English Exploration & Colonization

• Joint-stock companies and laws of primogeniture encouraged English exploration and colonization due to international and domestic factors.
• Laws of primogeniture dictated that only eldest sons could inherit landed estates, leading younger sons to seek fortune elsewhere, including the New World.
• Joint-stock companies, like the Virginia Company, provided financial means for colonization with investors pooling capital for voyages.

Charter of the Virginia Company

• Guaranteed settlers the same rights as Englishmen, which helped attract colonists.

Settlement of Jamestown

• Settled in 1607, it was the first permanent English settlement in North America.
• Early settlers faced disease, starvation, and frequent conflicts with Native Americans.

Struggles Faced by Settlers

• "Starving Time" exemplified early struggles, with settlers resorting to desperate measures for survival.
• Disease, lack of farming knowledge, and focus on finding gold instead of growing food led to high mortality rates.

Relations with Native Americans

• Initial relations with Powhatan Confederacy were complex, involving trade and uneasy alliances.
• Relations deteriorated due to English land hunger and cultural misunderstandings.

John Smith

• Played a crucial role in Jamestown's survival by imposing discipline and improving relations with Powhatan.
• His leadership and resourcefulness were essential in the colony's early years.

Anglo-Powhatan Wars

• Series of conflicts resulted from escalating tensions between English settlers and Powhatan Confederacy.
• The First Anglo-Powhatan War ended with the marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe.
• The Second Anglo-Powhatan War led to further Native American defeat and segregation.

House of Burgesses

• Established in 1619, it was the first representative assembly in colonial America.
• Marked the beginning of self-governance in British North America.

Tobacco in Virginia

• Introduction of tobacco cultivation by John Rolfe saved the Virginia colony economically.
• Became a cash crop, leading to economic prosperity but also increased demand for land and labor.
• Negative effects of tobacco included soil depletion and increased conflict with Native Americans.

Introduction of African Slaves

• First Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619, initially as indentured servants.
• Gradual shift to slave labor due to the declining availability of indentured servants and the increasing demand for labor.
• Slave labor slowly took hold because of its initial expense and availability.

Founding of Maryland Colony

• Founded in 1634 by Lord Baltimore as a haven for Catholics.
• Aimed to provide religious freedom and create a feudal-like society.

Religious Tension

• Tensions developed between Catholics and Protestants in Maryland.

Act of Toleration of 1649

• Granted religious toleration to all Christians in Maryland, but decreed death penalty for those denying the divinity of Jesus.
• Ensured a degree of religious freedom but was not fully inclusive.

Founding of the Carolinas

• Founded in 1670, named after King Charles II.
• Primary crop was rice.

Original Settlers

• Settlers came from England and Barbados.

Barbados Slave Codes of 1661

• Served as a model for other colonies, including the Carolinas.
• Instituted harsh restrictions on slaves to control their population.

Division of the Carolinas

• North Carolina split from South Carolina in 1712 due to differences in economy and social structure.
• North Carolina had small tobacco farms and was less reliant on slavery.
• South Carolina had large rice plantations and a wealthy, aristocratic planter class.

Founding of Georgia

• Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe as a buffer colony against Spanish Florida and a haven for debtors.
• Served military and philanthropic purposes.

Settlement of New England

• Motivated by religious ideals, particularly Puritanism.

Puritans

• Believed in purifying the Church of England of Catholic rituals and doctrines.
• Sought religious freedom and the opportunity to create a model religious society in the New World.
• Emphasized education, moral discipline, and communal living.

Mayflower Compact of 1620

• Signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, it was an agreement to form a government based on majority rule.
• Set the precedent for self-government in the colonies.

John Winthrop

• Led the Puritan migration to Massachusetts Bay in 1630.
• Served as governor and articulated the vision of a "City Upon a Hill."

City Upon a Hill

• Winthrop envisioned Massachusetts Bay as a model religious community that would inspire the world.
• Reflected the Puritan desire to create a godly society based on biblical principles.

The Great Migration

• During the 1630s, approximately 70,000 refugees left England.
• Not all were Puritans.

Characteristics of New England Towns

• Centered around the church and town hall.
• Emphasized community involvement and self-government through town meetings.
• Required mandatory education.

Purpose of Government According to Puritans

• To enforce God's laws and maintain social order.
• Believed that government should be based on the consent of the governed but should also uphold religious principles.

Importance of Education

• Education was essential for reading the Bible and understanding religious doctrine.
• Harvard College was founded in 1636 to train ministers.

Puritan Dissenters

• Those who challenged Puritan orthodoxy faced persecution and banishment.

Roger Williams

• Advocated for separation of church and state and religious toleration.
• Banished from Massachusetts Bay and founded Rhode Island.

Rhode Island

• Rhode Island was deemed "the sewer" by Puritan clergy because of its acceptance of religious toleration and diverse views.
• Attracted individuals seeking religious freedom and became known for its liberal policies.

Anne Hutchinson

• Challenged Puritan religious authority and preached antinomianism (belief that faith alone, not deeds, is necessary for salvation).
• Banished from Massachusetts Bay for heresy.

Spreading Out of New England

• New England colonies included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.
• Rhode Island was known for religious tolerance, Connecticut for its Fundamental Orders, and New Hampshire for its economic activities.

Conflicts with Native Americans

• English expansion led to conflicts with Native American tribes over land and resources.

Pequot War of 1637

• Resulted in the near annihilation of the Pequot tribe.
• Demonstrated the colonists' willingness to use violence to expand their territory.

King Philip's War of 1676

• A significant conflict between colonists and Native Americans led by Metacom (King Philip).
• Resulted in widespread destruction and loss of life on both sides.
• Marked the end of major Native American resistance in New England.

New England Confederation of 1643

• A military alliance formed by the New England colonies for defense against Native Americans, the French, and the Dutch.
• First attempt at colonial unity.

Navigation Laws of 1651

• Series of laws passed by England to regulate colonial trade and ensure that colonies benefited the mother country.
• Required that goods be transported on English ships.

Dominion of New England

• Established by the English crown in 1686 to consolidate control over the New England colonies.
• Led to resentment and resistance among colonists due to the loss of self-government.

Glorious Revolution

• Overthrow of King James II in England in 1688.
• Led to the collapse of the Dominion of New England and the restoration of colonial self-government.

Salutary Neglect

• British policy of relaxed enforcement of trade regulations in the colonies.
• Allowed colonies to develop their own economies and political institutions.

Triangular Trade

• A complex network of trade routes that connected the colonies, Europe, and Africa
• Involved the exchange of goods such as slaves, sugar, rum, and manufactured goods.

Founding of Pennsylvania

• Founded by William Penn in 1681 as a haven for Quakers and a "holy experiment" in religious toleration and peaceful coexistence.

William Penn

• Quaker leader who advocated for religious freedom, pacifism, and fair treatment of Native Americans.

Quakers

• Religious group that rejected religious hierarchy, practiced pacifism, and believed in equality of all individuals.

Relations with Natives

• Penn established peaceful relations with Native Americans based on fair treatment and negotiation.

Other Characteristics of Pennsylvania

• Known for its diverse population, religious toleration, and prosperous economy based on agriculture and trade.

Founding of New York

• Originally settled by the Dutch as New Netherland.
• Taken over by the English in 1664.

Patroonships

• Large estates granted to wealthy individuals by the Dutch West India Company to encourage settlement.

Ethnic Diversity

• New York was characterized by its diverse population of Dutch, English, and other European settlers.

Aristocratic

• New York had a more aristocratic social structure compared to other colonies, with wealth and land concentrated in the hands of a few families.

Headright System

• Granted land to settlers who paid their own passage or the passage of others to the colonies.
• Encouraged immigration and the growth of plantations.

Indentured Servants

• Individuals who agreed to work for a set period of time in exchange for passage to the colonies and eventual freedom.

Bacon's Rebellion

• An armed rebellion in 1676 led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley of Virginia.

Governor Berkeley

• Berkeley was criticized for his lenient policies towards Native Americans and his failure to protect settlers from Indian attacks.

Nathaniel Bacon

• Bacon led a rebellion of landless frontiersmen against Berkeley's government.

Why Colonists Rebelled

• Colonists rebelled against Berkeley's government due to grievances over land, Indian policy, and political corruption.

Result of Bacon's Rebellion

• Bacon's Rebellion was suppressed, but it revealed tensions between the elite planters and the poor frontiersmen.

Issues Revealed by Bacon's Rebellion

• Revealed class tensions, regional divisions, and the struggle for power in colonial society.

Change in Labor

• Led to a shift from indentured servitude to slave labor.
• Planters sought a more reliable and controllable labor force.

Growth of African Slave System

• Increased demand for labor in the colonies due to the expansion of plantation agriculture.
• Growing need for cheap labor led to the increased importation of African slaves.

Factors Increasing Need for Slaves

• Declining availability of indentured servants, rising wages in England, and the profitability of cash crops.

Conditions of Enslaved African Americans

• Subjected to brutal treatment, forced labor, and denied basic human rights.

Middle Passage

• The journey across the Atlantic Ocean endured by slaves was dangerous, and often deadly.

New England Way of Life

• Characterized by close-knit communities, emphasis on education, and religious piety.

Half-Way Covenant

• Allowed partial membership in the Puritan church for individuals who had not experienced conversion.
• Designed to address declining church membership.

Salem Witch Trials

• A series of trials and executions in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, fueled by religious extremism, social tensions, and fear.

Common Features of New England Towns

• Centered around the church and town hall.
• Emphasized community involvement and self-government through town meetings.

Population Changes

• Rapid population growth due to natural increase and immigration.
• Increased ethnic diversity due to immigration from various European countries.

Challenges of Ethnic Diversity

• Created conflicts and tensions between different ethnic groups over land, resources, and cultural differences.

Resistance by Enslaved African Americans

• Forms of resistance included work slowdowns, sabotage, running away, and armed rebellions.

Stono Rebellion

• A slave rebellion in South Carolina in 1739.
• Demonstrated the slaves' desire for freedom and resistance to their bondage.

Distinctive Slave Culture

• Developed a unique culture that blended African traditions with elements of European culture.
• Included music, dance, storytelling, and religious practices.

Unique Slave System

• The slave system in the British colonies was unique due to its racial basis, its reliance on chattel slavery, and its legal codification.

Class Structure

• Colonial society had a hierarchical class structure with wealthy planters and merchants at the top, followed by small farmers, artisans, and laborers.
• Enslaved Africans were at the bottom.

Leading Industry

• Agriculture was the leading industry in colonial America.
• Tobacco, wheat, and rise were common crops.

Causes and Effects of Triangular Trade

• Trade had profound economic and social consequences for all involved.

Molasses Act of 1733

• Imposed duties on molasses, sugar, and rum imported from non-British colonies.
• Designed to protect British sugar producers but was widely evaded by colonists.

Established Church

• A church officially recognized and supported by the government.
• The Church of England and the Congregational Church were established churches in some colonies.

Impact of the Enlightenment

• Promoted reason, individualism, and skepticism towards traditional authority.
• Influenced colonial leaders and contributed to the growth of revolutionary ideas.

The Great Awakening

• A series of religious revivals that swept through the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.
• Emphasized emotional preaching, personal conversion, and a direct relationship with God.

Jonathan Edwards

• A prominent preacher during the Great Awakening.
• Used emotional sermons to awaken religious fervor among colonists.

George Whitefield

• An English preacher who traveled through the colonies during the Great Awakening.
• Drew large crowds with his dramatic preaching style.

Results of Great Awakening

• Increased religious diversity, challenged established religious authority, and promoted a sense of American identity.

Purpose of Education in 1600s

• To train ministers and promote religious knowledge.

Zenger Trial

• Involved John Peter Zenger, a newspaper publisher who was charged with seditious libel for criticizing the governor of New York.
• Established the principle of freedom of the press in colonial America.

Benefits of Mercantilism

• Provided colonies with a guaranteed market for their goods and protection from foreign competition.
• Provided the mother country with raw materials and a market for manufactured goods.

Grievances of the Colonists

• Restrictions on trade, lack of economic autonomy, and perceived exploitation by the British government.

Power Structure

• Royal colonies had a governor appointed by the crown, but colonial assemblies often asserted their authority over the governor through their control of finances.

Political Principle Cherished

• Liberty was most important to the colonists.

Common Characteristics

• Shared a commitment to self-government, individual liberty, and economic opportunity.

Northern/New England Colonies:

• Economy based on trade, fishing, and small-scale agriculture.
• Society characterized by close-knit communities, emphasis on education, and religious piety.

Middle Colonies:

• Economy based on agriculture, trade, and manufacturing.
• Society characterized by ethnic and religious diversity, tolerance.

Southern/Plantation Colonies:

• Economy based on plantation agriculture.
• Dependent on slave labor for growing cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo.
• Society characterized by a hierarchical class structure and a dominant planter class.