Lecture Note: The Beginnings of English America

Lecture note The beginnings of English America I. Introduction : 1. because crown was short on funds 2. First interest was searching for gold and natural resources, not creating a society i. Shifted balance of power from spain and portugal to northwestern europe 3. French and dutch settle quebec and new yorkti 4. Goals of first Settlers in North America i. Entreprenuers sought to make fortunes, religious minorities hoped for 5. Freedom and society based on biblical teachings 6. ii. Aristocrats sought to to re create a vanished world of fuedalism 7. iii. Reproduce society they were familiar with, including the hierarchy and 8. Inequality 9. iv. Ordinary men searched for social mobility 10. John Smith "No man will go from England to have less freedom 11. In America 12. b. Realities i. English America enjoyed greater rights than colonists of other empires such as 13. Voting, trial byjury, and access to land * key to economic independence 14. ii. Settlers' success rested on depriving Native Americans of their land, and work 15. of African Slaves 16. iii. Therefore freedom, and lack of freedom increased in 16005 america 17. II. England and the New World a. Unifying the English Nation ii. England's stability in the sixteenth century was undermined by religious 18. Conflicts like protestant revolution 19. b. England and Ireland i. England would oppress Ireland in a similar way they would later opress America 20. b. England and N. America i. The crown issued charters for individuals but they failed 21. b. Motives for Colonization i. Anti-Catholicism is popular in English culture ii. A Discourse Concerning Western Planing argued for settlement to strike a blow 22. at Spain i. National glory, profit, and missionary zeal ii. Trade, not mineral wealth would be basis of empire 23. b. Social Crisis I. Worsening economy and the enclosure movement led to higher inequality and 24. a social crisis 25. ii. Unruly poor were encouraged to leave England for Am 26. b. Masterless Men 27. The english saw Am as place where man could gain economic independence by 28. owning land 29. II. The Coming of the English 30. English Emigrants i. Constant immigration was necessary for survival ii. Between 1607 and 1700, 0.5 million left England 31. Ireland, West Indies and N. Am 32. Majority of N. Am settlers were young, poor, single men 33. b. Indentured Servants i. 2/3 of English settlers came to N. Am as indentured servants ii. No rights while under contract 34. b. Land i. Basis of liberty 35. b. English and Indians i. Mainly wanted to displace indians and settle their land ii. Most acquired land by purchase though iii. Recurrent warfare b/w them, english gain sense of superiority 36. b. Transformation of Indian Life i. English goods quickly integrated in Indian life ii. Overtime European goods changed Indian life 37. Connection with Europeans stimulated warfare among tribes 38. II. Settling the Chesapeake a. Jamestown Colony ii. Settlement and survival questionable due to high death rates, unstable 39. leadership, not enough supplies, and putting gold over farming i. By 1610, only 65 settlers remained alive ii. John Smith's leadership held early colony together iii. New policies adopted in 1618 to help colony 40. Headright system, 50 acres to new settlers 41. Charter of grants and liberties created House of Burgesses 42. First slaves arrived 43. b. Powhatan and Pocahontas i. Powhatan, the leader near Jamestown traded with English ii. Mostly peaceful early on, Pocahontas marries in 1614 44. b. Uprising of 1622 i. Once english had permanent colony, attack on VA in 1622 ii. Through a treaty, put Indians on reservations iii. VA Co. gave charter to the crown in 1624 45. b. A Tobacco Colony i. Tobacco was VA's substitute for gold ii. Expansion of tobacco production, more demand for Labor 46. b. Women and the family i. Society lacked stable family life ii. Women had social freedom unlike in England 47. b. The maryland Experiment i. Maryland In 1632 granted to Calvert full power 48. b. Religion In Maryland i. Refuge for persecuted Catholics 49. II. The New England Way a. Rise of Puritanism ii. Puritanism came from Protestant Reformation in England 50. Puritans believed Church had too many elements of 51. Catholocism i. Religion was complex and demanding, time consuming 52. Teachings ofJohn Calvin 53. b. Moral Liberty i. Most went hoping to establish a Bible Commonwealth that would eventually 54. influence England i. Search of liberty and right to worship and govern themselves ii. Governed by moral "liberty to that only which is good", severe restraints on 55. speech, religion, and behavior 56. b. Pilgrims at Plymouth i. Cape Cod in 1620 Mayflower 57. Mayflower compact, first written frame of Gov in US i. Local indians helped, celebrated in 1621 thanksgiving 58. b. The Great Migration i. MA Bay Co. 1629 looked to further Puritans for profit ii. Differences from Chesapeake colonies 59. Balance of men and women 60. Healthier climate 61. More families 62. b. The Puritan Family i. Same structure as England, men at head of household ii. Women full church membership, could divorce, but unpopular 63. b. Gov't and Society in MA i. MA had self-governing towns 64. Each town had Congregational Church and school 65. To train ministry, Harvard College 1636 i. Freemen of MA elected gov ii. Democracy was for inner circle of church members 66. b. Puritan Liberties i. Social rank produced hierarchial justified by God‘s will ii. Body of Liberties affirmed rights of speech and assembly iii. Ministers formally couldn‘t hold office, but church and state were intertwined 67. II. New Englanders Divided ii. iii. iv. a. Roger Williams Young minister preached religious freedom and separation of Church and State a. RI and CT Williams was banished from MA in 1636, established RI RI was true religious reedom and democracy