THE THIRTEEN ENGLISH COLONIES

Chapter 4, Section 1

The Puritans Leave England for Massachusetts

Migration to Massachusetts began during the 1630 by a religious group known as the Puritans. Puritans: unlike the pilgrims, puritans did not want to

separate entirely from the Church of England.-

They hoped to reform the church by introducing simpler forms of worship, such as doing away with many practices inherited from the Roman Catholic Church such as, organ music, finely decorated houses of worhsip, and speical clothing for priests.

Leaving England During “Evil Times”

Puritans were a powerful group in England, which consisted of mostly well educated farmers.

King Charles I, disliked the Puritans way of life and canceled puritans business charters and even had some thrown in jail.

As a result, the were able to convince royal officials to grant them a charter to form a Massachusetts Bay Company.

Leaving England During “Evil Times” cont.

The Companies plan was to build a society based off of biblical laws and teachings.

John Winthrop, a lawyer and devout Puritan, believed that the new colony would set an example for the world!

Governing the Colony

John Winthrop and a party of more than 1,000 arrived in North American in 1630.

Winthrop was chosen as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

There was a major issue with voting rights in Massachusetts, only stockholders could vote.

Those who were not stock holders, resented taxes and laws passed by a government in which they had no say.

Governing the Colony

Puritan leaders wished to keep non-Puritans out of the government.

As a result, only men who were church goers, were allowed to vote.

Male church members also elected representatives to an assembly called the General Court.

Thomas Hooker Founds Connecticut

May 1636, Puritan leader Thomas Hooker, led 100 settlers out of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

They went west driving cattle, sheep and pigs along an Indian trails.

When they reached the Connecticut River they built a town, which they called Hartford.

Thomas Hooker Founds Connecticut cont..

Hooker left Massachusetts because he believed the governor became too powerful.

He wanted to set up a colony with strict limits on government.

The settlers wrote a strict form of government known as the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut in 1639.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

1. Gave men the right to vote who owned land, including those who were not church goers

2. Limited the Governors Power.

Connecticut became a separate colony in 1662 and by that time 15 towns were thriving along the Connecticut river.

Roger Williams Settles Rhode Island

Williams was a young minister of Salem.

He believed the Puritan church had to much power.

He also believed that there should be a separation between church and state, since political ideas could corrupt the church. Role of the State should be to maintain order and

peace. He also felt the church did not have the right to force

people to attend religious services.

Roger Williams cont…..

Rogers also believed in Religious Tolerance, which means a willingness to let others practice their own beliefs.

Puritan leaders viewed Williams as a threat and ordered him to leave Massachusetts.

Williams fled to Narragansett Bay, because he believed he would be sent back to England.

After a few years it became the English Colony of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island

Williams put into practice his ideas on tolerance.

He allowed complete freedom of religion for Protestants, Jews, and Catholics.

Gave all white men the right vote.

Anne Hutchinson Speaks Out

A devout Puritan.After church her

friends would flock to her house to discuss the minister’s sermon.

Puritan Leaders became angry and believed her religious' opinions were full of errors.

Anne Hutchinson cont..

According to Puritan leaders, women did not have the right to explain God’s Law.

As a result, Hutchinson was forced to appear before the Massachusetts General Court in 1637.

Her downfall came when she told Puritan leaders that “God spoke directly to her”.

Anne Hutchinson cont..

Puritans believed that God only spoke through the bible.

As a result, the court ordered her and her family to leave the colony.

In 1638, Anne and her family arrived in Rhode Island.

As a result, Anne Hutchinson became an important symbol of religious freedom.

Puritans at War with Native Americans

William Penn and Roger Williams tried to treat Native Americans fairly.

As more and more English settlers came to the colonies they began to take over more and more Indian land.

By 1670, 45,000 English settlers lived in New England.

Puritans at War with Native Americans cont…

The largest conflict came in 1675 between English settlers and Indian Chief Metacom (aka King Philip).

Metacom and his people were determined to drive English settlers off of their land.

As a result they became attacking towns.

In the end they destroyed 12 towns and killed over 600 people.

Religion and Family

Sabbath- Holy day of rest. On Sundays puritans were not allowed to play games or visit taverns, talk or drink.

The law required everyone to attend church on Sundays. Men sat on side of the church while the women sat on

the other.

Government

Town Meetings: settlers discussed and voted on many issues.

This encouraged the growth of democratic ideas in New England.

THE MIDDLE COLONIES

Chapter 4, Section 2

New Netherland Becomes New York

The Dutch set up the colony New Netherlands along the Hudson river.

New Netherlands became a thriving port do to trading with Indians and the selling of Beaver skins.

To encourage farming, Dutch officials granted large parcels of land to a few rich families.

Owners of these large estates were Patroons.

New Netherlands becomes N.Y. cont

By 1664 , the rivalry between England and the Netherlands had reached its peak!!

By December, English warships had entered

into New Amsterdam's harbor.

Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant was unable to defend the city and had to surrender without even firing a shot.

New Netherlands becomes N.Y. cont

As a result, King Charles II gave New Netherland to his brother, the Duke of York.

He then renamed the colony “New York” in the Dukes honor.

New Jersey Separates from N.Y.

New York had stretched as far south as Delaware.

The Duke decided that the colony was too big to govern easy.

They gave some land to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret and they set a proprietary colony , which they called New Jersey, in 1664.

Proprietary Colony – the king gave land to one or more people in return for yearly payment. The proprietors were allowed to divide the land and rent it to

others.

New Jersey Separates from N.Y.

N.J. had fertile land and a wealth of other resources which attracted people from all over such as Finland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and of course the English and Dutch.

By 1702, New Jersey became a Royal Colony, which is a colony under the direct control of the English crown.

The Founding of Pennsylvania

William Penn, founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681.

He was a personal friend of King Charles II.

He Joined the Quakers, who were the most despised religious groups in England.

The Quakers

They were Protestant reformers.They believed that men, women, and children

were all equal under God’s sight. Women were allowed to preach and refused to bow or

remove their hats in presence of nobles.

In England Quakers were jailed or even hanged for their beliefs.

Penn went to King Charles II for help. As a result the king gave Penn a charter naming him

proprietor of a large tract of land. The new colony would be know as Pennsylvania.

A Policy of Fairness

Penn wanted his new colony to be a model of religious freedom

As a result, Protestants, Catholics, and Jews went to Pennsylvania to escape persecution.

Penn also spoke out for fair treatment of Native Americans and believed the land in North American belonged to them. Settlers should pay Indians for the land. Indians respected Penn and there was peace between

them for years.

The Colony Grows

Large numbers of German speaking Protestants came to Pennsylvania.

They were known as Pennsylvania Dutch.African slaves were also brought to

Pennsylvania which made up 1/3 of all new arrivals.

The capital city of Pennsylvania was Philadelphia “the city of brotherly love”.

Life in the Middle Colonies

Most people made a living by farming in the Middle colonies.

The land was more fertile there than in the New England colonies.

Growing seasons also lasted longer than in New England.

A thriving Economy in the Eastern Countries

Cash Crops - crops that are sold for money at the market.

The Middle Colonies made so much grain they became known as the “Breadbasket Colonies.

Farmers also raised herds of cattle, goats, and pigs and sent tons of meat each year to the ports in N.Y. and Penn.

A thriving Economy in the Eastern Countries cont….

There were also large numbers of artisans in the Middle Colonies.

In time, Pennsylvania became a center of manufacturing and crafts.

Settlers also profited from the regions rich iron ore deposits.

Middle Colony Homes

Homes in Pennsylvania were far apart from each other. As a result there were county meetings instead of town meetings.

Swedish settlers introduced Log Cabins to America.

The Dutch used red bricks to build narrow high walled houses.

German settlers introduced wood-burning stove that heated a home better than a fire place.

The Backcountry

THE SOUTHERN COLONIES

Chapter 4, Section 3

Setting the Scene

The Mason- Dixon Line - was a more than just the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

It divided the Middle colonies from the Southern Colonies.

Lord Baltimore’s Colony of Maryland

In 1632, Sir George Calvert persuaded King Charles I to grant him land for a new colony.

He wanted to build a colony where Roman Catholics could practice their religion freely.

He named the Colony Maryland in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria, the kings wife.

Settling the Colony

Maryland was truly the land of the plenty such as fish, oysters, and crabs.

Remembering the hardships at Jamestown, the new comers to Maryland avoided swampy lowlands. Their first town was St. Mary’s.

-Eager to attract more settlers, Lord Baltimore made generous land grants who brought over servants, women, and children.

Settling the Colony cont…

Two sisters took advantage of Lord Baltimore’s offer of land. Margaret and Mary Brent

They arrived in Maryland with nine male servants.

Set up two plantations consisting of 1,000 acres each.

Religious Tolerance

To ensure that the population of Maryland continued to grow, Lord Baltimore welcomed Protestants and Catholics into the colony.

In 1649, he helped pass an Act of Toleration. This law provided religious freedom for all Christians.

This act did not extend toward Jews.

Bacon’s Rebellion

In Virginia more and more settlers began moving inland onto Indian lands to try and make a profit growing tobacco.

There were several bloody clashes between English settlers and Indians.

English settlers asked the governor to take action but he refused because he was profiting from fur trade with the Indians.

Nathaniel Bacon

In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon, a young farmer, organized men and women on the frontier.

They raided all Indian villages regardless if they were friendly or not!

He then led his followers into Jamestown where they burned the capital.

Bacon continued

This uprising was known as Bacon’s Rebellion, which lasted only a short time.

The Governor hanged 23 of Bacon’s Followers.

The Carolinas

In 1663, a group of eight English Nobles received a grant from King Charles II.

The Settlement took place in two separate areas, North and South.

The Carolinas cont..

Settlers in the northern part of the Carolinas were mostly poor tobacco farmers.

They were farmers who left Virginia, and they acquired small areas of land.

Eventually in 1712, this area became known as North Carolina.

South Carolina was formed in 1719 and its capital was Charleston.

Rise of Plantation Slavery

In 1685 farmers realized that rice grew well in swampy areas.

Carolina rice became profitable as a result of slaves that were brought over from Africa.

Farmers later learned to grow Indigo, which was a plant that was used to create a blue dye.

Rise of Plantation Slavery

Planters needed large numbers of workers to grow rice.

They tried to enslave Indians to work but many died from disease.

Planters then turned slaves from Africa who were brought here against their will.

Soon Africans outnumbered Europeans in America 2 to 1.

Georgia

Last of England's 13 colonies.

James Oglethrope, an English Soldier, founded Georgia in 1732.

He wanted Georgia to be a place where debtors could make a fresh start.

Georgia cont..

Debtors - people who owed money they could not pay back.

English law stated debtors could be imprisoned until they paid what they owed. As a result, after jail they ad no money or place to live.

-Oglethorpe offered to pay for debtors and other people to travel to Georgia.

-In 1733 the colonies first settlement was built in Savannah Georgia consisting of 120 colonists..

-Georgia’s population and productivity began to thrive when Oglethorpe allowed slave labor.

Tidewater Plantation

Southern colonies ad warmer weather and thrived at growing tobacco.

South Carolina and Georgia excelled in growing indigo and rice.

There were roughly 20 to 100 slaves working on plantations, most of which worked in the fields. Others were skilled laborers or house servants.

Tidewater Plantations cont

Enslaved Africans played a crucial role on many plantations.

They used their native farming skills they had brought from West Africa.

English settlers learned to grow rice and used plants unfamiliar to the English.

They used palmetto leaves to make fans, brooms, and baskets.

The Backcountry South

The backcountry was more democratic, people treated each other as equals.

Men tended to small fields of tobacco or garden crops such as beans, corn, or peas.

Hunted game.

Provided all the food they needed.

Fewer slaves worked on the small farms.

Growth of Slavery and the Slave Trade

The first enslaved Africans arrived in 1639.Some Africans were servants and others were

slaves.Some Africans were able to buy their own

freedom and become successful property owners such as “Anthony Johnson”.

By 1700, southern colonies greatly depended on slaves.

They cleared the land, worked the crops, and tended livestock.

Slavery in Africa

In Africa, slavery was a tradition going back to ancient times.

Slaves were originally people who have been captured in war.

They were treated as servants not property.

Muslim merchants also carried African slaves into Europe and the Middle East.

Slavery in Africa cont….

Over a period of less than 400 years, millions of Africans were enslaved.

Western European nations set up posts along the coast of West Africa where they traded guns and other goods for slaves.

The slaves were loaded onto the ship like cattle and sent to America.

The Middle Passage

English sailors began referring to the passage of slave ship west across the Atlantic Ocean as the Middle Passage.

Slaves were chained together hand to foot, and stowed so close that they were not allowed above a foot and a half from each other.

They were allowed on deck to eat and exercise once or twice a day.

Resistance

To avoid a life of slavery, many Africans: Slaves fought back.

Refused to eat

Jumped overboard

And in rare occasions escaped

The Middle Passage cont..

Nearly 10 percent of all Africans loaded onto ships for slavery died on the voyage.

Many died of disease and some died from mistreatment.

Over 400 years more than 2 to 3 million Africans died on their way to America.

Limiting Rights

Colonists passed laws that set out rules for slaves and denied them their basic rights.

Slave Codes- treated enslaved Africans not as human beings but as property.

Colonists believed that blacks were inferior to white Europeans.

Racism- the belief that one race is superior to another.

ROOTS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT

Chapter 4, section 4

England Regulates Trade

England believed that the colonies should benefit the home country.

Mercantilism: an economic theory, in which a nation became strong by keeping strict control over its trade.

The Colonies could only trade with England.

English Trade Routes cont…

Mercantilists thought that a country should export more than it imports.

Exports – goods sent to markets outside the country.

Imports- goods brought into the country.

During the 1650s, the English Parliament passed a series of Navigation Acts, which regulated trade between England and its colonies.

This ensured that only England benefited from colonial trade.

Navigation Acts

The Acts listed what items the colonies could ship to England such as tobacco and cotton

The Navigation Acts helped the colonies as well. Forces colnists to build ship and as a result the New

England Colonies became a prosperous ship building center.

Many Colonists resented the Navigation Act because they believed the laws only favored English merchants. As a result some merchants found a way of getting

around these acts.

Trade in Rum and Slaves

Merchants form New England dominated colonial trade.

They were known as Yankees, which was a nickname that implied they were clever and hard working.

They earned a reputation from making a profit from any deal.

Triangular Trade

Colonial merchants developed many trade routes.

Triangular Trade – a famous trade route that got its name from the three legs of the route formed a triangle. 1. ships from New England to the West indies

carrying fish and lumber. 2. Carried rum, guns, gunpowder, and clothing to

West Africa. 3. Ships carried slaves that they acquired from

West Africa to the West Indies.

Elected Representatives

Each colony had a legislature.A Legislature is a group of people who have

the power to make laws.In most colonies the legislature had an upper

house and a lower house. The upper house consisted of advisers appointed by

the Governor. The lower houses was an elected assembly.

It approved laws and protected citizens rights. Any governor who ignored the assembly risked losing his

salary.

The Right to Vote

Only white Christian men over the age of 21 were allowed to vote.

In some colonies only White Protestant men were allowed to vote.

All voters had to own property

Bill of Rights

Glorious Revolution of 1688, Parliament removed King James II from the throne and William and Mary of the Netherlands to rule.

As a result, they signed the English Bill of Rights in 1689. Bill of Rights- is a written list of freedoms the

government promises to protect.

English Bill of Rights- protected the rights of individuals and gave anyone accused of a crime the right to trial by jury.

Limits on Liberties

Women had rights in the colonies but far fewer than white males.

A married woman could not start her own business or sign a contract unless her husband approved it.

Single women had more rights than married women in some colonies.

Africans or Indians had almost no rights.

The conflict between liberty and slavery would not be resolved until the 1860s.

LIFE IN THE COLONIES

Chapter 4, section 5

Colonial Society

For the most part colonists enjoyed more social equality than people in England.

However, during colonial time a person’s birth and wealth still determined his or her social status.

The Gentry and the Middle Class

At the top of the Social Class were the Gentry. They were wealthy planters, merchants, ministers,

lawyers, and royals.

The Middle Class – Farmers who worked their own land, skilled craft workers, and tradespeople.

*¾ of all white colonists belonged to the middle class.

The middle class prospered because land was plentyful.

Indentured Servants

The lowest social class included hired farmhands, indentured servants, and slaves.

Indentured Servants – an individual would sign a contract to work without pay wages for a period of four to seven years.

Thousands of people came to North America as indentured servants.

Women’s Work in the Colonies

A wife took care of the household, husband, and family.

She cooked meals, milked cows, watched the children, and made clothing.

In the backcountry wives worked side by side with their husbands.

In cities, women sometimes worked outside the home.

A single woman may work as a maid.Some sewed hates or dresses.

African Cultural Influences

African customs remained strong among slaves.

Parents gave their children traditional African names.

In some regions slaves spoke a distinctive combination of English and West African Language know as Gullah.

African Cultural Influences cont..

In South Carolina Africans worked along the docks , making rope or barrels, and helped build ships.

Some Africans opened up their own shops or stalls in the marked.

They used what money they made to buy their own and family’s freedom.

Africans took part in a ceremony to speed a dead man’s spirit to his home, which he believed was Africa.

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was a religious movement that swept through the colonies during the 1730s and 1740s.

Preacher Jonathan Edwards, helped set off the Great Awakening. Told young people to examine their lives, and taught

them the beauty of God.

In 1739, when an English minister George Whitefield arrived in the Colonies , the movement spread like wildfire.

Impact of the Great Awakening

People who supported the movement normally separated from their church.

Many believer felt more free to challenge authority when their liberties were at stake.

They began to think differently about their political rights and government.

Education in the Colonies

New Englanders were the most concerned about education.

In 1642, Massachusetts assembly passed a law ordering all parents to teach their children to “read and understand the principles of religion.

Towns with 100 or more residents set up a grammar school.

Massachusetts set up the first public school, or schools supported by taxes.

New England Schools

Public school allowed both rich and poor children to receive an education.

The schools hand only one room for students of all ages.

The teacher was paid in corn, peas, or other foods.

Students were also expected to bring wood to burn in the stove.

Middle and Southern Colonies

In the middle colonies churches set up private schools.

Since pupils had to pay to go to school , only the wealthy families could afford to send their children.

In Southern colonies, people lived to far away from each other to bring children together in one school building.

Some families used tutors, private teachers.

By law slaves were not allowed to receive an education.

Apprenticeships and Dame Schools

Boys whose parents wished for them to learn a trade or craft served as apprentices.

An apprentice worked for a master to learn a trade. A child would normally live with the mentor for six to seven

years . The mentor would give the boy food and clothing. As a result, he would not pay the boy.

Girls normally attended Dame Schools, private schools run by women in their own homes. Other girls normally learned how to spin wool and

other skills by watching their mother.

The Enlightenment Spreads

European thinkers of the last 1600s and 1700s believed that reason and scientific methods could be applied in society.

Since thinkers believed in the light of human reason, the movement was know as the Enlightenment.

The most famous person during the Enlightenment was English Philosopher, John Locke. People could gain knowledge through observing and

experimenting.

Benjamin Franklin

Best example of the Enlightenment in the 13 colonies was Benjamin Franklin.

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Benjamin Franklin cont..

Like other Enlightenment thinkers Benjamin Franklin wanted to use reason to improve the world around him.

He invented: A lightning rod, smokeless fireplace, bifocal glasses.

Got Philadelphia officials to pave roads, organize a fire company, and set up the first lending library in America.

Colonial Cities

Towns and cities served as the center of trade between the coast and the growing backcountry.

Culture flourished in the cities. By mid 1700s many cities had their own theaters.

People sang songs, there were traveling circuses, carnivals, and horse races.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger

Growth of Colonial Newspapers led to dispute over freedom of the press.

John Peter Zenger published the Weekly Journal in N.Y.C.

He was arrested for publishing stories that criticized the governor.

John Peter Zenger cont..

Zenger was put on trail for libel- the act of publishing a statement that may unjustly damage a person’s reputation.

Zenger's lawyer said since the stories were true that he could not be tried for libel.

The jury agreed and freed Zenger.

* Freedom of the Press would become recognized as a basic American right!!