British North America: Key Points from The American Yawp

I. Introduction

• The American colonies were formed by a diverse group including servants, enslaved laborers, free farmers, religious refugees, and powerful planters.
• Native Americans witnessed their lands being taken over by new populations.
• The economy of the British Empire became increasingly defined by race-based, chattel slavery during the 17th and 18th centuries.
• The North American mainland was initially a minor part of the British Empire, overshadowed by Caribbean colonies.
• The colonies were tied into larger Atlantic networks involving Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
• Events in Britain, such as civil war and religious conflict, greatly influenced the colonies.

II. Slavery and the Making of Race

• Reverend Francis Le Jau criticized the English involvement in slavery after arriving in Carolina in 1706.
• Laws in the 1660s legalized the lifelong enslavement of people of African descent.
• Skin color became a marker of racial division.
• Many European wars led to the enslavement of Native Americans, who were sold into slavery in the colonies.
• The transatlantic slave trade provided a labor force for plantation economies.
• Enslaved Africans endured the brutal Middle Passage and were crucial to the economy of the colonies.

III. Turmoil in Britain

• England faced religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, leading to civil war in the 1640s.
• Charles I's execution led to parliamentary rule under Oliver Cromwell.
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688 invited William of Orange to the English throne, opposing absolutism and supporting Protestantism.
• Colonists’ reactions to British turmoil varied, with allegiances often aligning with economic and religious interests.

IV. New Colonies

• Maryland was established as a haven for Catholics under Charles I but was later controlled by Protestant settlers.
• Religious dissenters founded new colonies like Rhode Island and Connecticut.
• New York was established after English conquest from the Dutch.
• Pennsylvania, founded by Quakers, promoted religious tolerance and peaceful relations with Native Americans.
• Carolina and Georgia were established to reinforce English presence on the continent.

V. Riot, Rebellion, and Revolt

• The 17th century saw violent conflicts, including the Pequot War, King Philip's War, Bacon's Rebellion, and the Pueblo Revolt.
• Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia arose from tensions between settlers and Native Americans.
• The Pueblo Revolt was a significant indigenous resistance against Spanish rule.
• Conflicts often stemmed from competition over land and resources.

VI. Conclusion

• The British North American colonies developed complex societies influenced by their diverse populations and economic ties to slavery.
• These societies would have lasting impacts on North America and the wider Atlantic World.