The Invasion and Settlement of North America, 1500-1700

Chapter 2

• What characteristics did all of the Southern colonies share?

• How did religion play a role in the development of the (New England) colonies?

• How did New England differ socially, economically, and politically from the southern colonies?

• How did colonists attempt to meet their labor needs?

Key Questions

England

• By early 1600s – (Spanish Armada defeated in 1588)– Internal disputes settled under Elizabeth I

• Protestant religion firmly established• Irish crushed in 1570-1580s

• Growing population– Depressed economy

• Large number of poor and landless people– Economic opportunities in the Americas were

attractive

Charters

• Corporate– Jamestown– Joint-stock companies granted authority

• Royal– VA– Direct authority and rule of king’s government

• Proprietary– Individual(s) granted authority by king

• PA and MD– supposed to rule “by and with the consent of the freemen” a

colonial legislature

Chesapeake Tobacco Coast

• Tales of rich soil, friendly Indians, and mineral wealth

• 1587 Roanoke Colony was created with 117 total people (91 men)

• Relatively good initial relations with Indians worsened– Settlers attempted to intimidate with their superior technology,

but they were severely outnumbered– “lost” when in 1591 relief arrived

Jamestown• First permanent English settlement in

America

• Virginia Charter (1606)– Granted by James I– Settlers were given same rights

as Englishmen in England

• 1607 Virginia Company

• Goals– Promise of gold, conversion of Indians

to Christianity, new passage to Indies (similar to Spain’s goals)

Jamestown cont…• Early problems

– “Starving Time”– Native Americans

• Turn-around– Leadership John Smith

• “He who will not work shall not eat”– Tobacco (John Rolfe taught by Pocahontas) “colony built

on smoke”– Brought financial prosperity

• Plantation system emerged– Tobacco required large labor force

» Indentured servants» Slavery after 1619, but by 1650 only about 400 African slaves in VA,

and not all permanently held in servitude

Thessalonians 3Warning Against Idleness In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."  We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

Virginia Charter (1606)

•Set up two companies

Virginia Co

Plymouth Co

Jamestown• House of Burgesses, 1619

– 1st colonial parliament in the British-American colonies

– Representative government• Most were substantial property owners• Attracted more settlers – liberty – one of the reasons it

was created

• Charter Revoked 1624– King believed assembly too seditious– Loathed tobacco– VA Company was in debt due to poor economic

decisions– Became a royal colony under his direct control