Highland History: Unit 2 of AP US History (1607-1754)

Key Themes

• Comparing European colonization motives and methods in the Americas.
• French, Dutch, British colonial projects differed based on goals and regional circumstances.

European Colonization Approaches

Spanish Colonization

• Goals: Extract wealth (cash crops, gold, silver).
• Subjugated native populations.
• Conversion attempts to Christianity.
• Introduced caste system based on racial ancestry.

French Colonization

• Primarily interested in trade, especially fur trade.
• Few French settlers; focused on trade settlements.
• Alliances with native populations through intermarriage.
• Economic ties strengthened with cultural exchanges (e.g., with the Ojibway).

Dutch Colonization

• Established fur trading center (1609) on Hudson River.
• Goals: Economic - primarily trade.
• New Amsterdam (1624) became a trade hub.

British Colonization

Motivations

• Economic instability in Britain (inflation, wars, land enclosure).
• Desire for new economic opportunities and land.
• Some sought religious freedom and better living conditions.

British Colonial Regions

• Chesapeake Region

  • Jamestown (1607): First permanent colony, funded by joint stock companies.
  • Profit-seeking ventures; faced hardships (disease, famine).
  • Tobacco cultivation by John Rolfe reversed fortunes.
  • Labor: Indentured servitude leading to African slavery post-Bacon’s Rebellion.

• New England Colonies

  • Settled by Pilgrims (1620) for religious reasons.
  • Family-based communities; rough start but eventually achieved agricultural and commercial success.

• British West Indies & Southern Atlantic Coast

  • Colonies established in Caribbean (St. Christopher, Barbados, Nevis).
  • Shift from tobacco to sugarcane cultivation, increasing African slave labor.
  • Stringent slave laws; influenced labor systems in Carolina colonies.

• Middle Colonies

  • Diverse populations; export economy (cereal crops).
  • Class inequality; presence of enslaved Africans.
  • Pennsylvania founded for religious freedom (negotiations with natives).

Governance and Economy

• Self-Governance

  • Mayflower Compact: Self-governing agreement among Pilgrims.
  • House of Burgesses in Virginia: Representative assembly.

• Atlantic Trade System

  • Global trade system developed (triangular trade).
  • Mercantilism: Economic principle driving colonization and trade.
  • Navigation Acts: Regulated colonial trade to benefit Britain.

Slavery in the British Colonies

• Significant African slave trade; harsh labor conditions.
• Varied slave presence across regions.
• Resilience among enslaved populations (covert/overt resistance, e.g., Stono Rebellion).

Colonial Society and Relations

• Relations with Native Americans

  • Tensions and conflicts (e.g., Metacom's War).

• Religion and Enlightenment

  • Enlightenment: Rationalism undermining traditional religious authority.
  • Great Awakening: Religious revival challenging Enlightenment ideals, promoting American identity.

• Growing Resistance to British Rule

  • Rising frustration and colonial autonomy.
  • Practices like impressment fueled mistrust of British authority.

This summary provides an overview of Unit 2, exploring European colonial motives, differing regional approaches, and the resulting economic, social, and political developments in the Americas.