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

Overview

• Focus on European colonization of the Americas
• Comparison of motives and methods of Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Britain
• Economic, religious, and social aspects of colonization

Spanish Colonization

• Established colonies for wealth extraction (cash crops, gold, and silver)
• Enforced a caste system based on racial ancestry
• Efforts to convert Native Americans to Christianity

French Colonization

• Focused on trade, not conquest (mainly fish and fur)
• Fewer settlers than other European powers
• Established trading settlements; married Native Americans to maintain trade ties

Dutch Colonization

• Established fur trading center on the Hudson River (New York)
• Economic motives similar to the French
• Established New Amsterdam as a trade hub

British Colonization

Motivations

• Economic opportunities due to inflation and land scarcity in Britain
• Religious freedom and better living conditions

Colonies

Chesapeake Region

• Jamestown (1607): First British settlement, profit-seeking, founded by joint-stock company
• Tobacco cultivation (John Rolfe) saved the colony
• Labor initially from indentured servants, later shifted to African slavery
• Bacon's Rebellion (1676) highlighted tensions between settlers and the colonial government

New England Colonies

• Settled by Pilgrims (1620) for religious reasons
• Family-oriented, not profit-seeking
• Developed a thriving economy despite initial hardships

British West Indies and Southern Atlantic Coast

• Permanent colonies in the Caribbean (St. Christopher, Barbados)
• Shift from tobacco to sugar cane; increased demand for African slaves
• Slavery defined as perpetual and hereditary

Middle Colonies

• Diverse populations in New York and New Jersey
• Thrived on cereal crop exports
• Pennsylvania founded by Quakers; negotiated land with Native Americans

Atlantic Trade System

• Triangular trade: New England, West Africa, West Indies
• Mercantilism: colonies essential for raw materials, favorable balance of trade
• Navigation Acts: trade regulations favoring British Empire

Slavery in the British Colonies

• Significant increase in African slaves (1700-1808)
• New England had fewer slaves than Southern colonies
• Slaves resisted through covert (cultural practices, sabotage) and overt (Stono Rebellion) means

Relations with Native Americans

• British-Native tensions: Metacom's/King Philip's War (1675)

Colonial Society Structure and Religion

Enlightenment

• Emphasis on rational thought and natural rights
• Ideas influenced colonial governance and social structure

Great Awakening

• Religious revival, increased Christian enthusiasm
• Leaders: Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield
• Fostered a sense of American identity

British-Colonial Tensions

• Increasing frustration with British governance
• Practices like impressment contributed to resistance

Conclusion

• Unit 2 covers the foundation of colonial society, economy, and the beginnings of resistance to British rule.