Study Guide Unit I Colonization

Groups Before European Contact

Native Americans:
Prior to the discovery of the New World by Columbus in 1492, there existed
many different tribes across the continent with many very different cultures.
Some of these tribes had agricultural societies, however, most of them were
semi-nomadic hunter/gatherers. These groups did have lots of contact with
the others, as evident through the very extensive trade networks that
spanned the entire continent. When these groups encountered Europeans,
there were many differences in their values, however, that caused
misunderstandings or differences of opinion. The Native Americans did not
have as much of an emphasis on ownership as the Europeans did, and most
land and goods were shared tribally. As well, there was a less rigid social
structure, with many societies being much more matriarchal than Europe
was.
Iroquois:
The Iroquois were a conglomerate of many tribes in the Northeast United
States near what is now Upstate New York. This Confederacy was formed
when the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes all merged
to create a larger nation and presence. They were matrilineal, and employed
a similar political system to the United States today, with multiple regions
being governed under a central government.

Areas Of Settlement and Information Regarding The Settlement

Virginia
Roanoke The first settlement founded in Virginia, it was founded in 1587,
was mysteriously abandoned sometime between 1588-1560, and the settlers
have never been found or had their whereabouts known again.
Jamestown In 1607, 104 men set sail to establish a settlement at
Jamestown as a part of a joint stock company. Upon their arrival, they were a
bit too ambitious with what they might find when they explored the local
area, and looked for gold incessantly. As such,, they neglected to plant crops,
and subsequently nearly all perished in their first winter. However, they
turned to the leadership of John Smith, whos no work, no food policies got
the colony back on track. John Smith returned to England in 1609, and the
colony nearly fell apart again in his absence. To encourage people to come

and work in the new colony, the British implemented what was known as the
Headright System, in which any man who came to the new colony was
promised 50 acres of land per person, or head, that they brought with
them. After seeing a lot of difficulty in the first years, their fortunes took a
turn for the better when the settlers began growing tobacco as one of their
primary crop. This prompted growth, however some of the biggest
developments in the growth of the colony occurred in 1619. In that year, the
first women were transported by the company to the colony, the first slaves
were transported by the company, and the company established formal
legislature for the first time. Yet there were still some issues for the colonists,
firstly, as you can read about below, the local native population were not
happy about the Headright System. Secondly, the company still hadnt made
much profit, which did not make them happy.
Powhatan Confederacy - Powhatan was a powerful local chief of a tribal
conglomerate in Virginia. Upon the arrival of the settlers, there initially was
some conflict, however, this was peacefully resolved and they lived in
harmony soon thereafter. This peace was settled by Powhatans daughter,
Pocahontas, marrying John Rolfe, a settler. However, Powhatan died in 1618,
resulting in tension rising once again. Powhatans brother assumed control of
the tribe, and attempted to make the settlers pay for what they had done by
taking land. The natives massacred the settlers on 3/26/1622. The settlers
retaliated with a war that lasted nine years. Because of this effort, the
company went bankrupt. Eventually, the king took over, and founded the
colony of Virginia.
Maryland
Maryland was founded by George Calvert, aka Lord Baltimore to be a refuge
for Catholics. However, despite his intentions, not many Catholics come to
the new colony. However, many protestants do, and the protestants
eventually overwhelm the Catholics. Maryland becomes assimilated as just
another colony.
New England
Plymouth This colony was founded by so-called Pilgrims, largely from the
town of Scrooby. Pilgrims believed that the Church of England was out of line,
and felt that they needed to go out on their own and establish a land where
they could practice their own form of religion. In 1620, they arrived at
Plymouth. After a bad first winter, they encounter Squanto and Samoset, who
help them learn how to harvest crops and thrive. They were under the
leadership of John Winthrop, whos City on a hill sermon symbolized the
colonists attitudes for decades to come.

Massachusetts Bay Colony This colony was founded in 1630 by a group of

people similar to the Pilgrims, but this group were called Puritans. The only
difference in their beliefs is while Pilgrims shunned the Church of England,
the Puritans believed it could be saved, and tries to purify the church,
hence their name.
Pequot War In between 1630 and 1642, 13,000 British people immigrated
to New England. This angered the local Pequot tribe, who attacked the
settlers. However, the settlers soundly won.
Rhode Island Founded by a man named Roger Williams, who was banished
from claiming that the Puritans were as bad as the Church of England, whom
they were attempting to be anything but. He was banished, and founded the
colony of Rhode Island, which quickly became known as a place where
anyone could comfortably take refuge. Examples of those who did include
Anne Hutchinson, a banished midwife.
Daily Life In New England, people enjoyed a very high standard of living
compared to the rest of the world. Unlike Virginia, the motive of the settlers
was not to make profit, but to create a functioning and well-rounded society,
with emphases on education and literacy. New England was one of the first
places in which meeting ones grandparents became common.
The Caribbean
The Islands of the Caribbean were not owned by any one nation. Instead,
many different nations each held their own possessions amongst the islands.
However, unlike some of the colonies, which were founded with the intent of
making a successful society, these were purely founded with the hope of
making a profit. This was accomplished by growing and cultivating sugar as
the king crop on these islands. First, local natives did the labor, but they died
at an alarming rate and a new method had to be found. Now, the Europeans
turned to importing African Slaves, which they did with an alarming
efficiency. By 1750, there were 250,000 African Slaves living on these
islands. These slaves lived in horrid conditions, but managed to keep some
semblance of their native culture alive, through the names of their children,
the music they sang, and the elaborate processions of their funerals.
The Carolinas
South Carolina - With the Capitol city being a very advantageously located
port at Charleston, South Carolina flourished early due to the mild climate
and fertile soil of the area. The main crops that were original grown included
Rice, Indigo, and Tobacco. However, all of this industrial development was
made possible by the large-scale use of slaves.

North Carolina North Carolinas climate and soil varied drastically from
South Carolina, with North Carolina possessing a much more mountainous,
wooded, and less fertile climate. This is exemplified by the size and location
of the Capitol, Raleigh. It was a much smaller city, and did not have a
functioning port. The economy of North Carolina was driven by smaller-scale
plantations, which mainly grew tobacco.
Georgia
Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe as a home for those in debtors
jail. This was employed as a buffer colony, protecting the extremely
financially successful colony of South Carolina from the increasingly hostile
Spanish forces in Florida. However, over time, land was claimed by farmers
and plantation owners, and it became incorporated as a colony like any other
region.
Pennsylvania
Founded by William Penn as a sanctuary for Quakers, the king granted Penn
the land on the stipulation that the colony would be named after his father.
Penn, despite not being a vain man in the slightest, did so, and named it
Pennsylvania, or Penns Woods. This very wooded, but fertile state, had lots
of farming and agriculture. This colony more than any other was accepting of
all religions, as the founding Quaker principles were very non-violent.
Dutch New Netherlands
New Netherlands consisted of what is now New York, alongside territory
going up the Hudson to Albany, which was used as a trading post with the
Iroquois, as well as New Jersey, which was very fertile and used for a lot of
farming. It was given up due to Dutch priorities lying elsewhere, which the
colonies being trade for some islands in the East Indies, where the Dutch
pursued the spice trade. However, when it is taken over, the English do not
change much about the diverse nature of New Netherlands, especially the
largest city, New Amsterdam.

List Of English Monarchs During This Period (Aside)

1. Henry VII
a. Stabilized England during his reign
2. Henry VIII
a. Founded the Church of England during his reign
b. Did not like the Catholic Church
3. Edward VII
a. The son of Henry VIII, he died very young
4. Mary
a. The daughter of Henry VIII
b. Tried to switch back to Catholicism

c. This was largely ineffective

5. Elizabeth I
a. Well known due to William Shakespeare writing his works during
her reign
b. For the first time, she actively push the British to explore more
c. She never has a son
i. Married to England
d. Her cousin, James, becomes king
6. James I
a. Jamestown was named after him
7. Charles I
a. Believed in the divine right of kings
b. Was not popular with the people
c. Civil War erupts
8. Civil War Oliver Cromwell
9. Charles II
a. During his reign, the Carolina colonies were founded, named
after his Latin name, Carolinus
10.
James II
a. Not a very popular king, he was secretly a Catholic, which got
parliament upset. However, he had no sons with his first wife, a
Protestant, only a protestant daughter.
b. Because of this, he was tolerated, knowing that the crown would
return to Protestant hands upon his death.
c. However, he has a second wife, and fathers a son who is
baptized in the Catholic Church
d. At this point, Parliament invites William of Orange (The husband
of Jamess daughter), to invade England to seize the crown
e. Called Glorious Revolution
11.
William and Mary
a. College was named after them
12.
Anne
13.
George I
14.
George II
15.
George III
a. He was the king during the American Revolution

Indian European Relationships

Much of these relationships depended on the region, as there was no one
dominant philosophy as to how to treat the natives.
Spanish Borderlands The Spanish, more than any other country, truly
attempted to assert dominance over the Native Population. Spain had a very
large military force, and used the Natives to provide cheap labor with the
threat of the military looming in the background. The Encomienda was the

Spanish tax on the Natives for living in the Spanish Empire and benefiting
from their laws, while in reality these natives lacked any of the benefits a
citizen had. Another method of control was the Repartimiento, which
enabled the Spanish to draft any locals for labor on any public works project.
The Use Of Trade This largely French system of control had the French allow
the natives to build up large amounts of credit for French goods that were
imported. These were paid back in furs, which eventually led to the massdepletion of the local beaver population. This form of economic control was
just as devastating as the Spanish method, however, as the lack of beavers
resulted in a war breaking out between the Iroquois and Huron over the right
to use certain lands for hunting. This became known as the Beaver Wars, and
the Iroquois won, largely due to receiving arms and other support from the
Dutch.
Displacing Natives This was largely practiced by the English, in which the
natives were either legally or illegally removed form their land. Part of this
was due to misunderstanding by the English on how the natives used land, in
which different areas would be cycled through and used once every
generation or so as the nomadic nature of the tribe moved around.
Resulting Conflicts
King Philips War The Wampanoag Tribe, fed up with the English, attacked
Plymouth Colony in 1675, led by their leader, King Philip, or Metacomet. After
a few moths, the attack ran out of energy, and the war was lost by the
Natives by 1676. However, they were able to decimate the colonial
population, making this the deadliest per-capita war in American History.
Bacons Rebellion This conflict took place in Virginia, and began when the
Governor of the colony, William Berkeley, rescinded the headright policy due
to encroachment on the native population. This angered the local indentured
servants, who, with the help of a man named Nathaniel Bacon, attacked the
local Sussquehannocks. This angered Governor Berkeley, upon which Bacon
threatened to march on Jamestown, which he did, and seized power. Quickly,
reinforcements are called for from England to put this down. However, by the
time reinforcements arrived, Bacon was dead and the rebellion had largely
lost steam.

Slavery In The New World

Unlike previous instances of slavery, this was different due to two factors, the
racial element of the slavery and the fact that it was self perpetuating,
meaning that children of slaves would also be slaves. Over time, as more
slaves came to the Americas, the rules regarding them became more strict.
However, despite this, they became an economic necessity, and not only

from those who directly benefitted from it, as many farmers operated by
selling their goods to the sugar plantations in the Caribbean. These slaves
developed a very unique culture over time that became a combination of
traditional African and European.
Slave Revolts Slaves, despite the looming consequence of death for not
only yourself but possibly your family, found times to revolt. A famous
example is the Stono Rebellion, in South Carolina, where a group of slaves
stole some arms and attempted to march to Florida. However, the were
stopped by many different forced, and the rebellion was quelled.

Immigration
Groups (In Order Of Arrival)
1. English/Welsh
2. Dutch
3. Scots/Irish
a. Arrive Late
b. Claim land far from shore (VA, NC, SC)
4. Huguenots (French Protestants)
a. Go to the big cities
b. New Rochelle
5. German Protestants
a. Pennsylvania Dutch = German (Deutschland)
6. Irish Catholics

Mercantilism
The Tenets of Mercantilism:
1. A wealthy Nation is a powerful Nation
2. Wealth is accrued through stores of gold and silver
3. Gold and silver are gained through making profits in trade
4. To gain gold and silver, a country must therefor export more than it
imports
The colonies played into this belief by providing access to resources that are
not abundant in the mother country. It also serves as a market for domestic
goods. The British tried to use this to their benefit by regulating who and how
the colonies could trade with, starting with the Navigation Act. The colonies
resisted, and this became a point of contention.

The Enlightenment/Great Awakening

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment was a movement that attempted to
move away from religion by placing a greater emphasis on rationality and
reason. This movement took hold in the colonies well due to a variety of

reasons including: high literacy rates, lots of schools, and not strict
government regulation. One of these enlightenment thinkers, John Locke,
says that there are three inalienable rights, which are Life, liberty, and the
pursuit of property, which furthered this thinking. This was aided by the
prevalence of newspapers in the colonies, which were able to spread these
ideas with unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness.
The Great Awakening Countering the Enlightenment, there became a
reboud movement, called the Great Awakening, in which many people during
this time became even more strictly religious, one of these famous speakers
was Jonathan Edwards, who gave the Gad hates you sermon, and another
was George Whitefield. However, this sparled a division between the
extremely religious, the New Light, or those who were recently converted,
and the Old Lights, or those who were always religious.

Colonial Government
Prior to the Glorious Revolution in England, King James II decided to
consolidate governing almost all of the Northeastern colonies, and created
the Dominion of New England, which was governed by a single governor,
Edmund Andros. Following the Glorious Revolution, Andros was immediately
removed. This resulted in a few ripple effects amongst the colonies.
- In Maryland, the Catholics were officially kicked out by the
Protestants
- There was an attempted rebellion in Virginia
- Leislers Rebellion took place in New York, where Jacob Leisler, a
German Immigrant, led a rebellion that successfully overthrew the
government in New York for two weeks. However, soldiers
eventually ended his rebellion, and Leisler was hung.
However, this got Colonists thinking about what type of government was
best. Currently, the colonies each had a king-appointed governor, who was
supported by a bicameral legislature, whose laws were all ratified by the
king. There was voting that took place, however, suffrage was limited to
Church-going, white, men. At the local level, the towns were governed by
town meeting, in which anyone who was permitted would come and discuss
a matter until they came to an agreement. However, a very powerful
influence at this time in politics was that of the mob, as mobs had serious
destructive power, and their anger would often only end when their demands
were met.
One of the systems that became popular during this time was the Whig
Ideology. This stated that concentrated power was bad, as it could cause
corruption, a horrible scourge. Also, they stated that standing armies should
not be used. This was reiterated famously my a man named Zenger, who
printed this idea in his newspaper, and ina highly publicized trial, was thrown
in jail for it.