Background: Conflict named after Wampanoag leader Metacom, known to the English as King Philip.
Causes: Provoked by Plymouth colonists' execution of three Wampanoags, leading to widespread attacks by Indian bands on colonial settlements.
Major Events:
Wampanoag and allied Indian attacks destroyed numerous colonial towns.
Puritans' counter-attacks created more enemies; Narragansett joined the conflict.
English colonists eventually received assistance from the Mohawk tribe to turn the tide.
Metacom was killed; his death marked the end of major Indian resistance.
Impact: Decimated Puritan settlements and Indian populations; resulted in stricter colonial control over remaining Indian peoples.
Bacon's Rebellion (1676)
Background: Tensions in Virginia due to economic disparities and frontier conflicts with Native Americans.
Leader: Nathaniel Bacon, a discontented planter.
Causes: Resentment against Governor Berkeley's policies and favoritism towards the elite.
Events:
Bacon led attacks against Indians and later against the colonial government.
Burned Jamestown as a demonstration against the governor.
Rebellion collapsed after Bacon’s death.
Outcomes:
Showed class tensions within colonial society.
Led to a shift from indentured servants to African slave labor to prevent future uprisings.
Emergence of New Colonies
Pennsylvania
Founder: William Penn, a wealthy Quaker, advocated for religious freedom and tolerance.
Characteristics:
Quaker ideals shaped a society of equality, religious tolerance, and prosperity.
Philadelphia established as a planned city; colony prospered due to fertile land and peaceful relations with Native Americans.
South Carolina
Origins: Established by Barbadian planters.
Economy:
Initially supported by livestock exports; later became wealthy through rice cultivation.
Heavy reliance on African slave labor; led to a majority black population by the early 18th century.
Social Structure:
Developed an oppressive system to control the large enslaved population.
Instances of resistance like the Stono Rebellion (1739) prompted harsher controls.
Colonial Society and Economy
Indentured Servitude in the Chesapeake
Labor Source: Majority of immigrants were indentured servants, enduring harsh conditions for eventual "freedom dues."
Decline: Decrease in indentured servitude due to increased mortality rates and economic shifts led to reliance on African slaves.
Transition to Slavery
Reasons for Shift: Economic viability and increased life expectancy of slaves made them a preferable labor source.
Impact:
Established a racialized social order with laws enforcing racial distinctions.
Slavery became a central component of the colonial economy, particularly in the Chesapeake and Carolina.
Colonial Expansion and Conflict
Relations with Native Americans
General Trend: Colonies expanded through displacement and conflict with Native peoples.
Notable Policies: Pennsylvania’s peaceful relations, contrasting with the violent expansions in New England and Virginia.
Economic and Political Growth
Colonial Prosperity:
Middle Colonies like Pennsylvania thrived on diverse immigrant populations and agriculture.
South Carolina's plantation economy based on rice and slave labor generated vast wealth.
Political Developments:
Tensions and adaptations in colonial governance reflected in responses to events like Bacon’s Rebellion.
Conclusion
The early colonial period was marked by growth, conflict, and change, setting the stage for future developments. Colonies expanded territorially and economically, often at the expense of Native and African peoples, leading to the establishment of distinct social and economic systems that would influence the future United States.