Notes on the American Colonies: Opportunities and Oppression

Introduction

• Topic: Rationalization of opportunities and oppression in American colonies
• Overview of native American history and diversity

Part One: The Land of Opportunity

• Native American Presence:

  • Lived in the Americas for 40,000 to 15,000 years before European contact.
  • Estimated 300+ languages and complex societies.
  • Misconception: Native Americans seen as one homogeneous culture.

• Impact of Disease:

  • European diseases (smallpox, influenza, etc.) decimated populations.
  • Estimated 90% mortality rate among Native Americans by the time British arrived in 1600s.
  • Resulted in low population density in the Americas compared to Europe.

• European Perspective on Land:

  • Viewed land as unoccupied and free for the taking.
  • Conquistadors exploited native lands for resources (gold, silver, cash crops).

• Colonial Powers:

  • Spanish, French, Dutch, Swedish, and British established colonies.
  • Focus on British North American colonies due to their lasting impact on modern social, economic, and political systems.

Part Two: The Southern Colonies

• Cash Crops:

  • Tobacco became the primary crop due to its market value and addictiveness.
  • Labor-intensive; reliance on native American labor and later enslaved Africans.

• Exploitation Issues:

  • Problems faced by landowners with native American labor: potential for escape, alliances against them, and high mortality rates among native workers.

• Indentured Servitude:

  • British economic depression led to indentured servitude agreements.
  • Laborers traded passage for seven years of work, receiving land and tools afterward.
  • Mostly white, with some from other European groups.

• Transition to Chattel Slavery:

  • Arrival of West Africans marked shift towards enslaved labor.
  • Initially worked alongside indentured servants but were subjected to harsher conditions over time.
  • Chattel slavery characterized by lifetime servitude and property status.

Part Three: The Northern Colonies

• Different Development:

  • Northern colonies were often founded for religious reasons by groups persecuted in Britain.
  • Geography and climate did not favor large plantations or cash crops.

• Slavery in the North:

  • Slavery existed but did not become as entrenched as in the South due to lack of profitability.
  • Northern economy based on manufacturing, shipping, and trade rather than plantation agriculture.

• Community Structure:

  • Northern communities often centered around churches, with social and legal functions.

Part Four: Opportunities and Oppression

• Contrasting Experiences:
  • Colonial policies created wealth and opportunities for white Europeans while oppressing native Americans and enslaved Africans.
• Reflection Questions:
  • How did colonists rationalize these disparities?
  • Perspectives of white colonists versus native Americans and West Africans.
  • Consider personal feelings if placed in these historical contexts.