Chapter 2 Beginnings of English America

Chapter 2: Beginnings of English America England and The New World What were the main contours of English colonization in the seventeenth century? 4/26/1607: 3 ships arrive in Chesapeake Bay o Established Jamestown 60 miles inland  Capital of Virginia  Became 1st permeant English settlement Trip sponsored by the Virginia Company o Private business with merchant, aristocrat and Parliament member shareholders o Interested in searching for gold rather than establishing a functioning colony Unifying the English Nation 1509 Henry VIII reformed England o Catholic Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon o Established the Church of England or the Anglican Church with himself at the head o Catholics persecuted under Henry’s successor, Edward VI 1553, Edward’s half sister Mary became Queen o Restored Catholicism and persecuted Protestants 1558, Queen Mary’s successor Queen Elizabeth I restored Anglican Church and executed more than 100 Catholic priests England and Ireland Struggled to conquer Ireland o Posed threat to England Protestantism because they were Catholic o Used military conquest, slaughter of civilians, seizure of land, introduction of English economic practices, and the dispatch of settlers to subdue Irish 16th century writers compared the “Wild Irish” with American Indians England and North America Queen Elizabeth I turned English attention to North America o Granted charters (grants of exclusive rights and privileges) to Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh  Authorized them to establish colonies in North America at their own expense  Both ventures failed due to lack of crown support 1585, Raleigh returned to North America with 5 ships and 100 colonists o Set base on Roanoke Island (off North Carolina coast) Roanoke Colony: English expedition of 117 settlers, including Virginia Dare, the first English born in the New World; the colony disappeared from Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks sometime between 1587 and 1590 Spreading Protestantism Late 1500’s English was deeply anti-Catholic o Catholici Spain was their mortal enemy o Spread Bartolome de Las Casas’s “History of the Indies” in England A Discourse Concerning Western Planting by Protestant minister and scholar Richard Hakluyt o Listed 23 reasons Queen Elizabeth I should support establishment of colonies’  English settlement would hurt Spain’s empire which would rescue New World from Spanish Catholicism and tyranny 1   National power and glory would put England in a powerful seat like Spain and France Colonists would enrich England and themselves by providing English consumers with traded goods The Social Crisis 1550-1600 England’s population rose from 3 million to 4 million Enclosure Movement: A legal process that divided large farm fields in England that were previously collectively owned by groups of peasants into smaller, individually owned plots o Landlords sought profit from raising sheep for wool trading and crop rotations  Evicted small farmers  Fenced in “commons” previously open to all  Thousands flooded England’s cities To deal with the large poor population England encouraged them to leave for the New World o Become productive citizens o Contribute to Nation’s wealth Masterless Men Masterless men: wandering or unemployed men Working for wages was associated with servility and loss of liberty Only those who controlled their own labor were truly free New World offered a place of opportunity for laboring classes o Could regain economic independence by acquiring land o Criminals offered a second chance Economic freedom and the possibility of passing it on to one’s children attracted the larges number of English colonists The Coming of the English What challenges did the early English settlers face? English Emigrants 1607-1700, 500,000 people left England o 180K to Ireland o 180K to West Indies  Sugar cultivation promised riches if you could obtain land o 120K to Chesapeake area (Virginia and Maryland)  Tobacco production  Mostly single men from bottom on English society o 21K New England (families) o 23K to Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) (families)ra o Indentured Servants Settlers who could pay for their own passage arrived in America free o Quickly acquired land upon arrival Indentured Servants: settlers who signed on for a temporary period of servitude to a master in exchange for passage to the New World (usually 5-7 year) o Could be bought or sold o o o Couldn’t marry without master’s permission Subjected to physical punishment Labor enforced by the courts At the end of their labor, servants received freedom dues and became free 2 Land and Liberty Land was the basis of liberty o Owners controlled their own labor o Right to vote Land also became a way for King to reward relatives and allies Each colony launched with a huge grant of land either to a company or to a private individual (proprietor) Land needed labor o Settlers didn’t intend to work. This led to slavery. Englishmen and Indians Unlike Spanish, English colonists displaced Indians o Didn’t intermarry o Didn’t organize their labor o Didn’t make them subjects of the crown o DID trade fur with them Although they believed Indians didn’t have rights to land, most authorities still acquired land by purchase, most of the time through forced treaties after Indians were defeated by the military 17th century marked with warfare o Generated strong feelings of superiority among colonists English displaced Indians more than any other European empire The Transformation of Indian Life Indians welcomed new goods from English o Woven cloth, metal kettles, iron aces, fishhooks, hoes, guns, glass beads and copper ornaments Indians exchanged valuable commodities (furs) for worthless trinkets (beads) Colonists achieved military superiority over Indians o Trade profits most benefitted English merchants o o Indian tribes fought over English connections Beaver and deer were over-hunted so Indians encroached on territory claimed by others Indian’s lives were powerfully altered by changes set in motion in 1607 when English landed at Jamestown o Settlers fenced in land and introduced new crops and livestock o o o Pigs and cattle trampled Indian cornfields Need for wood to build and heat homes depleted forests  Indians relied on forests for hunting Fur trade diminished beaver population Settling the Chesapeake How did Virginia and Maryland develop in their early years? The Jamestown Colony Early Jamestown was not promising o Leadership changed repeatedly o High death rate o Inadequate supplies as Virginia Company just wanted a quick profit from gold o o o Disease Lack of food Year 1: 104 settlers, half died o 1608-1609: New arrivals, including 2 women, colony up to 400 settlers 3 o 1610: Only 65 survived  Survivors abandoned Jamestown and sailed for England  Intercepted by ships carrying new governor, 250 colonists, and supplies John Smith, new governor, saved Jamestown with a regime of forced labor on company lands o “He that shall not work, shall not eat.” o Injured in 1609, but his successors continued his iron rule Virginia company abandoned its search for gold, grew food, and searched for marketable commodity 1618, company introduced the headright system o Awarded 50 acres of land to any colonists who paid for his own or another’s passage o Replaced governors militaristic regime with “a charter of grants and liberties” o 1619, established a House of Burgesses: the first elected assembly in colonial America  Only wealthy land owners could vote in elections 1619, first 21 blacks arrived in Virginia o Laid foundation for society dominated economically and politically by slave-owning planters Powhatan and Pocahontas Powhatan realized advantages of trade with new settlers o First 2 years of Jamestown, Indian and English relationship was fairly give-and-take Powhatan captured John Smith and threatened him with execution o Rescued by Pocahontas  Pocahontas became a sort of ambassador between Indians and English Brought food and messages to Jamestown  Married John Rolfe in 1614  1616, went to England with husband and became a symbol of Anglo-Indian harmony  Died in 1617 from disease Powhatan died the following year Uprising of 1622 Opechancanough (Powhatan’s brother and successor) realized English colony was permanent, expanding, and no longer just a trading post Created conflict Uprising of 1622: unsuccessful uprising of Virginia Native Americans that wiped our nearly ¼ of the settler population, but ultimately led to the settlers regaining supremacy Indians led surprise attack, killed 300 of 1,200 colonists Surviving 900 organized into military bands  Massacred Indians and devastated their villages Governor Francis Wyatt declared that by going to war, the Indians forfeited any claim to land 1644, Opechancanough’s last rebellion killed 500 colonists but they were destroyed in the process  Virginia forced treaty on Indians acknowledging their subordination to Jamestown  Indians required to move to tribal reservations to west  Indians not allowed to enter European settlement without permission Uprising of 1622 was the last in a series of blows to the Virginia Company 1624, company surrendered it’s charter Virginia became first royal colony  Governor appointed by crown  Local elite controlled colony development Elite grew rapidly in wealth and power thanks to the introduction of tobacco from the West Indies by John Rolfe 4 A Tobacco Colony Tobacco became Virginia’s substitute for gold o Enriched emerging class of tobacco planters o Enriched members of colonial government who assigned good land for themselves o Enriched crown with customs duties (taxes on imported and exported tobacco) Frenzied immigration by those with finances (sons of merchants, English gentlemen) o Took advantage of the headright system and government connections to acquire large estates along rivers o Established themselves as colony’s political and social elite Labor demands increased o Fulfilled mostly by young, male indentured servants  Harsh conditions, high death rate, whipping laws, service extension for violations  Immigrants still attracted  ¾ of the 120K immigrants that came in the 17th century came as indentured servants Virginia became to resemble mother England o Top: wealthy landed gentry o Middle: a small group of farmers (mostly indentured servants who acquired land after service) o Bottom: poor laborers (servants and landless former indentured servants) Women and the Family Family life was unstable in Virginia for most of 17th century Slow population growth o High death rate o o o Unequal ratio between sexes (4 or 5 men to 1 woman) Late age of marriage for women (mid-twenties due to indentured servitude) Result: high numbers of single men, widows, orphans Dower Rights: the right of a widowed woman to inherit 1/3 of her deceases husband’s property o Property still usually went to the husband’s male heirs a legal status that a widow or one of the few women who never married could take o Could make contracts and conduct business, acquire land, act as lawyer in court The Maryland Experience 2nd Chesapeake colony Tobacco dominated economy and tobacco planters dominated society 1632, Maryland was granted as a propriety colony to Cecilius Calvert o King Charles I granted him a charter with “full, free, and absolute power”  Control of trade, initiation of all legislation with elected assembly to approve or disapprove of laws o Charter also guaranteed colonists “all privileges, franchises, and liberties” of Englishmen  Idea of limited government included Created conflict Religion in Maryland Calvert, a Catholic, envisioned Maryland as a refuge for persecuted Catholics Wanted Catholics and Protestants to live in harmony and not fear persecution Offered servants greater opportunity for land ownership than Virginia o Freedom dues included 50 acres 5 The New England Way What made the English settlement of New England distinctive? The Rise of Puritanism Puritanism arose in England in the late 16th century o Term coined by opponents to ridicule those not satisfied with the progress of the Protestant Reformation Puritans: English religious group that sought to purify the Church of England; founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony under John Winthrop in 1630 o Differed amongst themselves on many issues o Shared the conviction that the Church of England retained too many elements of Catholicism  Elaborate church ceremonies  Priests couldn’t marry  Church décor of “Popery”  Rejected Catholic structure of religious authority Believed independent local congregations should choose clergymen and modes of worship Puritans called “Congregationalists” Puritans urged believers to seek truth by reading bible and listening to sermons by educated ministers Believed the world was divided by the elect and the damned but only God knew who was to be saved o Leading a good life and prospering economically were signs of God’s grace o Idleness and immoral behavior were signs of damnation Moral Liberty Puritans alienated those with differing religious views Minority of Puritans became separatists, abandoning the Church of England Most of Puritans wanted to purify the church from within 1620’s and 30’s, King Charles I moved toward restoring Catholic ceremonies o Church of England dismissed Puritan ministers and censored their writings  Puritans emigrated to New England to escape England’s religious and worldly corruptions 1645 John Winthrop the governor of Massachusetts gave speech to Mass. legislature o “Natural Liberty”: acting without restraint, suggested a liberty to do evil  False idea of freedom adopted by bad Christians, Indians and Irish o “Moral Liberty”: “liberty to only that which is good” o “True Freedom” meant subjection to authority (religious and secular) Liberty meant that the elect had the right to establish churches and govern society, NOT that others could challenge their beliefs or authority The Pilgrims at Plymouth Pilgrims: Puritan separatists who broke completely with the Church of England and sailed to the New World aboard the Mayflower, founding Plymouth Colony on Cape Cod in 1620 o Aimed for Virginia o Blown hundreds of miles off course and landed on Cape Cod Mayflower Compact: Document signed in 1620 aboard the Mayflower before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth; the document committed the group to majority-rule government Arrived 6 weeks before winter o Indians helped them survive o 1621, they had a feast for the Indians: The first Thanksgiving Government principle of consent 6 The Great Migration 1629, Massachusetts Bay Company was founded o Formed by London merchants o Hoped to further Puritan cause and make a profit through trade with the Indians By 1642, 21,000 Puritans had immigrated to Massachusetts o Most were families (1/4 servants)  Population doubled every 72 years due to even sex ratio and healthier climate than Virgina 1700, white population of 91,000 o Outnumbered Chesapeake and West Indies The Puritan Family Believed in male authority Believed in common-law tradition (limiting women’s legal and economic rights) Deemed women as spiritual equals of men o Women could become full church members Puritans could interpret the bible in their own way o Opened the door to women claiming positions of religious leadership Marriage was based on reciprocal affection Women could divorce Government and Society in Massachusetts Puritans feared excessive individualism and lack of social unity o Organized self-governing towns o Groups of settlers received a land grant and then subdivided it  Houses were central, land was given on the outskirts for farming  Lots of collective land  Each town had its own congregational church  1647, each town required to have a school so they could read the bible Established Harvard College in 1636 to train ministry 8 shareholders of the Massachusetts Bay Company emigrated to America o Wanted to keep outside influence from Non-Puritans o Transformed commercial document into a form of government 1634, deputies elected by freeman (landowning church members) o Formed a single ruling body: The General Court o Ten years later, company officers and deputies were divided into two legislative houses o Freeman elected their own governor Didn’t believe in equality o Full church membership required demonstrating one had experienced divine grace o Voting in colony-wide elections was for men who were full church members Church and State in Puritan Massachusetts 17th century New England was a hierarchical society o 1641, General Court issued a Body of Liberties  Outlined rights and responsibilities  Liberties were privileges derived from one’s place in social order Ministers could not hold office (interfere with spiritual responsibilities) o Tax was collected to support minister Death penalty for worshipping different god, practicing witchcraft, committing blasphemy Religious uniformity was essential to social order 7 New Englanders Divided What were the main sources of discord in early New England? Roger Williams Individual interpretation of the Bible planted seeds of Puritan fragmentation Minister Roger Williams o Insisted its congregation withdrawal from the Church of England o o o Separation of church and state Believed that people should be allowed to practice whatever religion they choose Believed government corrupted the purity of Christianity and started religious wars o Believed Puritans were not a special group favorited by God Rhode Island and Connecticut Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts in 1636 o Moved south with his followers and established Rhode Island  Became a beacon of religious freedom  Haven for persecuted dissenters and Jews Dissenter: Protestants who belonged to denominations outside of the established Anglican Church  Government was more democratic Assembly elected twice a year Governor elected once a year Regular town meetings New Haven and Hartfort colonies received a royal charter uniting then as Connecticut o Hartford: modeled after Massachusetts except med didn’t have to be a church member to vote o New Haven: established to bring church and state even closer The Trial of Anne Hutchinson Daughter of clergyman Held meetings in her home and led discussions of religious issues Believed salvation was God’s salvation was a gift to the elect and could not be earned by good work, devotional practices or personal effort (destroyed John Calvin’s “predestination”, a notion shared by the Puritans ) Charged that all ministers in Massachusetts were guilty of faulty preaching for distinguishing “saints” from the damned based on church attendance and moral behavior rather than an inner state of grace She was denounced for Antinomianism (putting one’s judgement or faith above human law and church teachings) 1637, tried in court for expressing opinions dangerous to authority o Said God spoke to her directly  Violated Puritan doctrine  Posed a threat to organized churches  Her and her followers were banished Showed how individual interpretation of the bible could jeopardize religious and political establishment Puritans and Indians Roger Williams sought to treat Indians with justice o Insisted King had no right to grant land already belonging to someone else o No town should be established until land was purchased John Winthrop believed uncultivated land could be taken o Still believed in purchasing land  Indians would submit to English authority 8 1642 the Connecticut General Court set a penalty of 3 years hard labor for anyone who abandoned “godly society” to live with the Indians Publishes captivity narratives: accounts written by colonists after their time in Indian captivity, often stressing the captive’s religious convictions The Pequot War Coastal Indian tribes initially sought to make alliances with newcomers But white population expanded and new towns caused conflict with Indians 1637 Perquot Indians killed fur trader o Force of Connecticut and Massachusetts soldier burned down village and killed those who tried to escape o 500 died including women and children o Colonists ferocity shocked Indian allies The New England Economy Most Puritans came from middle ranks and paid for the passage o Immigrated for religious liberty o Immigrated for “competency”: economic independence tat came with secure landownership or craft status Lacked marketable staple (tobacco, sugar) Marketed fishing and timber A Growing Commercial Society Wealth in New England was more equally distributed than the Chesapeake New England traded fish, timber, and agricultural produce with Europe, Africa and West Indies o West Indies was profitable because their growing slave population required supplies Boston, a powerful group of merchants arose o Challenged Puritan policies  Protested limits on prices and wages and importer monopolies o Some left and established what eventually become New Hampshire o Some stayed and fought to conduct business as they pleased Puritans worried about society’s growing commercialization o Less than half of Boston were full-church members o Half-Way Covenant: 1662 religious compromise that allowed baptism and partial church membership to New Englanders whose parents were not among the Puritan elect Religion, Politics, and Freedom How did the English Civil War affect the colonies in America? The Rights of Englishmen By 1600 the idea of certain “rights of Englishmen” arose o Rested on the Magna Carta (or Great Charter) of 1215  Magna Carta listed a series of “liberties” granted by the king to all free men Protection against arbitrary imprisonment and seizure of property without due process of law Magna Carta came to be seen as embodying the idea of English Liberty: o The idea that English people were entitled to certain liberties, including:     trial by jury habeas corpus (no imprisonment without formal charge) the right to face one’s accuser in court. King subject to rule of law as well 9 The English Civil War Struggle between Parliament and the Stuart monarchs James I and Charles I for political supremacy o Leaders of House of Commons (elective body that, along with hereditary aristocrats of the House of Lords, made up the English parliament) accused the Stuart Kings of  Endangering liberty  Imposing taxes without their consent  Imprisoning political foes  Leading nation back to Catholicism Civil War broke out in 1642 o Parliament won o o o Charles I beheaded Monarchy abolished England declared “a Commonwealth and Free State”: a nation governed by the will of the people 1660, Charles II restored the throne o Discussions of liberty, authority, and the definition of a “freeborn Englishman” already in motion England’s Debate over Freedom Writer John Milton called for freedom of speech and of the press New religious sects arose o Demanded religious toleration for Protestants o Demanded the end of public financing and special privileges for Anglican Church The Levellers: history’s first democratic political movement o Proposed a written constitution: “The Agreement of the People” o  Proposed to abolish the monarchy and House of Lords and greatly expand voting rights Offered a glimpse of modern freedom: freedom as a universal entitlement and society based on equal rights, not social class The Diggers: hoped to give freedom an economic edge o Common ownership of land o True freedom applied equally to the poor and rich The Civil War and English America Most New Englanders sided with Parliament in the Civil War Puritans grew uncomfortable with religious tolerance for Protestants gaining favor in England Quakers: a sect that arose during English Civil War o Spirit of God was in every individual, not just the elect o Godly spirit within was surest guidance rather than teachings of the bible or clergy o Quakers in Massachusetts were whipped, fined, banished and executed Maryland, conflict between Catholics and Protestants o Violent civil war o Pro-Parliament supporters assaulting those loyal to Charles I o Act Concerning Religion (or Maryland Toleration Act): institutionalized the principle of toleration  All Christians guaranteed “free exercise” of religion Cromwell and the Empire Oliver Cromwell (ruler of England from 1649-1658) o Aggressive policy of colonial expansion o Promotion of Protestantism o o Commercial empowerment in British Isles and Western Hemisphere Forcibly extended English control over Ireland 10 o  Massacred civilians  Banned public practice of Catholicism  Seized Catholic land Seized Jamaica from Spain (sugar island) 11