History and Events of Colonial America

Unit 1: Looking at History

• Teleology: Interpreting history as moving toward a predetermined goal, with an ultimate purpose. This approach can oversimplify history by ignoring alternate possibilities and individual agency.

• Contingency: Historical events shaped by multiple, potentially contested possibilities, dependent on specific actions, decisions, and unforeseen occurrences. This approach acknowledges the complexity of the past and the role of chance.

• Teleology vs Contingency in History: A balanced approach in studying history requires considering both teleological and contingent factors to avoid oversimplifying the past and appreciating both the planned outcomes and the diverse possibilities that shaped historical events.

Alan's Approach/Rationale

• Alan Taylor aims for a balanced perspective, recognizing the eventual development of the United States while acknowledging the diverse colonial experiences and potential outcomes.

• He advocates for contextualizing historical actions by understanding the norms and values of the time period, rather than judging them through a contemporary perspective.

Four Themes (Religion, Commerce, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution)

• Religion: Christianity was the dominant religion in Europe until 1453. Its spread was facilitated by flat land and rivers. Religion profoundly influenced belief systems, social structures, and decision-making.

• Commerce: Trade was vital, primarily conducted via rivers. Economic motivations strongly influenced interactions with other nations. Northern Europe's mountainous terrain hindered trade.

• Renaissance: A period of European cultural revival following the Black Death, marked by a rediscovery of classical learning and wisdom. Characterized by a "YOLO" mentality, leading to innovation, new ideas, and questions.

• Scientific Revolution: Overlapping with the Renaissance, this era saw advancements in scientific understanding and new discoveries.

Telephoto vs. Wide Lens in History

• Telephoto Lens: Focusing on a specific moment in history, without considering broader context or alternative perspectives.

• Wide Lens: Examining the broader historical context, evaluating impacts of past actions on future events and multiple perspectives.

• Application to History: Historians must be able to zoom in on details, but also zoom out to situate the event within a larger context.

Religion

• Christianity: Use of BC/AD, BCE/CE dating systems. Key figures like Constantine. Cultural differences among Christians emerged within Europe and the Mediterranean.

• Islam: Spread through parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East. Key figures and events in Islamic history.

• Great Schism (1054): Split within Christianity between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, influenced by geographical factors. Differing beliefs, practices, and leadership structures developed.

• Crusades: Military campaigns by Christians to regain the Holy Land from Muslim control. Led to exposure to new cultures, goods, and ideas, sparking desire for trade and travel. The Pope's influence expanded throughout the campaign.

Trade/Markets

• Trade Routes: New trade routes within Europe, Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean arose. The Silk Road connected the Western world to the Far East, and the Indian Ocean trade network linked Asia and Africa. The Middle East was a major hub for these trading routes.

• Products: Specific goods traded across routes like coffee, gold, salt, slaves, beads, cloth, pepper, silk, rugs, sugar, spices, and diamonds. Increased trade routes, and wealth for participants.

• Commercial Revolution and the Mediterranean: The Mediterranean was a crucial trade zone due to its geographic location. Crucially, it linked trade networks from Asia and Africa. The Crusades expanded trade in the Eastern Mediterranean, boosting demand for Eastern goods in Europe.

• Black Death: Spread along trade routes and decimated the European population, leading to major social and economic changes and a "YOLO" mentality.

Renaissance

• Causes: Survival of the Black Death fostered a sense of living life to the fullest, alongside exposure to new ideas.

• Location: Italy was the epicenter due to the heavy impact of the Black Death on its population.

• Medici Family: Wealthy family that supported the arts, enhancing Florence's cultural importance.

• Individualism: Increased emphasis on personal achievements.

• Humanism: Shift in focus from God to humans as the center of attention, emphasizing human knowledge and individual success.

• Secularism: Less emphasis on religious values.

• Creativity: Increased complexity and detail in art. Artists began signing artwork.

• Questioning Spirit: A renewed spirit of questioning traditional religious teachings.

• Protestant Reformation: A movement challenging the Catholic Church, leading to the creation of Protestantism.

• Classicism: Rediscovery of and influence of Greco-Roman culture.

Scientific Revolution

• Causes: The Renaissance fostered a new way of looking at the world through reason, discarding supernatural explanations and fears.

• Geocentric vs. Heliocentric: Conflict between the religious belief of Earth as the center of the universe with the scientific theory of the sun as the center.

Technological Advances

• Printing Press/Moveable Type: Allowed for faster and wider dissemination of ideas.

• Caravel/Lateen Sails: Improved ships for exploration.

• Astrolabe/Compass: Essential tools for accurate navigation.

Commercial Revolution

• Expanding Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire's expansion disrupted land routes, creating a need for Europeans to find alternative routes to the east and leading to increased trade across the Atlantic.

Iberian Peninsula

• Portugal/Spain: Catholic nations seeking to acquire wealth and spread Christianity in the New World.

Unit 2: The Contest for Empire – Catholic Church

• Papal Bulls: Series of documents from the Pope that asserted European Christian superiority, granted permission for conquest, and regulated interactions in the new world.

• Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Agreement dividing the New World into Spanish and Portuguese spheres of influence. Ignored the existing indigenous populations.

• Doctrine of Discovery: Set of Papal Bulls justifying European/Christian expansion on the basis of superiority and religious mission. This process included requiring natives to listen to the reading of a document justifying the Spanish taking of land.

Spanish Imperialism in the Americas

• Spanish Conquest of the Americas: The Spanish conquest was marked by the subjugation of existing populations (Aztec and Inca) and by the establishment of a colonial administration.

• Encomienda System: System of forced labor and tribute imposed by the Spanish on indigenous populations in the Americas. This system led to abuse, exploitation, and depopulation of native American populations.

Impact of European Interaction

• Spaniards vs. Natives: The Spanish possessed superior technology and organization. Introduced diseases, impacting indigenous communities.

• Disease Impact: Due to lack of immunity against certain diseases, the indigenous communities experienced devastating population loss.

Columbian Exchange

• Exchange of Goods: Trade of various products between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Unit 3: English Colonies

• Thirteen Colonies: Detailed division into New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.

• New England Colonies: characterized by rocky land, colder climate, focus on subsistence farming, fishing, whaling, and ship building, and Puritan governance.

• Middle Colonies: Offered a mixture of farming and trade.

• Southern Colonies: Had an agrarian economy focused on cash crops like tobacco.

• Colonies and Their Societies: Discussion of various social structures within the different regions..

• Religion in the Colonies: Key religious influences and diversity.

• Politics in the Colonies: Mayflower Compact, town meetings, House of Burgesses, and evolving forms of representative government.

Colonial Expeditions

• Reasons for English Colonial Expeditions: Searching for wealth, new opportunities, and acquiring/distributing land.

• Jamestown (1607): First permanent English settlement; difficulties with disease, poor planning, and hostile relations with Native American groups. The "Starving Time" was an example of these difficulties.

• Tobacco: Introduced as a cash crop. Became a significant driver of the Virginia economy, although also environmentally damaging due to land exploitation.

• Headright System: Encouraged settlement by awarding land to those who travelled to Virginia.

• Indentured Servants: Provided labor in exchange for passage to the colonies, but many were mistreated or had difficult times after contracts ended.

• Shift to Slavery: Replaced indentured servitude over time as the primary labor source; the transatlantic slave trade profoundly shaped American society and culture.

• Triangle Trade: European, African, and American trading network.

• Slavery and the Colonies: Detailed impact of slavery on the colonies.