European Colonization of the Atlantic World

**Chapter 2: Early Globalization -- The Atlantic World (1492--1650)** **Key Themes:** - European exploration and conquest - Columbian Exchange - Early colonization efforts **Key Points:** - **European Motivations**: Spain, Portugal, France, and England sought new trade routes, weal...

**Chapter 2: Early Globalization -- The Atlantic World (1492--1650)** **Key Themes:** - European exploration and conquest - Columbian Exchange - Early colonization efforts **Key Points:** - **European Motivations**: Spain, Portugal, France, and England sought new trade routes, wealth, and religious expansion. - **Columbian Exchange**: Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and culture between the Old and New Worlds. - **Spanish Colonization**: Conquistadors like Cortés and Pizarro conquered the Aztec and Inca empires. - **French & Dutch Colonization**: Focused on trade (especially fur) and alliances with Native Americans. **Chapter 3: The British Colonies (1607--1754)** **Key Themes:** - English colonization patterns - Differences between New England, Middle, and Southern colonies - Role of slavery and labor systems **Key Points:** - **Jamestown (1607)**: First permanent English settlement, struggled with disease, starvation, and conflict with Native Americans. - **New England Colonies**: Founded mainly for religious reasons (e.g., Puritans in Massachusetts), had a mixed economy. - **Middle Colonies**: Diverse populations, economy based on farming and trade (e.g., Pennsylvania and New York). - **Southern Colonies**: Economy based on cash crops (tobacco, rice, indigo), relied heavily on enslaved labor. - **Indentured Servitude & Slavery**: Indentured servants were common initially, but slavery expanded rapidly after Bacon's Rebellion (1676). **Chapter 4: Colonial Society (1607--1754)** **Key Themes:** - Economic growth and trade - Social and cultural developments - Political structures and tensions **Key Points:** - **Mercantilism**: British economic policy that controlled colonial trade to benefit the mother country. - **Navigation Acts**: Laws restricting colonial trade with nations other than England. - **Great Awakening**: Religious revival in the 1730s--1740s that emphasized personal faith over traditional authority. - **Enlightenment Ideas**: Philosophical movement that emphasized reason, individual rights, and self-governance (Locke, Montesquieu). - **Colonial Governments**: Local assemblies (e.g., Virginia House of Burgesses) gave some self-rule but were still under British control. **Chapter 5 (up to 5.2): Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests (1754--1774)** **Key Themes:** - British colonial policies after the French and Indian War - Rising colonial resistance and protests **Key Points:** - **French and Indian War (1754--1763)**: Britain defeated France, gaining land but also massive debt. - **Proclamation of 1763**: Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachians to reduce conflict with Native Americans. - **Taxation and Acts**: - *Sugar Act (1764)*: Taxed sugar, molasses---hated by colonists. - *Stamp Act (1765)*: Required tax stamps on printed materials---led to major protests. - *Townshend Acts (1767)*: Taxed imported goods---boycotts and resistance grew. - **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)**: British crackdown after the Boston Tea Party---further united the colonies against Britain. **What Prompted European Exploration?** - **Trade and Wealth**: Europeans sought new trade routes to Asia for spices, silk, and other valuable goods. - **Technology and Navigation**: Advances like the compass, astrolabe, and improved ships (caravels) made long voyages possible. - **Religious Expansion**: The Catholic Church encouraged spreading Christianity, especially after the Protestant Reformation. - **Rivalries and Power**: European nations competed for dominance, land, and resources. - **Curiosity and Adventure**: Inspired by Renaissance ideas, explorers sought knowledge and personal fame. **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 Spain (King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella), Columbus aimed to reach Asia by sailing west. - Landed in the Caribbean, mistaking it for the Indies, leading to European colonization. **Isabella of Castile** - Spanish queen who, with Ferdinand, funded Columbus\' journey in 1492. - Sought to spread Christianity and strengthen Spain's global influence. **Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)** - Agreement between Spain and Portugal, dividing the newly discovered lands. - Spain got most of the Americas, while Portugal controlled Brazil and African/Asian trade routes. **Requerimiento (1513)** - Spanish document read to Indigenous peoples, demanding they accept Spanish rule and Christianity. - Used to justify 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. **Biological** - The Columbian Exchange introduced new plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds. - Smallpox and other European diseases devastated Indigenous populations. **Racial** - Spanish colonization led to the creation of a racial hierarchy, with Spaniards at the top and Indigenous/African peoples at the bottom. - The *Casta* system categorized people based on ancestry. **Religious** - Missionaries (Franciscans, Jesuits) spread Christianity, often forcibly. - Indigenous religious practices were suppressed or blended with Catholic traditions. **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** - English explorer who attempted to establish the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina. **Roanoke -- The Lost Colony (1587)** - 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). - 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** - **Why?** Britain needed revenue after the war and wanted to tighten control. - **What?** 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.