Overview
This lecture examines how and why the British colonies in North America developed into distinct societies, highlighting differences in their origins, economies, social structures, and governance.
Chesapeake Colonies (Jamestown)
- Jamestown was founded in 1607, financed by a joint stock company for profit, not by the government.
- Joint stock companies pooled investor money and shared risks, unlike Spanish crown-sponsored expeditions.
- Early settlers focused on searching for gold, leading to famine, disease, and high mortality.
- The cultivation of tobacco by John Rolfe saved the colony economically.
- Labor needs were met by indentured servants, who worked 7-year contracts for passage.
- Expansion for tobacco led to conflicts with Native Americans.
- Bacon's Rebellion (1676) was a revolt by poor farmers and servants due to conflicts with Native Americans and government neglect.
- After the rebellion, planters started favoring enslaved laborers over indentured servants.
New England Colonies
- Settled by Pilgrims (1620) and later Puritans, mainly for religious community and economic opportunity, not just religious freedom.
- Migrated as family units, aiming to build stable, family-based societies.
- Early years were difficult, but they established agriculture- and commerce-based economies.
- New Englanders primarily sought to create a godly society with participatory governance.
British West Indies & Southern Colonies
- Colonies like Barbados and South Carolina grew tobacco, then sugarcane, both labor-intensive cash crops.
- High labor demands led to a large enslaved African population, with harsh slave codes defining people as chattel (property).
- South Carolina modeled its plantation economy and slave system after the West Indies.
Middle Colonies
- New York and New Jersey had export economies based on cereal crops, aided by rivers and seaports.
- Social structure included wealthy merchants, artisans/shopkeepers, laborers, and enslaved Africans.
- Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn, promoted religious freedom and negotiated land with Native Americans.
Colonial Governance
- Geographic distance led to self-governing, often democratic systems in all colonies.
- Virginia: House of Burgesses, an elected assembly.
- New England: Mayflower Compact and town meetings for participatory governance.
- Middle and Southern colonies had representative assemblies dominated by social elites.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Joint Stock Company — A business model where investors pool money and share profits and risks.
- Indentured Servant — A laborer under contract to work for a set time to repay passage costs.
- Bacon's Rebellion — 1676 uprising of poor farmers/servants against colonial government and Native American policies.
- Chattel Slavery — System where enslaved people are legally property, not persons.
- House of Burgesses — The first representative legislative assembly in colonial America.
- Mayflower Compact — Agreement for self-government signed by Pilgrims in 1620.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the differences in colonial societies and governance for exam preparation.
- Study the causes and effects of Bacon's Rebellion.
- Understand key terms and their implications for colonial development.