of fighting between England and Spain
- After 3 years, White returned to Roanoke with Sir Walter Raleigh and John Watts
- All signs of the colony were gone... the colony had mysteriously vanished

## England Emerges as the World's Dominant Sea Power

- As England's first colonization attempt failed, Spain was flourishing
- Phillip II, King of Spain, decided to use his riches from the New World to attack England in the name of Catholicism
- Phillip II amased an "Invincible Armada" of ships to attack and invade England.
- We know this group of ships as the "Spanish Armada"
- The invasion was set to take place in 1588
- As the Spanish entered the English Channel, the English used faster ships and out maneuvered the larger fleet
- A grew wind around and helped out the English as well... We know this as the "Protestant Wind"
- England is victorious, they sign peace treaty with Spain and becomes dominant world colonizer
- Spain begins to decline as world power

## Joint Stock Companies and their Importance

- England was relatively poor in relation to other countries who had been in the exploration and colonization game
- Elizabeth I wanted to explore America's but was scared to invest national capital because of such large risks
- In place of government support, Joint Stock Companies arose
- Precursor to a modern coporation
- People could invest in a colony just like buying a stock today
- If the colony was successful, the people who invested made profit
- IF the colony failed, you would lose your investment but only what you had invested
- The more you invested the more profit you made
- The country made money by issuing the charters (agreement to form a colony) and by collecting taxes from the colony

## Jamestown Begins

- London Company given a charter from King James to start a colony in Virgina
- Settlers offered food, travel, & land ownership in exchange for seven years of labor for the colony
- 144 men set out for Virginia in December of 1606
- On April 26th, 1607 104 Englishmen landed in Virginia
- Chose Jamestownn as a settlement location
- Easily defendable
- Swampy
- Mosquitoes
- Lack of large game
- Surrounded by salt water. They thought the James River would provide lots of fresh water but that was a mistake
- 19 days later, they were attacked by local Indians
- Repelled attack, but slowed need for protection
- Constructed large triangular fort

## Coastal Settlements of Virginia and Maryland

- Jamestown: Established in 1607
- First true permanent English settlements in the New World

## Earlies Days of Jamestown

- John Smith, the founder of Jamestown, went to negotiate/trade with Natives and was captured in Dec. 1607 by Powhatan Indians
- According to Smith, his life was spared by Pocahontas, the chief's daughter (11 years old)
- Stayed with Powhatans, learned to communicate
- This stimulated productive trade b/w settlers and natives
- Crucial to Jamestown's winter survival
- Despite improved relations with Indians, only 38 original colonists had survived by 1608
- Many were determined to search for gold instead of planting crops
- Were not hard workers, many settlers were spoiled rotten young rich men
- 70 more arrive in January
- Pocahontas visited Jamestown several time during this time
- Brought food
- September, 1608 - John Smith elected President of Colony
- Initiated military discipline
- "He that will not work will not eat"
- Kept working relationship with natives
- Some skirmishes with smaller tribes, but avoided all-out war with Chief Powhatan

## The Starving Time

- Smith is wounded in freak accident when his gun powder exploded on his belt while exploring so he departs for London in October of 1609
- Colony is left in disarray without strong leadership
- New President John Ratcliff is captured while trying to trade
- Tortured to death by Powhatan wome
- With Smith gone, Jamestown enters into "The Starving Time"
- Out of 500 colonists only 60 alive by spring of 1610
- Starvation occurs
- Ate rats, cats horses, Cannibalism?
- Powhatan refuses to trade with settlers in hopes of forcing their departure
- Disease
- Drought
- Political unrest

## Peace of Pocahontas

- English colonists trick Pocahontas into captivity in 1611
- Holds her ransom for food, supplies
- Finally let her go when Chief doesn't pay up
- Converts to Christianity and takes the Christian name of "Rebecca"
- Learns to read, and write
- Marries John Rolfe in 1614
- Given large parcel of land by Powhatan
- Have son, Thomas, in 1615
- "Peace of Pocahontas" which ends 1st Anglo Powhatan War, lasts until 1617
- Rolfe and Pocahontas travel to England
- Pocahontas becomes a celebrity, meets Queen Anne Reunited with John Smith, whom she thought was dead. Becomes ill shortly after her ship leaves back for America Returns to England and dies in 1617

## The Tides Turns in Jamestown

- By 1610, Jamestown is in need of a miracle and it is answered in multiple ways
- A new leader, Lord De la Warr offers strong, militaristic leadership and keeps the Powhatan natives at bay
- The "Peace of Pocahontas" ends the first Anglo-Powhatan War and helps to keep peace between the Powhatan's and the colonists
- John Rolfe arrives with new batch of settlers in 1610
- Rolfe introduces a new strain of tobacco which is suited to European taste
- Begins very successful export business by 1612
- With the success of tobacco in Virginia and the popularity of Pocahontas in England, came a renewed interest in Jamestown
- "Exporting 50,000 pounds of tobacco per year to England"
- Begins very successful export business by 1612

## Easting Impacts of Jamestown

- England has a foothold in the New World
- First single women in the New World
- First slaves brought to New World
- Relationship with natives would be similar in other colonies
- First representation government: Virginia House of Burgess-es
- 22 Burgess-es from 11 plantations
- Only white, land-owning male could vote for burgesses
- Tobacco is introduced
- Plans were discussed for first ironworks in colony

## Maryland: A Catholic Haven

- Founded by Lord Baltimore (who stayed in England and never lived in Maryland)
- Plantation style colony (slavery and indentured servants were used as a labor supply)
- Founded to give safe haven to Catholics
- As more and more protestants entered the New World, Maryland realized that they needed to allow other forms of Christianity in their colony
- Maryland Act of Toleration of 1649
- Guaranteed religious freedom for all Christians
- However, gave death penalty for Jews and atheists
- Established to make profit from tobacco and it flourished economically.

## Influence of the West Indies on Colonical America

- England dips its toe in the Caribbean colonial game as well
- The West Indies colonies were used for sugarcane
- Barbados Slave Code
- The West Indies does not become part of you nation... obviously
- But it is slavery hotbed
- The treatment of the slaves in the West Indies set the stage for how slaves will be treated in America
- Allowed the physical and mental abuse of slaves
- Also influence how plantations were ran in America

## Colonizing the Carolinas

- English colonization was put on hold during the English Civil War
- After the Civil War was over, Charles II emerged as King
- For helping him gain the throne, he granted a charter for the colonization of the Carolina's to a group of 8 nobles
- Carolina had close ties to the English West Indies
- They grew food for those colonies and participated in trade with one another
- After much experimentation, rice became the main export
- The slave trade flourished in the Carolinas because of the close ties with the English West Indies
- By 1607, Charleston had become one of the busiest seaports in the New World
- Even today, Charleston has a Caribbean "feel" to it due to the ties to the English West Indies
- The Savannah Indians were basically eradicated by the Carolinians
- Carolina would eventually became South Carolina
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