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Early Globalization – The Atlantic World (1492–1650)

• European exploration and conquest marked this era
• The Columbian Exchange occurred
• Early colonization efforts took place

European Motivations

• Spain, Portugal, France, and England looked for new trade routes
• These countries looked to gain wealth
• Religious expansion was of interest

Columbian Exchange

• A transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and culture occurred
• This exchange was between the Old and New Worlds

Spanish Colonization

• Conquistadors such as Cortés and Pizarro conquered the Aztec and Inca empires

French & Dutch Colonization

• Focused on trade, especially fur
• Created alliances with Native Americans

The British Colonies (1607–1754)

• English colonization patterns emerged
• Differences arose between New England, Middle, and Southern colonies
• Slavery and labor systems played a key role

Jamestown (1607)

• The first permanent English settlement
• Faced struggles with disease, starvation, and conflict with Native Americans

New England Colonies

• Founded mainly for religious reasons by groups such as Puritans in Massachusetts
• Characterized by a mixed economy

Middle Colonies

• Known for diverse populations
• Economy based on farming and trade as seen in Pennsylvania and New York

Southern Colonies

• Economy based on cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo
• Heavily relied on enslaved labor

Indentured Servitude & Slavery

• Indentured servants were common initially
• Slavery expanded rapidly after Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

Colonial Society (1607–1754)

• Economic growth and trade developed
• Social and cultural developments took place
• Political structures and tensions arose

Mercantilism

• A British economic policy that controlled colonial trade
• Designed to benefit the mother country

Navigation Acts

• Laws restricted colonial trade with nations other than England

Great Awakening

• A religious revival in the 1730s–1740s
• Emphasized personal faith over traditional authority

Enlightenment Ideas

• Philosophical movement emphasizing reason, individual rights, and self-governance
• Thinkers such as Locke and Montesquieu were involved

Colonial Governments

• Local assemblies, such as the Virginia House of Burgesses, gave some self-rule
• These were still under British control

Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests (1754–1774)

• British colonial policies shifted after the French and Indian War
• Colonial resistance and protests increased

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

• Britain defeated France
• Britain gained land but also massive debt

Proclamation of 1763

• Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachians
• Intended to reduce conflict with Native Americans

Taxation and Acts

• Sugar Act (1764): Taxed sugar and molasses, which was disliked by colonists
• Stamp Act (1765): Required tax stamps on printed materials, leading to major protests
• Townshend Acts (1767): Taxed imported goods, sparking boycotts and resistance

Boston Massacre (1770)

• British soldiers killed five colonists, fueling anti-British sentiment

Boston Tea Party (1773)

• Protest against the Tea Act, leading to harsh British responses

Intolerable Acts (1774)

• A British crackdown after the Boston Tea Party
• Further united the colonies against Britain

European Exploration

• Europeans sought new trade routes to Asia for spices, silk, and other valuable goods to gain trade and wealth
• Technology such as the compass, astrolabe, and improved ships (caravels) made long voyages possible
• The Catholic Church encouraged spreading Christianity, especially after the Protestant Reformation for religious expansion
• European nations competed for dominance, land, and resources due to Rivalries and Power
• Inspired by Renaissance ideas, explorers sought knowledge and personal fame due to curiosity and adventure

Portuguese Exploration & Prince Henry the Navigator

• Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) was a Portuguese royal who funded expeditions along Africa's coast
• Portugal led the early exploration efforts, discovering new routes to India and establishing trade posts

Christopher Columbus (1492)

• Funded by King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus aimed to reach Asia by sailing west
• Landed in the Caribbean, mistaking it for the Indies, leading to European colonization

Isabella of Castile

• Supported Columbus' journey in 1492
• Sought to spread Christianity and strengthen Spain's global influence

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

• Agreement between Spain and Portugal
• Newly discovered lands were divided
• Spain got most of the Americas, while Portugal controlled Brazil and African/Asian trade routes

Requerimiento (1513)

• A Spanish document read to Indigenous peoples
• Demanded acceptance of Spanish rule and Christianity
• Provided justification for conquest and forced conversion

Results of Spanish Exploration (Financial)

• Spain became the wealthiest European nation due to gold and silver from the Americas
• The influx of wealth led to inflation and economic shifts in Europe

Results of Spanish Exploration (Biological)

• The Columbian Exchange introduced new plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds
• Smallpox and other European diseases devastated Indigenous populations

Results of Spanish Exploration (Racial)

• Spanish colonization led to the creation of a racial hierarchy
• Spaniards were at the top and Indigenous/African peoples at the bottom
• The Casta system categorized people based on ancestry

Results of Spanish Exploration (Religious)

• Missionaries (Franciscans, Jesuits) spread Christianity, often forcibly
• Indigenous religious practices were suppressed or blended with Catholic traditions

Results of Spanish Exploration (Geo-political)

• Spain became a dominant world power but faced challenges from England and France
• Other European nations followed Spain's model of colonization

English Exploration

• Sir Walter Raleigh: Attempted to establish the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina
• England's first settlement in North America, but the colony mysteriously disappeared
• Theories include starvation, Native American conflict, or assimilation into local tribes

Lessons of Roanoke

• Colonization required better planning, supply lines, and cooperation with Native Americans
• England later focused on joint-stock companies to fund colonization

Jamestown (1607)

• First permanent English settlement in North America, funded by the Virginia Company

Joint Stock Companies

• Businesses where investors pooled money to fund colonies in hopes of profit
• Reduced financial risk compared to individual sponsorship

The Starving Time (1609–1610)

• A period of extreme famine and hardship
• Colonists resorted to eating rats, horses, and even corpses
• Only 60 of the original 500 settlers survived

Jamestown Success Factors

• Powhatan Confederacy: Local Native American alliance that initially helped English settlers survive
• Tobacco: Introduced by John Rolfe, became Virginia's main cash crop, ensuring the colony's economic survival

Pocahontas

• Daughter of Powhatan, played a role in English-Native relations.
• Married John Rolfe, symbolizing a temporary peace between the two groups

Indentured Servitude

• Labor system where poor Europeans worked for a set time (4–7 years) in exchange for passage to America
• Used heavily before African slavery became dominant

Royal Colony (1624)

• Due to financial struggles, the Virginia Company lost control of Jamestown
• King James I made Virginia a royal colony, meaning it was directly ruled by the crown

Consequences of Jamestown (Hostility with Natives)

• Relations with the Powhatan Confederacy deteriorated as English expansion increased
• The Anglo-Powhatan Wars (1610–1646) resulted in the near destruction of the Powhatan people
• Ongoing conflict forced England to take direct control of the colony

Royal Control (1624)

• Jamestown struggled financially and suffered high mortality rates
• King James I revoked the Virginia Company's charter and made Virginia a royal colony under direct English rule

Introduction of African Slavery (1619)

• The first Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619 as indentured servants, but over time, laws established racial slavery
• By the late 1600s, enslaved Africans replaced indentured servants as the primary labor force

Proprietary Colony

• A colony granted to an individual or group by the British monarch, with full governing rights
• Examples: Maryland (Lord Baltimore) and Pennsylvania (William Penn)

House of Burgesses (1619)

• First representative assembly in the American colonies
• Allowed landowning men in Virginia to vote and make local laws

Lord Baltimore – George Calvert

• Founded Maryland as a proprietary colony for English Catholics seeking religious freedom

Toleration Act of 1649

• Passed in Maryland, it granted religious freedom to all Christians, but not to non-Christians

Puritans

• Religious group that wanted to reform the Church of England
• Believed in strict moral codes, hard work, and predestination

Separatists

• More radical Puritans who believed the Church of England was beyond reform
• Some fled to Holland, then to America (Pilgrims)

Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)

• Founded by Puritans led by John Winthrop
• Established a theocratic society with strict religious and social rules

Mayflower - 1620

• Ship that carried Pilgrims (Separatists) from England to the New World
• Landed at Plymouth, outside their original chartered destination

Mayflower Compact

• First governing document in the colonies, establishing self-rule based on majority decision

William Bradford

• Governor of Plymouth Colony, helped Pilgrims survive through Native alliances and economic planning

Squanto

• Native American who helped the Pilgrims grow crops and survive their first harsh winter

Great Migration (1630s-1640s)

• Large-scale movement of English Puritans to Massachusetts and other New England colonies

John Winthrop

• Leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Famous for the “City Upon a Hill” sermon, emphasizing a model Christian society

Restoration Colonies

• Colonies granted by King Charles II after the English monarchy was restored in 1660
• Included the Carolinas, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Navigation Acts (1651–1673)

• British laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England
• Colonies could only trade with Britain, fueling resentment

Puritan Theology

• Belief in predestination (God has already chosen who is saved) as well as focused on hard work, morality, and community discipline

Pennsylvania (1681)

• Founded by William Penn as a haven for Quakers
• Practiced religious tolerance and fair dealings with Native Americans

Quakers

• Religious group that promoted pacifism, equality, and religious freedom

King Philip's War (1675–1676)

• Conflict between Native Americans (led by Metacom, or "King Philip") and New England colonists
• One of the deadliest wars in colonial history, ending with Native resistance crushed

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

• Part of the larger Seven Years' War between Britain and France
• Fought over control of the Ohio River Valley and North American territory
• Britain won, but the war was expensive

Consequences of the French and Indian War

• Britain gained Canada and all land east of the Mississippi
• War debt led to increased colonial taxation
• Proclamation of 1763 restricted westward settlement, angering colonists

George Washington & Ft. Necessity (1754)

• Young officer sent to challenge French forces in the Ohio Valley
• Built Fort Necessity, but was defeated, sparking the French and Indian War

The Complexity of the American Revolution

• A mix of political, economic, and ideological factors caused tensions between Britain and the colonies

Renegotiating the Relationship Between Colonists and Britain

• Britain needed revenue after the war and wanted to tighten control
• New taxes, enforcement of trade laws, and restriction of self-governance angered colonists

Salutary Neglect

• Britain had allowed the colonies to largely govern themselves for years
• After the French and Indian War, Britain ended this policy, enforcing stricter controls

King George III (1760–1820)

• British king during the American Revolution
• Enforced policies that angered colonists, leading to independence movements

Proclamation of 1763

• Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflicts with Native Americans
• Colonists ignored it, increasing tensions with Britain

Taxation & Acts That Led to Colonial Unrest (Stamp Act (1765))

• Tax on all printed materials (newspapers, legal documents, playing cards)
• Met with major protests and the formation of the Sons of Liberty

Sugar Act (1764)

• Taxed sugar and molasses imports to raise revenue
• First direct tax meant to pay for British military presence in the colonies

Quartering Act (1765)

• Required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers
• Seen as an invasion of privacy and control over colonial life

Declaratory Act (1766)

• Repealed the Stamp Act but stated that Britain had full authority to make laws for the colonies
• Set the stage for future conflicts over taxation and representation