Overview
This lecture reviews key developments in North American colonization from 1607 to 1754, focusing on motives, methods, and impacts of Spanish, French, Dutch, and British colonies.
European Colonization Approaches
- Spain colonized to extract wealth through mining and cash crops, enforcing conversion and a caste system based on race.
- The French prioritized trade (especially fur), established limited settlements, and formed alliances—including intermarriage—with Native Americans.
- The Dutch focused on economic trade, especially fur, in New Amsterdam (later New York), showing little interest in religious conversion.
- Britain sought economic opportunities and religious freedom, establishing varied colonies along North America's east coast.
British Colonial Regions
- Chesapeake: Jamestown (1607) was profit-driven, financed by joint-stock companies, relied on indentured servants, and later African slaves after Bacon’s Rebellion.
- New England: Settled by Pilgrims for religious reasons, developed family farming and commerce, and experienced high mortality in early years.
- West Indies & Southern Colonies: Grew tobacco and sugarcane with intensive plantation slavery; Barbados and Carolinas developed strict slave codes.
- Middle Colonies: Diverse populations, thriving export economies (mainly cereal crops), and greater religious tolerance in places like Pennsylvania.
Colonial Society & Governance
- Colonies developed democratic systems like the Mayflower Compact and House of Burgesses, but power was held by elite landowners or merchants.
- Trade systems, including the triangular trade and Navigation Acts, integrated the colonies into mercantilist global commerce, enriching elites and stimulating urban growth.
Slavery and Native Relations
- All colonies participated in the slave trade; labor systems increasingly relied on African slaves, especially in South and Caribbean.
- Slave resistance included covert actions and uprisings like the Stono Rebellion (1739).
- Conflict with Native Americans continued, illustrated by Metacom’s (King Philip’s) War in New England.
Ideas and Cultural Changes
- The Enlightenment emphasized rationalism, natural rights, social contract, and division of government power.
- New Light clergy and the Great Awakening (religious revival led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield) challenged elite dominance and fostered shared American identity.
- Colonies underwent "Anglicanization," resembling English society but also developed frustration and resistance against British practices, e.g., impressment into the Royal Navy.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Joint-stock company — Private investors pool resources to fund colonies and share profits.
- Indentured servitude — Labor system where passage to America exchanged for years of work.
- Mercantilism — Economic theory focusing on accumulating gold/silver through a favorable balance of trade.
- Navigation Acts — British laws mandating colonial trade through English ships and ports.
- Triangular Trade — Three-part trade route exchanging rum, enslaved people, and sugar between New England, Africa, and the West Indies.
- Slave codes — Laws defining enslaved people as property and restricting their rights.
- Enlightenment — Movement stressing reason, science, and individual rights.
- Great Awakening — Religious revival movement promoting individual faith and equality.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review definitions and examples of European colonial strategies.
- Study causes and effects of key events: Bacon’s Rebellion, Stono Rebellion, and Metacom’s War.
- Read about Enlightenment thinkers and the Great Awakening's impact on colonial identity.