Middle Colonies & the Lower South

Themes Middle Colonies: New York &

Pennsylvania

Colonies of the Lower South: South Carolina & Georgia

Early history of these colonies

Describe the life of slaves living in South Carolina

New YorkEarly Dutch Claims Henry Hudson explored

the Hudson River in 1609

Fort Nassau was founded in 1614 near Albany

New Netherland was established in 1625 on Manhattan Island

New York Dutch West India Fur Company founded

New Netherland in 1625

Fur trade was key to the regional economy

Encouraged migration to the colony with “patroonships” – large tracts of land awarded to individuals bringing 50 or more settlers

Practice led to large estates & an elite class

New York About 9,000 lived in New Netherland by the

1660s

Tension grew between the English & the Dutch in the area

England sent a force of ships to conquer the Dutch settlement

Peter Stuyvesant surrendered to the English in 1664

New Netherland became New York

Dutch Legacy Diverse population:

Dutch, English, German, French, Scandinavian, & African

Protestants, Catholics, Jews, & Muslims

Place names & customs: Brooklyn, Harlem Easter eggs, waffles

PennsylvaniaWilliam Penn Son of Admiral Sir

William Penn

Became a Quaker as a student at Oxford

Inherited land extending westward from the Delaware River

PennsylvaniaWilliam Penn

Made efforts to bring new people into this area

Established cordial relations with the Native Americans

Called his chief city “Philadelphia” – the city of brotherly love

PennsylvaniaQuakers

Quakers = Society of Friends

Founded by George Fox in 1647

Believed in the doctrine of individual inspiration & interpretation – the “inner light”

PennsylvaniaQuakers

Discarded all formal ministry, refused to take oaths, embraced pacifism

Wanted complete religious freedom for all, equality of the sexes, & full participation of women in religious affairs

Were subject to intense persecution

South Carolina Charles II granted

land south of Virginia to 8 supporters in 1663

Given the title of Lord Proprietors

Able to exercise their authority with virtual independence

South CarolinaBackground

Settlement in the area began in 1670 Many of its early settlers came from

colonies in the Caribbean, particularly Barbados

Persecution in the early 1600s had led many to leave England

About 110,000 settled in the West Indies

South CarolinaBackground

Sugar production was key to the Caribbean economy

Required large labor force Originally relied on indentured servants Soon replaced by African slaves

South Carolina

In the 1670s, many migrated from the Caribbean to the Carolinas where they began to grow rice

South CarolinaSearch for a Labor Force

By 1710s, blacks outnumbered whites in SC

Indentured Servants African Slaves

Slaves for life Had knowledge of rice cultivation Immune to malaria & yellow fever Led to a black majority in SC by 1710s

Slave Trade Largest forced

migration in human history

Involved about 10 million Africans

About 400,000 were sent to the colonies

Most were from West Africa

Slave Trade

Slave TradeMiddle Passage

Journey took from 6 weeks to 3 months

Shipping companies competed to design ships that would fit the most slaves

Crowded, unsanitary conditions

Between 10-20% on the voyage

Slave Trade

Life under SlaveryBrutality

Slaves were bought and sold like animals

Worked long hours & could be punished for no reason

Lived in 1-room shacks with dirt floors

Ate corn & salted pork

Life under SlaveryHolding onto African Heritage

Children were given African names

Music reflected African origins

Gullah – A language made up of African & English words

Life under SlaverySlave Resistance

Completely submissive & obedient

Small in number

Completely resistant

Small in number

Subtle resistance

Frequent

Life under SlaverySlave Resistance

Breaking or pretending not to know how to use tools, faking illnesses

Escape for short periods of time

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Context

Yellow fever outbreak in Charleston

Increased hostilities between England & Spain

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Beginnings Twenty slaves, led by a slave named

Jemmy, broke into a store Took weapons & gunpowder Killed the storekeepers – placed their heads

on display

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Beginnings Joined by slaves from other plantations

Eventually totaled 60-100 slaves

Traveled south, toward Spanish Florida Burned 7 plantations & killed 20-25 whites

along the way

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Continued Confronted by the local militia the next

day 20 whites & 44 slaves were killed Heads of the rebels were mounted on stakes

along major roadways to serve as a warning

Largest slave rebellion of the colonial era

Stono Rebellion (1739)

Aftermath A new Slave Code was passed

Slave patrols were expanded Fined slave owners who did not keep control

of their slaves

Georgia Founded in 1732 &

named for King George II

Created as a buffer between South Carolina & Spanish Florida

GeorgiaBackground

A group of trustees was charged with ruling the colony in its early years

One trustee, James Oglethorpe, was key to the colony’s early history

Hoped the colony could serve as a haven for debtors who could leave jail if they agreed to relocate in Georgia

Prohibited slavery & alcohol Limited landholdings to 500 acres

GeorgiaEarly History

Population totaled nearly 3,000 by the 1740s

Settlers came from Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, & England

Missionaries, including John Wesley, attempted to spread Christianity

GeorgiaEarly History

Ultimately, the population remained small & early goals were not reached

By 1750, slavery had been legalized & size limits for landholdings were lifted

Life began to resemble that in South Carolina with the rise of an elite planters who relied on slave labor