Book Title

Dolor Set Amet

LOREM IPSUM

Chapter 2

English Colonization in the United StatesThe beginning of United States history dates back to Sir Walter Raleigh’s attempt to colonize Roanoke. Although unsuccessful, leaders in Britain saw the wealth and power Spain was gaining, and desired to try again in the early 1600s. This chapter will outline the beginning of American colonization with Jamestown, and will thoroughly investigate the settlement of the North American continent by Great Britain.

One of the reasons the Roanoke colony failed was due to the fact that Sir Walter Raleigh did not have enough money to make the colony function. In 1600, a joint stock company was created. This company would run a new colony and manage the money. In turn, there would be hope for any future colony to survive and be profitable. One of the first joint stock companies would be the Virginia Company. In 1606, the Virginia Company received permission from the English government to make an attempt to establish a colony in North America.

After about a year of planning, the process of settling a new colony began. In March of 1607, the company sent settlers toward the Virginia territory. The people chose a spot along the James River, and established the renown Jamestown Colony in 1607.

The location of Jamestown proved to be incredibly important. Their biggest fear was that they would be overrun by the Spanish and Native Americans. By picking a spot near the James River, the settlers knew it would be easier to defend. However, the topography and geography made Jamestown a difficult place to live. There were marshes, mosquitoes, and a lack of sanitary drinking water. Of the 144 people that arrived in Jamestown, only 38 were alive a year later.

Another part of the survival problem that occurred in Jamestown were the overly ambitious people that went there. Instead of planning for survival, many of the

Chapter 2, Section 1

IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL...

1. Gain insight as to how the Jamestown colony was established.

2. Understand how John Smith’s leadership saved the colony from failure.

3. See how tobacco was the saving grace for Jamestown from an economic perspective

4. Grasp the concepts behind the settling of Maryland

The Chesapeake Colonies

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people who arrived in Jamestown searched for gold and riches. And when it came time to find food or other necessities of life, they were unprepared. As a result, the mortality rate increase and the survival of the colony was in question.

Then, a man stepped up and rescued the colony. In 1608, John Smith (right) came to Virginia and established a more disciplined attitude in the colony. Along with himself, Smith brought over additional settlers to increase the population of the settlement. Smith also established a relationship with the Native Americans to learn from them about survival in a foreign land.

In the winter of 1609-1610, the likelihood of Jamestown’s survival was still in question despite Smith’s arrival. The weather, of course, played a huge role, and the colonists had really never seen anything like this before. At the beginning of the winter, the population was at 500 people. At its end, there were only 60. People became so desperate and turned to cannibalism to stay alive.

Slowly but surely, the colony would make a recovery. The saving grace came in the form of cash crops, mainly tobacco. In 1612, the economy turned around. The Jamestown colonists would export tobacco to other countries, and trade it with locals. From then on, the colony blossomed and Jamestown would become Britain’s first permanent settlement in the western hemisphere.

Maryland was the second Chesapeake colony. It was founded in 1634 by George Calvert. Maryland was one of the first colonies that was established in North America. Similar to many during its time, it was founded for religious freedom. People in England (and Europe as a whole) were tired of being persecuted for their beliefs. People wanted the freedom to worship however they

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Watch this to get more info. on Jamestown

Jamestown Unwrapped

wanted. Often times, though, governments would not tolerate these actions. If you did not believe in the established state religion, there were consequences (i.e. imprisonment or execution). Therefore, many of them left their home country for an opportunity at a better life. Maryland was originally founded for Catholics. But within one generation after its original settlement, it became known for its social and economic strengths, not for its religious roots.

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When historians categorize the New England colonies, they’re typically referring to Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Although Jamestown (Virginia) was the first British colony in the United States, most experts will tell you that Massachusetts is the most important of the original 13 colonies.

The first settlers in Massachusetts came in 1620. Many of you have heard the story of the Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower; this happens to be that same story! But some of the facts of this story may surprise you...

Originally, the Pilgrims settled near Cape Cod. Plymouth would end up being their permanent home, but was in actuality not their original landing spot. Similar to those moving to Maryland, the Pilgrims were a group of religious outcasts from England. They, like many others, came to America for religious freedom and the opportunity for a better life. By separating themselves from England, this dream would become a reality.

Chapter 2, Section 2

IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL...

1. Understand how Massachusetts was the most important New England colony.

2. Further comprehend how America was founded on the idea of religious freedom.

The New England Colonies

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Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor--a painting by William Halsall, circa 1882

William Bradford would lead the Pilgrims from persecution to freedom in America. Bradford gets credit as being the first governor of the Plymouth colony, along with keeping the Pilgrims alive during the first few months in Massachusetts. Most of the colonists in Plymouth had never seen such harsh weather conditions. Bradford would not be denied, and he would lead them through the first few months and make Plymouth a viable colony.

Another important figure in the settlement of Plymouth was a Native American named Squanto (right). His relationship with the settlers of Plymouth was vital for their initial survival. Squanto’s would essentially work as the Indian liaison between the Pilgrims and the local tribes. He

educated them on how to fish, hunt, and cultivate the land. It’s funny how ungrateful Americans were toward Native Americans later in our history. And yet, we couldn’t have made it without them...

Ten years after the Pilgrims reached Plymouth, the Puritans settled in Massachusetts near the Boston area in 1630. The Puritans also came to America for religious freedom. Their leader, John Winthrop, had a much easier time leading than William Bradford. The settlement in Boston had almost 2,000 people living there within a year, and hardships were few and far between.

People saw the success that Boston was having. Its population continued to rise. Between 1630-1640, Boston experienced a period of growth known as the Great Migration. During this time, the population soared to 16,000 citizens (as compared to only 1,500 in Jamestown during a similar 10 year window).

There are many reasons for the Great Migration. Foremost among them was that disease was less prevalent. Boston had more sources of clean drinking water, something that colonists in other parts of North American did not always have.

Secondly, many of the settlers who came to Boston were part of a nuclear family. If we remember, Jamestown settlers were pretty selfish. They were more concerned with becoming rich and/or famous. Settlers in Boston, however, were different. In

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William Bradford’s birthplace in South Yorkshire, England

fact, many families were planning on staying in America for the long haul. Because of this mindset, they created a state of permanence and stability in Boston that was unlike other settlements in America.

Lastly, people came to Boston during the Great Migration because they felt as though they were a part of something greater than themselves. Boston (and Plymouth) was a settlement founded on religious freedom. People who migrated there were working for a common cause. In their minds, they were doing God’s will. To them, life wasn’t about making themselves better; it was about doing something for a common purpose.

Despite it seeming like everything was perfect in Massachusetts, it wouldn’t always be that way. In fact, Rhode Island was founded because of turmoil that occurred in Boston. Rhode Island was a spin-off colony of Massachusetts for anyone who had trouble fitting in there. Both Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson (above) were important figures in the establishment of Rhode Island. Williams was a minister that came to Massachusetts during the Great Migration. Many of his ideas were contrary to the ones that the Puritans had. As a result, Williams was banished from Massachusetts in 1636.

Some of his followers went with him, and would be the first settlers of Rhode Island.

Anne Hutchinson arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 from England. When Hutchinson arrived, she immediately began holding Bible studies in her home and developed a rather large following. During these studies, she would advocate her ideas and critique the messages delivered in church on Sunday morning. By 1638, she was noticed by the Puritan leadership in Massachusetts and Hutchinson would be banned from the colony as well.

Connecticut is the third of four New England colonies. Thomas Hooker would leave Massachusetts and his colony would become “official” in 1662. Hooker, unlike Hutchinson and Williams, left Massachusetts by choice. He saw that the colony had the opportunity for growth, and wanted the chance to see that idea come to fruition.

Once established, Hooker and the leaders of Connecticut developed its own constitution called the Fundamental Orders. For its day, the document was pretty democratic. In a democracy, people hold the power. Under this document, all male property owners were allowed to vote. The governor’s power was limited as well.

The last of the four New England colonies was New Hampshire. The “father” of New Hampshire was John Wheelwright. Wheelwright, a relative of Anne Hutchinson, left Massachusetts in

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the 1630s along with some of his followers. The population of this area grew slowly, and New Hampshire would not gain official colony status until 1677.

Although problems existed in Massachusetts, you’d have to say that it was good with producing strong leaders (or rebels, depending on how you look at it). All of the founders of the New England colonies stemmed from that colony. Ironically, Massachusetts was founded on religious freedom. Yet when people decided to worship differently or critique the church there, they were ostracized. Funny, isn’t it?

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New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware make up the Middle Colonies. When we group together certain areas in a country, we form a region. When historians group these four colonies together, they do so for a few reasons.

1. They shared a similar geographic location.

2. All four colonies were founded around the same time.

3. Each colony was culturally diverse in terms of their ethnicity and religion.

New York was originally founded by the Dutch (from the Netherlands) around 1609. The first explorer to lay claim to this land was Henry Hudson (right). The Dutch would control this territory until 1664. At that point, the British decided that they wanted this land, and would come and take it with virtually no resistance from the Dutch. New York got its name from the king’s brother in England, who had the title as the “Duke of York.” He was the proprietor of the colony. The Duke of York established his new colony as an important trade post.

Chapter 2, Section 3

IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL...

1. Come to learn about the Middle Colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

2. Read why these four colonies were grouped together.

3. Begin to see how colonies would function as economic centers, not just safe havens for those desiring religious freedom.

The Middle Colonies

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Considering its proximity to water, it’s an excellent place for ships to import and export goods.

In 1665, the Duke of York decided to sell a part of his land to other friends of his, and then southern New York would become New Jersey. New Jersey is considered to be a rather weak colony. They did not have the hallmark leader or they strong trading industry that a Massachusetts or a New York would have had. But they did have a lot of diversity in New Jersey. People from all over Europe ended up settling there.

Pennsylvania would end up being the third middle colony. At its start, it was settled for religious purposes. Pennsylvania’s first inhabitants were the Quakers. The Quakers had a different theological background than the Puritans. They were very emotional in their worship, and thought that the Holy Spirit (one of the three in the Holy Trinity of Christianity; the other two are God and Jesus Christ) was the important authority in one’s life, not the Church. They also believed that salvation was available to all people who had faith. Quakers were against the idea of predestination, which is the idea that an individual’s fate is decided before they’re even born. Because of their beliefs, the Quakers were seen as castoffs in England and would be banished.

In 1682, the government of England decided to give a huge tract of land to William Penn. Pennsylvania would be a proprietary

colony with Penn as its initial leader. The British government hoped that Pennsylvania would turn into a refuge (safe place) for the Quakers. For a while, this was the case. Shortly thereafter, Penn decided to shift the focus of his colony from religion to economics. In order for Penn to do that, he purchased Delaware. Pennsylvania today is a landlocked state. Delaware was their ticket to having some coastline; in turn, they could not have a port to import and export items from their colony. In 1701, Delaware would break away from Pennsylvania to form its own colony.

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Have you ever played the kind of game before where you have to find something in a picture that’s not like the other things? Usually, the items don’t stand out, but when you find them, the differences are distinct. The Carolinas and Georgia are much like that in comparison to the other British colonies. They don’t fit in geographically in New England or the Middle Colonies, but their differences make them unique to any other colony of the day.

The Carolinas were founded in 1663. Most colonies that we’ve studied were created by one person. The Carolinas, on the other hand, were actually started up by a group of eight businessmen. They were given the rights to the colony and ruled it as a committee. The strongest of these eight men was Anthony Cooper. In 1669, the first permanent settlement was founded in Charles Town (now Charleston, S.C.). After some disagreements among these men (and their heirs), the Carolinas split into two colonies in 1729 and became North Carolina and South Carolina.

Last, but not least, would be the colony of Georgia. Despite being the last colony we’ve discussed, Georgia’s roots may be the most interesting. In 1732, a handful of wealthy, political reformers thought it would be a good idea to establish a colony to assist debtors. These weren’t necessarily bad people; they just had a lot of monetary debt that they could not pay. At this time in England, you could be thrown into prison until someone paid your debts in full.

Chapter 2, Section 4

IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL...

1. Learn about the Carolinas and Georgia.

2. See how Georgia was a social experiment.

The Best of the Rest

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James Oglethorpe (below) was the leader of this so-called “social project.” A committee of 21 men put this colony together. If you were debtor, you would be “set free” in Georgia. Once you arrived, you would be given some land, and would work to pull yourself out of debt. Original debts would not be canceled out; a person was required to work and repay them.

Oglethorpe and his 21 trustees would only manage this colony. England would still own the land. These trustees could do whatever they wanted, but they had to understand that Great Britain could step in at any time if they deemed it necessary. The trustees of Georgia would run the colony for 21 years, and after that period, they would reevaluated to see if the original charter was to be extended or not.

Unfortunately, the experiment in Georgia did not work. Quickly after the colony was established, everything broke down. In 1751, the committee of 21 gave up control of the colony, and Georgia would become a royal colony.

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