The Carolina Colony

NC Native American Life at the Time of Contact with Europeans

There were over 30 different tribes in North Carolina at the time Europeans came

They varied in size from tribes of only a few villages to tribes of thousands

The Algonquin Culture Lived along coastal North Carolina

Tribes were held together by a common language

Largest tribes = Pasquotank and Waccamaw

Algonquin Culture Location allowed for

abundant fishing

Ate fruits, melons, walnuts, cucumbers, peas, and roots

Tuscarora Dominated the coastal plain region

The group had about 15 villages with 300 to 500 people in each village

Related to the Iroquois Nation of New York

Catawba Lived along the Catawba river in a

group of towns

They were distinguished by their burnt black pottery

The Cherokee The Cherokee controlled 40,000 sq. mi. of

territory – including parts of Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama

One of the largest tribes in the US (approx. 30,000 members)

Tribal Organization Communities were led by Chiefs Chiefs controlled several towns (chiefdom)

Tribal Councils – advised the chief

Chiefs served as political, spiritual and military leaders, also distributed food

Belief System No one unified Native American spiritual

belief system

Great respect for nature

Common legends and folklore to explain natural events

Native Americans in NC and across North America

Shared religious beliefs

• Religion linked to nature

• Spiritual forces were everywhere– even plants and animals

Shared beliefs about property

• Individual ownership applied only to the crops one grew

• Land was for the use of everyone in the village

• Believed they should preserve the land for future generations

Despite shared beliefs, Native Americans on the North American continent were independent culture groups and did not form large empires.

Cultural Differences between Natives and Settlers Natives did not hold to the idea of owning land. Land was owned

by all! Europeans came from a society where landownership equals

power. Therefore, land was to be had. For natives, community often came before individual (a kind of

tribal-socialist society) Individualism was being promoted by the new protestants coming

to North America Natives believed that nature was sacred and good Colonials were taught that man had “dominion” over the earth and

that wicked acts were committed in the “wilderness.” #Jesus-40days40nights

Settling NC How might settlers come to the colony? What problems might they face? What areas will be settled first?

Settling the Albemarle

1650s – the best lands of Virginia were taken Tobacco drained soil of nutrients Land had been claimed Farmers sought new lands

Consequences of Jamestown’s Success

Great Wagon Road

* Great Wagon Road Main way to travel on the frontier

Passed through Old Salem!

Developed from old Indian trails

Growing Tobacco Land must be cleared 15 months from seed

to product Planted in January,

shipped the following spring

Soil lasted 2-3 seasons

Tobacco made up the entire economy of Carolina

Tobacco as Money No paper money or coin in Carolina

300-500 lb. tobacco for 1 cow 2000 lb. tobacco for 1 indentured servant 30-100 lb. tobacco for 1 cast iron pot Each adult man grew 1500-2000 lbs. of tobacco

per year

Life in the Colony Land was covered

by dense forest Malaria Dangerous Jobs –

logging, hunting, seafaring

Colonial Women Married and

widowed numerous times during life

Coverture – husband had complete control over wife’s property

Could not vote

Colonial Religion Society of Friends

(Quakers) dominated early Carolina

England pushed Anglican faith

George Fox – founder – established numerous congregations

1672 – Fox made a pilgrimage to “the north of Carolina”

Converts By 1676, hundreds of

settlers had converted “Meetings among the

people” allowed representation

Added to independent spirit of colonists

Not impressed with English titles or wealth