The American Yawp: Chapter 3 - British North America

Section 1: Introduction

• American colonies were formed by diverse groups: servants, enslaved laborers, free farmers, religious refugees, and planters.
• Native Americans saw their lands transformed by colonial settlements.
• Colonial societies in the 17th and 18th centuries developed race-based chattel slavery.
• North American colonies, though initially small, were tied to larger Atlantic networks.
• Events in Europe, such as civil war and nation-building, influenced the colonies.
• Patterns established during the colonial era, especially slavery, shaped future American society.

Section 2: Slavery and the Making of Race

• Reverend Francis Le Jau objected to the horrors of slavery in Carolina.
• Enslaved Africans and Native Americans were part of the colonial labor force.
• The 1660s marked a legal sanction for lifelong enslavement of Africans in colonies like Virginia.
• Racial categories solidified with skin color marking division between races.
• Wars provided a primary means of acquiring Native American slaves.
• The Middle Passage was notorious for its brutality, leading to cultural influences in the Americas.
• The Atlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to the Americas.
• The legal system ensured children of enslaved women were born into slavery.

Section 3: Turmoil in Britain

• Religious conflicts and civil war in 17th century England impacted the colonies.
• The English Civil War led to a temporary republic under Oliver Cromwell.
• Colonies had relative autonomy but were economically tied to England.
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688 brought Protestant monarchs to power, impacting colonial governance.
• Colonies experienced turmoil with attempts to reassert royal control and religious conflicts.

Section 4: New Colonies

• New colonies were established: Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas.
• Maryland was intended as a haven for Catholics but faced religious conflicts.
• Connecticut and Rhode Island were founded by religious dissenters from Massachusetts.
• New York was initially a Dutch settlement, New Netherland, before English control.
• William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a Quaker haven, promoting diversity and religious tolerance.
• Carolina was founded using the Barbados colonization model, later split into North and South Carolina.

Section 5: Riot, Rebellion, and Revolt

• The 17th century saw violence in the colonies: Pequot War, King Philip's War, Bacon's Rebellion, and the Pueblo Revolt.
• King Philip's War decimated Native American power in New England.
• Bacon’s Rebellion was a conflict between settlers and colonial government in Virginia.
• Pueblo Revolt was a significant indigenous resistance in New Mexico, temporarily removing Spanish control.
• The Yamasee War nearly destroyed Carolina, showcasing tensions in European-Native relations.

Section 6: Conclusion

• British North American colonies matured through warfare, imperial conflicts, and economic ties.
• Colonists used power to control Native Americans and other European powers.
• A transatlantic economy rooted in slavery developed.
• These colonial societies laid the groundwork for future American development and influence on the Atlantic world.