Theme 4. American Colonial Empires:

France and England

By: Lindsay Nelson

English Colonies of North America

Carolina

Established by West Indian planter during the 1670’s

Was founded to honor King Charles II

Included present day North and South Carolina and Georgia

Owned by 8 of the kings political favorites-the Lords Proprietor

Ran by Sir John Yeamans and his son

Carolina In 1670 3 ships

from Barbados bore 200 colonists to the mouth of he Ashley River

Named this Charles Town Changed to

Charleston in 1783

Defied Spanish claim to the coast, signifying England’s new confidence in its emerging imperial power

Carolina

Attracted more colonists by offering religious tolerance, political representation in an assembly with power over public taxation and expenditures, a long exemption from quitrents, and large grants of land.

South Carolina grew from 200 colonists in 1670 to 6,600 in 1,700

Attracted mostly farmers and artisans of modest means Common colonists were essential to build farms in the

forest and fighting the frontier warfare.

Carolina A male servant who

survived his term received “freedoms dues”- a set of clothes, barrel of maize, an an, a hoe, and a land grant of 100 acres

Also wanted to attract great planters so they offered “absolute power and Authority of is Negro Slave” Since the slave was

defined as a family member, the planter also received a full 150-acre headright per slave

Virginia

Originally named for the whole coast from Florida to Arcadia Named after Queen Elizabeth I because she was a supposed

virgin

Started out with get rich quick schemes such as gold mines and raiding Spanish ships, but this was found to be too expensive Instead found profit in tobacco which permitted an explosive

growth in land, power, and wealth

The crown subcontracted out colonization because it lacked the financial stability to pay for such a venture itself

Virginia Earliest English

colonial promoters were dreamers and gamblers driven by visionary imagination. Most were

politically well connected from the wouthwestern counties of England

Known as “West Country men” and included: Sir Francis Drake, Sir Richard Greenville, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Sir Humphrey Gilbert

Virginia

Planters, led by John Rolfe, learned to raise tobacco in 1616.

Was an ideal colonial commodity because people were willing to pay high prices to satisfy their addictive cravings.

Virginia’s tobacco production grew from 200,000 pounds in 1624 to 3,000,000 in 1638 Chesapeake outstripped the West Indies to become the principal

supplier of tobacco to Europe

Because of the boom of profit, more laborers were needed This increased Chesapeake’s population from 350 in 1616 to

13,00 by 1650

Virginia New land was needed

to supply the tobacco. This land came at the

Indians’ expense. They brought with them voracious pigs and cows that destroyed Indian corn fields

The English would attack the Indians and destroy their crops right before harvest as to force them to suffer a miserable winter and spring.

In may 1623, they invited 250 starving Indians to a toast of alcohol. The Indians’ share had poison.