chapter 2 outline - Beginnings of English America Flashcards
What events in Europe hindered European colonization?
English colonization and exploration was hindered by its lack of unity during the 16th century
King Henry VIII unified the kingdom after a long period of civil war
His son King Henry VIII established the Church of England, Angelican Church, appointing himself as the head
Although subsequent rulers would attempt to restore Catholicism, England remained a Protestant nation
England’s attempts to conquer and subdue Ireland used up resources and money that could have been directed towards building an overseas empire
The English used tactics like military conquest, slaughtering civilians, seizing land, introducing English economic practices, and sending large numbers of settlers, reflecting the tactics the English would use in the New World later
What were England’s religious goals in exploration? How did they believe they were superior to the Spanish?
The English started exploring The New World during Elizbeth I’s reign
Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh were granted charters, allowing them to establish colonies in North America, but both failed because they had little support from the crown
One of England’s goals during colonization was to spread Protestantism
They viewed the Catholic Spanish as their enemies and upon learning about the tyrannical nature of Spanish rule, believed they had to liberate the New World from the influence of Catholicism
The English would go on to commit similar atrocities as the Spanish, but they believed they were unique and emphasized freedom in their colonization ambitions
What were motives for English colonization?
Colonization was also spurred by the prospect of national glory and power for England, a relatively minor European power at the time
Advocates for colonization also depicted the middle of North America as a land of fertile soil and abundant livestock, despite the French and Spain deeming the area lacking in precious metals and unable to cultivate sugar
They thought the English colonists would be able to provide English consumers with products only supplied by foreigners at the time, enriching England and opening new markets
What were the social conditions of England prior to and during English colonization?
England was also overly populated and the Americas could serve as a refuge for the impoverished, who were struggling immensely in England
The Enclosure movement in the 16th and 17th century pushed out many peasants and they migrated to cities, causing wages to drop significantly
Their suffering was intensified when prices across Europe rose from an influx in gold and silver to the Spanish Empire
As colonists, the poor could become productive citizens and contribute to the nation’s economy
What attracted Englishmen to the Americas?
There was an image of America, spreading around England as early as the 16th century, in which settlers could escape the economic inequality of Europe
While authorities viewed unemployed people as dangerous to society, the general public viewed working for a wage as a form of servitude and believed one could be free only by controlling their own labor
Economic independence and allure of being able to own property attracted many English colonists to the New World
How did the English colonies fare in the 17th century? Why was the population of English settlers higher than that of the French and Spanish?
English colonies in the 17th century fared poorly
Disease spread between Native and European populations alike
Colonies were divided by religious, political and economic tensions
The Natives were often drawn into imperial wars and conflict with the colonists
The new colonies remained dependent on England for protection and financial sustainment, and without a steady stream of new settlers, the new colonies would have failed
England was able to send out large numbers of colonists rivaling Spain and France because the economic conditions in England were so poor
Eventually, the population of English colonists in North America was greater than that of Spain and France
There were many families who migrated to New England and the Middle Colonies, although the majority of colonists were young single men
How many English immigrants were indentured servants? What was the system of indenturement, and how did it differ from slaves?
Settlers who could pay for their own passage arrived in America as free people, and most quickly acquired land
However. in the 17th century. the majority of English settlers came as indentured servants who surrendered their freedom for five to seven years in exchange for passage to America
Indentured servants could be bought and sold, subjected to physical punishment, couldn’t marry without permission from their owner, and legally obligated to finish their labor sentences
However, unlike slaves, indentured servants would eventually become free members of society and given a form of payment known as “freedom dues”, although many servants didn’t survive to the end of their term
How did the English perspective on the local Native tribes differ from that of the Spanish’s?
The English, unlike the Spanish, were only interested in settling the land of the Native population, not turning them into subjects of the crown
They had no intention of assimilating the Indians through interracial marriages or organizing their labor force
The English did trade goods with the native population, and Indians traveled through colonial settlements often
How did the English view Native land ownership? How did they acquire Native land?
English colonial authorities did not recognize the Indians’ claim to the land in theory because they didn’t cultivate or improve the land, but in practice they allowed Indians’ title to the land based on occupancy
They acquired land through purchases, often in treaties forced upon the Indians after military defeats
Some colonial governments tried maintaining peace by preventing private purchase of Indian land or declare some areas off-limits, but these measures were ultimately unsuccessful and rarely unenforced
The 17th-century was marked with conflicts between the Indians and colonists, and the English generated a strong sense of superiority throughout
In the beginning of colonization, the English adapted Indian technology and crops, but over time the English would displace the native population more thoroughly than any other European nation
How were the Natives’ lives transformed by contact with the English?
At first, many eastern Indians were welcoming to the colonists, or at least the practical uses of the goods they brought with them like woven cloth, metal kettles, iron axes and guns
Indians also enjoyed the goods like colorful glass beads and copper ornaments that could be implemented into their religious ceremonies
The lifestyle of the native population changed as they became integrated with the Atlantic economy
Men spent more time hunting beaver for fur trading
European metal goods altered their farming, hunting and cooking practices, and older skills were no longer needed
Europeans and Native people both gave up goods in abundance for goods short in supply in their own community
Were the negative impacts of English trade with the Native Americans?
However, as the colonists gained military superiority over the natives, profits of the trade mostly flowed to the Europeans
Growing relationships with the Europeans increased conflict between the Indians
Overhunting of beaver and deer for the fur trade forced some tribes to encroach on other groups’ territories
European diseases also decimated native populations
How was land ownership tied to liberty in the early American colonies?
Owning land was the basis of liberty in 17th-century America, giving men control over their own labor and the right to vote in most colonies
Free settlers were interested in America because of the promise of immediate access to land, while freedom dues that included land convinced some immigrants to sign contracts as indentured servants
The King also used land in America to reward relatives and allies, since each colony was settled with a huge grant of money from the crown
Land was a source of wealth and power for colonial officials and their allies, but without labor the land would have little value
Since most emigrants didn’t come to America with the intention of working for someone else’s land, except indentured servants for the duration of their contracts, property owners turned to slaves as a labor source
How did the ecological landscape of North America differ after English arrival?
As settlers fenced in land and introduced new crops and livestock, the natural environment was affected and undermined traditional Native agriculture and hunting practices
Cattle roamed free, trampling Indian cornfields and gardens
The English depleted forests Indians relied on for hunting because they needed wood for building and heating homes
The populations of the beaver and other animals dropped significantly due to participation in the fur trade
What was the early English colony of Jamestown like?
The early history of Jamestown wasn’t promising, as inhabitants suffered high death rates, leadership changed repeatedly and supplies from England proved inadequate
The English quickly gave up on locating riches like the Spanish had in Central America
Illness spread quickly through the settlement because the colonists had poor hygienic habits and there was a lack of food
John Smith imposed a mandatory labor regime on company land, keeping the colony together although alienating colonists through his autocratic rule
How did the Virginia Company reform the Jamestown colony to ensure its survival?
The Virginia Company realized the colony would have to abandon its search for gold, grow its own food, attract more settlers and find a marketable commodity
They introduced a series of policies in 1618 that would help the colony survive and develop into a functioning society instead of an economic outpost
The headright system - The company awarded fifty acres of land to any colonist who paid for his own or another’s’ passage
A charter of grants and liberties were also issued, including the establishment of a House of Burgesses as the first elected assembly in colonial America
Also in 1619, the first ship of black people would arrive in Virginia on a Dutch vessel, building a foundation for a society economically and politically dominated by slave owning planters
What were the Jamestown colonists’ initial relations with the local Native tribe of the Wahunsonacock?
The English’s arrival at Jamestown meant they landed in an area inhabited by many Indians living in agricultural villages
Most of them recognized the rule of Wahunsonacock, called Powhatan by the settlers, who recently consolidated his control over the tribes of the area
At first, relations with the Indians were peaceful and based on relatively equal give-and-take
John Smith was at one point captured by the Indians and threatened with execution by Powhatan until he was rescued by Pocahantas, Powhatan’s favorite daughter
The incident is thought to be an elaborate ceremony designed by Powhatan to demonstrate his power over the colonists and incorporate them into his realm
Pocohantas then became an intermediary between the two people and often brought food and messages to Jamestown
John Smith’s return to England incited conflicts between the two groups and Pocohantas was captured as hostage by the settlers, converting to Christanity during her confinement
She married the English colonist John Rolfe as a restoration of peace and returned with her husband to England as a symbol of Anglo-Indian cooperation and missionary success
What spurred the Uprising of 1922, and what was the colonists’ reaction?
Once it was clear the English were interested in establishing a permanent and expanding colony, instead of just a trading post, conflict with the local Indians became inevitable
Powhatan’s brother and successor, Opechancanough led a successful surprise attack against the colonists in 1622, and the survivors retaliated by devastating Indian villages
The Indians had “forfeited” their right to the land by going to war and the colonists were now determined to displace them and gain control of the free range of land
The colonists re-established their superiority in 1644 by crushing a last desperate Indian rebellion
They forced a treaty on the surviving Indians that recognized the Jamestown government’s authority, required them to move their tribal reservations further west, and prevented them from entering European settlements without permission
What happened to the governing of the Virigina colony after the Virigina Company surrendered its charter to the crown?
The Virginia Company surrendered its charter to the crown since it hadn’t turned a profit for investors, and Virginia became the first royal colony
The crown was preoccupied with affairs in the mother country, so the local elite controlled the colony’s development
The local elite’s power and wealth would soon grow rapidly by the introduction of tobacco, a crop from the West Indies
How did the Virigina colonies develop into a tobacco colony? How did the development of a tobacco-based economy change the social hierarchy?
Increasing numbers of Europeans enjoyed smoking and believed tobacco plants had medicinal benefits
Tobacco became Virginia’s most profitable commodity since it had an ever-expanding mass market in Europe
Tobacco planters and members of the colonial government with good soil were enriched by the sales, and the crown profited from the exportation taxes
Virginia’s white population was slowly reflecting the social hierarchy of England, with a wealthy landed elite at the top, a group of small farmers (former indentured servants who had managed to acquire land) in the middle, and poor laborers at the bottom
Tobacco farming meant society was very dispersed and lacking in social unity
It inspired a frantic competition for land and labor
A new influx of immigrants, sons of merchants and aristocrats, took advantage of the headright system and acquired estates for themselves along navigable rivers, becoming the colony’s social and political elite
Expansion of tobacco farming also meant higher demands for labor, which were mostly fulfilled by young, male indentured servants
Although there were harsh working conditions and punishment by whip for those who were disobedient, the abundance of land continued to attract working-class migrants
What was the role of women in the early Virigina colony? How did this affect the patriarchal culture and the colony’s population?
The Virginia colony lacked a stable family life, a major element in English society
The colony heavily promoted the immigration of women, but because male servants were in high demand to work in the tobacco fields, males outnumbered women for most of the 17th century
Most women who came to the colony were indentured servants, and they did not form families until their late twenties
There was also a very high death rate
All of these factors contributed to stilted population growth, and society had large numbers of single men, widows and orphans
Although patriarchal systems were maintained in Virginia, most fathers were dealing with low life expectancy and found it difficult to supervise the affairs of their children
How did women of different social classes fare after the death of their husband?
Married women possessed certain rights in the colonies and in England
“Dower rights” - claim to one-third of her husband’s property in the event that he died before she did
Widows and single women in the colonies took advantage of their independent legal identity to conduct business and make contracts
Margaret Brent acquired land, managed her own plantation and acted as a lawyer in court
Some widows were willed all of their husbands’ outright or chosen to administer his real estate
Female indentured servants didn’t enjoy the same luxuries and were often subject to sexal abuse
Those who married often found themselves in poverty when their husband died
