Period 2 Identifications

Anne Hutchinson: An

questioned the doctrines of the Puritans authorities. She believed in antinomianism, which consisted of the idea that faith alone was necessary for salvation. She was also banished from the Bay Colony, as Hutchinson and followers in 1638 discovered a colony, Portsmouth, which was not far from Providence. Years later, Hutchinson traveled to Long Island and was killed in an uprising of the American Indians.

Mercantilism in the Colonies

: The results of the Navigation Acts had different effects on the colonies. For example, these acts became a cause for New England to shipbuilding in order to prosper. Provided with Chesapeake tobacco and a monopoly in England, and with the addition of the English military forces to protect the colonies from any potential attacks by the Spanish and the French. Yet, the acts were also a severe limitation to the growth of colonial manufacturing, leaving the Chesapeake with no choice but to accept the low prices for the crops they grew. This also caused the colonists to be forced to pay high prices for goods that came from England. Although mercantilist regulations were deemed unnecessary since England would have been the colonies' trading partner in any case. The economic advantages from the Navigation Acts were cancelled and the political effects that took a negative effect on British-colonial relations. The Colonists did not favor the regulatory laws set for distant governments in London. In New England, colonists took action by smuggling in the French, Dutch, and other goods.

Slave Laws

As the amount of slaves grew, white colonists had to shift quickly. They adopted laws to ensure that African Americans would be held for life and that slave status would be inherited by family. For example, Massachusetts became the first colony to acknowledge the enslavement of "lawful captives", in 1641. On the other hand, in 1661 Virginia enacted legislation stating that children would automatically inherit slave status for life. These both came into effect in 1664, Maryland stated that baptism would not influence the slave status of a person. Additionally, it was declared that a white woman could not marry an African American man, it became customary for whites to view blacks in society as inferiors. Slavery and racism soon became infused into colonial society.

Structure of Colonial Society

Every colony created a distinct way of life, but they also did share a various number of characteristics including; language, origin, and tradition. The colonies were truly shaped and diversified in significant ways by the non-English immigrants and the Africans. In other words, government, religious toleration, no hereditary artistocracy, and social mobility shaped the government. The government that existed in each colony contained a representative assembly that would be elected by eligible voters, in which were only white males who owned property. However, in only Rhode Island and Connecticut, the government was elected by the people. This was life-changing as they would now be enforcing a form of self-government and shifting from tradition to what was best for their own colony. Governors of the other colonies were a proprietor (Pennsylvania and Maryland) or appointed by the crown (New York and Virginia). Additionally, all of the colonies were permitted the religions that they desired, but, they just had to vary in forms of freedom. For instance, Massachusetts, a conservative colony, accepted multiple forms of Protestants but they did not accept Catholics or non-Christians. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island were the colonies that were the most liberal. These examples signify that variation among religions did exist within the colonies. Furthermore, the social extremes existing throughout Europe contained a nobility that embedded masses and privileges to those who were poor were not included in the colonies. A narrow class system was in effect and the small farmers made up a dense amount of the common people. Finally, with exception to those who were African Americans, those who lived in the colonial society were given the opportunity to increase and improve their standard of living and social status through working hard. This signifies that the class system was strict as it only allowed for certain people to move up in their social ranking in society.

Institution of Slavery: Demand for Slaves

Identically important than mercantilism during the early 18th century was the increase of slavery. During the time of 1750, half of Virginia's population as well as two-thirds of South Carolina's population were in fact slaves. Slavery became increasingly important in the southern colonies because of three concepts. First, the increase in demand reduced migration which increased profits in England and reduced the supply of immigrants to the colonies. Slaves were known to be a dependable workforce as plantation owners were influenced by the policy demands of small farmers as well as indentured servants. This aligned with the disorders of Bacon's Rebellion, although they thought that slavery would provide a steady and stable labor force completely under their own control. Finally, the combination of the two concepts mentioned along with cheap labor was a leading cause as to why there was an increase in demand for slaves. Additionally, as the prices of tobacco fell, indigo and rice became crops that were the most profitable. In order to grow these crops, large land areas were required as they were inexpensive and did not require skilled workers.

Triangular Trade/ Middle Passage

In the 17th century, English trade enslaved the Africans as it had been monopolized by a company, called the Royal African Company. After this monopoly shifted out, New England merchants entered the slave trade. It was simply followed by this method, merchant ships would consistently follow a triangle trade route. Initially, a ship sailing from a New England port, like Boston, would carry rum across the Atlantic all the way to West Africa. Then, the rum would be traded for numerous captive Americans. The ship would eventually set out on the awful Middle Passage. Africans who survived the voyage would then be traded as slaves into the West Indies in exchange for sugar cane. When completing the last side of the triangle, the ship would return to a port in New England where the sugar would be sold and used in making rum. When one type of cargo was traded for another, those who traded slaves usually made a decent profit.

Mercantilism (Trade)

In the 17th century, European kingdoms adopted an economic policy known as mercantilism that looked upon trade, colonies, and the combination of wealth as the starting point for a country's political and military strength. In referral to the mercantilist doctrine, a government should regulate production and trade to push it to eventually become self-sufficient. Now, colonies were able to provide raw materials to their country for profit and growth of the parent' country's industries. Additionally, countries existed for the sole purpose of enriching the parent country. Mercantilist policies were a guide to both the French and Spanish colonies from their foundation. Mercantilism was applied to the English colonies, but only if the result of England's civil war was minimized. Furthermore, England's government implemented policies of mercantilism with multiple Navigation acts lasting between 1650 and 1673. This established three simple rules when interacting with trade. First, when trading to and from the colonies, the products could only be carried by colonial-built ships or by the English. Identically, it could only be operated by the same people carrying the products. Secondly, goods that were imported into the colonies, minus perishables, must pass through England's ports. Third and finally, "enumerated" goods from the colonies could only be exported to England. Tobacco was the only product that followed this rule, however, over the years the list expanded.

Dominion of New England

King James II, a new king, in fact, came to rule in 1685. His focus was to increase royal control over the colonies, planning to combine them into larger units and subtracting their representative assemblies. For example, New York, New Jersey and other New England colonies were combined into the Dominion of New England in 1686. Additionally, Sir Edmund Andros was sent from England to serve as governor of the dominion. This new governor made himself unpopular almost instantly by levying taxes, revoking land titles, and limiting town meetings. James II's power was extremely short-term. The Revolution of 1688 was a success as it eliminated James and quickly replaced him with new sovereigns, William and Mary. The fall from power James experienced brought the Dominion of New England to an end. The colonies operated under different charters.

House of Burgesses, Mayflower Compact

Limits to Democracy: From the start, the American colonies aimed to take steps toward self-rule. Colonists were provided the same rights as those who lived in England including being represented in the law processes. 12 years after the founding of Jamestown in 1619, Virginia's colonists created the first representative assembly in America, this was known as the House of Burgesses. Likewise, the Representative Government in New England aboard their voyage in 1620, utilizing the infamous Mayflower. The Pilgrims drew up and signed a document thus pledging them to make their decisions through the concept of the majority ruling, which is known today as a democracy. The document signed is commonly referred to as the Mayflower Compact. This reflected an early form of colonial self-government constitution. Furthermore, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, male members of the Puritan Church were granted the right to take part in elections over the years for the colony's governor, assistants, and a representative assembly. However, there were existing limitations within this process. Many colonists were excluded from voting. For example, male property owners were the only men allowed to vote for the representative. Females and landless had minimal rights and ultimately, indentured servants and slaves had no rights at all. Additionally, the autocratic ruling was a common theme seen throughout as they had unlimited powers and would only respond to the king or those who provided England with financial support. Over time, democratic ideas developed in the colonies as they coexisted with antidemocratic practices including slavery and mistreatment of American Indians.

Pennsylvania

Located to the west of New Jersey, lay a forested land that was settled by the Quakers. The Quakers were members of the Religious Society of Friends. They believed in the equality of both men and women, resistance to the military, and nonviolence. Additionally, they believed each person had religious authority in their soul and not just an outside source or the Bible. These views posed a challenge to establish authority. Eventually, the Quakers of England were prosecuted and jailed for their belief. Furthermore, a young convert to the Quaker Faith was William Penn. With his father being the king and a victorious admiral, he well respected his son's sincerity and gave him a considerable part of his wealth. The royal family owed the father a great amount of debt which was handed down to William in 1681 in the form of a grant to purchase American land to establish a colony. He called this Penn's woods, or better known as Pennsylvania. Soon later, Penn tested his Quaker beliefs in the colony. He believed that his new colony would provide a religious refuge for the Quakers or anyone else that was persecuted. This enacted liberal ideas existing in government and generated profits for himself. He had the ability to provide the colony with a "Frame of Government (1682-1683)." The representative assembly was elected by a written constitution, the Charter of Liberties as well as landowners. Freedom for all to worship was enabled, even for unrestricted immigration. Opposed to other colonial proprietors, who governed in England, Penn set sail and traveled across the ocean in an effort to overwatch the founding of a new town located along the Delaware River. This town was referred to as Philadelphia. Penn strategize a plan for a pattern of the streets which was similarly imitated by other American cities. Penn's agreement and attempt to treat the American Indians equally and fairly was to provide them with what he agreed with, and not cheat them out. In an effort to attract those who were settling in his land, Penn hired agents as well as publishing notices all through Europe. His method behind this was to promise political and religious freedom and land terms that were fair. His lands throughout\ the Delaware River had been settled by a dense portion of Swedish and Dutch colonists. They were in fact newcomers that had their eye caught by Penn's promotion.

Religious Diversity

Maryland was founded by a Catholic proprietor, larger towns including New York and Boston were deemed as attractive to Jewish settlers. A majority of the colonists belonged to the Protestant denominations. Within New York, the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians were the most common to follow. People that were of Dutch descent were services to the Reformed Church as many merchants belonged to the Church of England. While in Pennsylvania, the Lutherans, Mennonites, and Quakers were the most common. The Anglicans were the most dominant force in Virginia. In the early decades of the 18th century, Protestant churches often tended to discourses that were portrayed by God as a benign creator of the universe. Ministers gave not as much emphasis in the Puritan times on human sinfulness. In the 1730s, a huge change occurred that sweep throughout the colonies in which was the Great Awakening. This was known to be a movement that expressed religious feelings among the people. It was extremely strong during the 1730s-1740s. In the Congregational church in Northampton Massachusetts, Jonathan Edwards expressed his feelings on the Great Awakening in a series of sermons. His most famous one was called the "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He argued that God was angry with the number of sins that humans committed. He felt that if each person expressed penitence, they would be able to be saved by God's grace, however, their souls would not be paid to God's commandments, then they would suffer greatly. On the other hand, George Whitefield, who came into England in 1739, spread the Great Awakening throughout the colonies and attracted thousands of people. He would spread his feelings throughout tents, fields, barns and even delivered sermons that stressed the power of God. He empathized with the power of God and how he would save those who believed in Jesus Christ. However, if you did not, then you would be adamned into hell and face torment. He taught that ordinary people who in fact led with faith and sincerity would be able to understand the gospels without depending on ministers to guide them. This movement had a lasting effect on religious practice in the colonies. Sinners would often confess their guilt and eventually be saved, in which was a common part of Protestant service. Ministers had the responsibility of keeping the church alive but also teaching what was important. Furthermore, the Great Awakening created divisions within the churches, specifically between the "New Lights" and the "Old Lights". Additionally, a movement just as powerful as the Great Awakening influenced various areas of life, politics included. Regardless of their national origins or social class, the colonists shared a commonality with the Americans. For example, the Great Awakening had an effect on the way people viewed authority. If the common people would be able to make their own religious decisions regardless of relying on ion the higher authority of ministers then they would possibly be able to make their own decisions politically without shifting to the authority of landowners or merchants. This idea was expressed in the 1740s, however, 30 years later it would shift and challenge the authority of his royal governors.

Zenger Case

News and ideas swirled throughout the colonies through postal systems and printing passes. For instance, in 1725, only about 5 newspapers existed within the colonies, however, by 1776 that number had increased to over 40. As they were issues weekly, every newspaper would contain a single sheet that was folded once that made multiple pages. This would contain rich information including; month-old news from Europe, ads for goods and services, essays and advice for better living, and information for the return of indentured slaves or servants. There were little to no illustrations, in fact, the first cartoon that appeared in the Philadelphia Gazette was Ben Franklin. Additionally, newspaper printers during the colonial days ran with a great potential for being jailed for a liberal if an article was caught offending the political authorities. This made it harder for people to express their feelings of how they felt as they had a narrow margin and a dense list to follow. Furthermore, in 1725, John Peter Zenger, a New York editor and publisher, was put on trial for criticizing New York's royal governor. As he libelously criticized him, his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, supported him by arguing that his client had printed how he felt. Based upon the current English common law at the moment, hurting a governor's reputation was a major offensive act within itself, regardless of it was a true or false printed statement. After disregarding the English law, the jury came to the conclusion and vote to acquit Zenger. Although this case did not guarantee freedom of the press, it was seen as an encouragement to branch out and take a risk in critiquing a colony's government.

Politics

Once the 1750s hit, the 13 colonies had similar forms of government. They had the commonality of a governor acting as a chief executive and a separate legislature designed to vote other to adopt or reject any proposed laws by the government. There were eight royal colonies that had governors that were appointed b the king. These include; New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Hampshire. In the three proprietary colonies, including, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, governors were appointed by their proprietors. Governors in only two of the colonies, Rhode Island and Connecticut, were elected by a popular vote. Existing within every colony, the legislature was made up of two houses. The lower house was known as the assembly, was elected by those who were eligible to vote, vote for, or against any new taxes. The Colonists became used to paying taxes specifically to the chosen representatives that were approved. Any disapproval could be a cause for revolt in the 1770s, approval was key. In the proprietary and royal colonies, members existing in the legislature's upper house, or council, were given their title by the king or proprietor. In these two self-governing colonies, both the upper and lower houses were forms of elective bodies. Dating back to the original period of settlement, colonists in New England created villages and towns, as well as, establishing their small homes around an open green space to be close together. Looking at the southern colonies, towns were not as common, as plantations and farms were spread apart widely. The dominant form of local government throughout New England was in fact town meetings, in which the people of the town would unite and often vote directly on public issues in the church. In the southern colonies, the local government was lifted up by law-enforcing sheriffs and officials who served for the county, a large territorial unit. Democracy can be defined as the participation of all the people involved in the creation of government policy, then colonial democracy was best partial and limited. If you were banned from voting, specifically this applied to white women, slaves, any slaves, free blacks, which was overall the majority of the population. Identically, the barriers of voting established in the 17th century were shifted out in the 28th century. Massachusetts and other colonies removed religious restrictions. Additionally, voters within the colonies were consistently required to own a part of the land. Finally, an important factor to consider was the degree to which members that existed in the council represented a large soceity of plain citizens of privileged citizens. These situations varied throughout the colonies. Seen in Virginia, membership in the House of Burgesses kept a tight-knit policy of restrictions to wealthy landowners or families. In Massachusetts, the legislature was more lenient as it was open to small farmers or proper owners that held generational power. Those who were considered common people tended to depend upon those who were privileged to make crucial decisions for them. Regardless of questioning, colonial politics were heavily restricted to the participation of white males only. In comparison to other parts aim the world, the English colonies demonstrated the practice of democracy was being embedded into a society that made their political system more unusual than expected.

Economic Differences in the Colonies

Once the 1760s were reached, nearly half of Britain's world trade was with the American colonies. The British government was permitted with limited forms of colonial manufacturing, which included the production of rum or flour. Restricted efforts would compete with English industries, including textile making. The purity of the American land and British mercantile policy allowed the colonies to have completely engaged in agriculture. Throughout the growth of the people prospering and the communities, the numbers of ministers, doctors, lawyers, and teachers improved. The fastest way to become wealthy was through owning land although geography would often provide opportunities for the colonists. New England was primarily known for its long winters and its rocky soil that limited farming, farmers had just enough food to feed their families. Most farms were on the smaller side only having about 100 acres. A majority of the work was done by family members of a hired laborer on occasion. The descendants of the Puritans have profited from fishing, trading, rum-distilling, shipbuilding, and logging. In the Middle Colonies, rich soil was an asset that helped form the production of wheat and corn to export to the West Indies and Europe. Some farms had up to 200 acres of land, which was very common. Indentured servants and hired laborers were often working with the farm family. On the other hand, a small variety of manufacturing efforts were developed which included iron making. The development of Philadelphia and New York was primarily because of the growth of trade. Due to the diverse geography and climate of the southern colonies, agriculture was a wild card and varied immensely.

Education

Simple education was limited throughout the colonies. Males were specifically directed towards formal efforts because the females were expected to run the household. Throughout New England, the Puritans had a heavy emphasis on religion which included learning the Bible. This was a significant part of increasing the rates of those who were getting an education as the Bible was a key component in creating the first-tax supported schools. In 1647, Massachusetts law enforced a requirement that any town with more than fifty families must establish specific types of schools. For example, primary schools would be established for boys and grammar schools that would prepare them for college. This was essiential because, in order to keep the colonies stable, jobs must be steady and consistent so school was a fundamental aspect for the colonies. Throughout the middle colonies, schools were either sponsored by the church or private. It was known that teachers would live with the families of their students. In the southern colonies, things were slightly different as parents would give their children whatever was possible. Those who worked on the plantations also served as tutors in which they provided instruction for the owner of the children of the plantation. When it came to higher forms of education, the original colonial colleges were sectarian. In other words, they promoted the provided doctrines of specific religious groups. In 1636, the Puritans were the founders of Havard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The establishment of this university was essiential as it allowed the candidates for the ministry an orderly scholarly and theological education. The Anglicans eventually opened William and Mary in Virginia in 1694 and similarly, the Congregationalists opened Yale in 1701, located in Connecticut. In order for the people in the colonies to prosper and succeed, competitive and high-level education controlled by different churches was crucial yet brillant in colonial times. By having different colleges ran by different churches, people were inspired even more to get a higher education, leading them to be more successful. Additionally, the Great Awakening inspired the creation of five new colleges from 1746 to 1769 such as; College of New Jersey (today, Princeton), King's College (today, Columbia), Rhode Island College (today, Brown), Queens College (today, Rutgers) and Dartmouth College. Specifically, only one of the nonsectarian colleges was founded during this time as The University of Pennsylvania had no sponsors religiously. Furthermore, the opening ceremonies of 1765 were in fact opened by Benjamin Franklin. Throughout the 17th century, the Christian ministry was in fac the single profession that accepted wide-ranged respect throughout the common people. Ministries were known to be only well-educated people within a small community. Moreover, colonists who were stricken with the smallpox epidemic and diphtheria were often treated with"cures", however, these were highly ineffective as they made the sickness only worse. A common practice throughout was to bleed the sick as leeches or bloodsuckers were employed to cure the disease. Those who were considered "doctors" did not have a great amount of formal medical training as opposed to an apprenticeship to a trained physician. In fact, the first medical college within the colonies began in 1765 in the Colleg of Philadelphia, one of Franklin's ideas. Unlike today, lawyers were extremely uncommon in the 1600s as they were viewed as troublemakers. During the period, individuals would represent their own cases prior to a colonial judgment. Throughout the periods, as both trade and legal problems expanded, people felt as if there was a need for an expert who would assist the court. A group of lawyers formed a committee in which established rules and standards for women who aspired to be lawyers. Once the 760s and 1770s came around, lawyers began to gain respect while they argued for legal and colonial rights and agreements. This was so significant because it would be a provided of the intellectual and of the American Revolution.

Rhode Island/ Roger Williams

Previous settlements that were banished from the Bay colonies eventually developed into a well-known state, Rhode Island. In 1631, Roger Williams traveled to Boston as a Puritan minister. He believed that the individual's conscience was way beyond the control of the church authority. However, his teachings on this point conflicted with the Puritan leaders and he was completely banished from this colony. As he left Boston, Williams went southward heading in the direction of the Narragansett Bay in 1636, where he and his followers discovered the settlement of Providence. This unique colony acknowledged the rights of the American Indians and even paid them to utilize their land. Williams' government also allowed Catholics, Jews, and Quakers to freely worship. Roger Williams was the founder of one of the original Baptist churches in America. In 1644, Roger Williams was provided a charter from the Parliament. This joined Portsmouth and Providence into one single colony, known as Rhode Island. This colony served as a refuge for many because of the diverse beliefs that were tolerated.

King Philip's War

Prior to its destruction, the confederation actually served a purpose for New England, helping the, successfully cope with a threat. Metacom, a chief of the Wampanoags and known to the colonists as King Philip, united several tribes in the southern part of New England. This served as a course of action against the English settlers who were invading the American Indians' land. After a vicious war lasting from 1675 to 1676, thousands on both sides were killed, villages and towns were destroyed and burned. However, the colonial forces were able to prevail and killed King Philip, which wiped out American Indian resistance in New England.

Bacon's Rebellion

The Bacon Rebellion first came to life when Nathaniel Bacon, a poor father, snatched upon the deaths of the western farmers in an effort to lead a rebellion against Berkeley's government. The rebellion he created resented political and economics that was utilized by large planters in the area of Chesapeake. In 1676, Bacon led an army of volunteers that were involved in a series of massacres and rais against the Virginia frontier where the American Indian villages existed. However, Berkeley's government located in Jamestown argued that Bacon was rebelling against the royal authority. Bacon's army was successful in taking down the governor's forces which significantly led to the burning of the Jamestown settlement. After his successes, Bacon died of dysentery, and the rebel army he created collapsed. Berkeley suppressed those who were left of the army and executed 23 of them. Although the rebellion was short-term, it's a rich example that highlights lasting disputes in colonial Virginia as class differences between the wealthy and landless drift into the following century, even after the general conditions of life in the colonies prospered.

Monetary System

The British were able to control the colonial economy by limiting the usage of money. As colonies grew, they were forced to use their limited hard currency, gold, and silver, by force. They had to use this for domestic trade to pay for the imports. The imports came from Britain that increasingly grew the colonial exports. I order to provide currency for domestic trading, the colonies used paper money, however, it often led to inflation. The British government denied any possible colonial laws that would economically harm the British merchants.

New England Confederation

The New England colonies experienced the constant threat of attack from the French, Dutch and American Indians in the 1640s. Due to England being in the midst of a civil war, the colonists had little to no assistance. However, in 1643 Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, Plymouth, and New Haven created an alliance, specifically for the military, which was known as the New England Confederation. The Confederation was directed by a board representing two people from each colony. Although it had limited powers to act on disputes over boundaries, return of runaway servants, and experiences with the American Indians, the confederation lasted until 1684. The colonial rivalries renewed control by the English monarch as it brought an experiment to colonial cooperation. However, at that point, the confederation had ended. The confederation was crucial in the development of the colonies because it created a precedent for colonies taking action towards a very common purpose.

Family Roles

The family was the center of colonial life economically and socially. As their economy and food supply expanded, life was quite different. For example, people were getting married at a younger age and children were making up a heavy part of the population. Farm life was essiential here as 90% of its people lived on the farms. As life in the coastal communities as well on the frontier was difficult, colonists did in fact have a better standard of living as opposed the most of the Europeans. Men were typically wealthy as they were the heart of the workforce. Males were able to own land and dominate politics in society, men were naturally in a better social spot than women were. The English law provided the husband with unlimited power in the home, he was in control of his wife. The English law began to end the Dutch tradition and business was directed more towards the sons in the family rather than the wife taking over her husband's business or even establishing her own business under her husband's name. Some females did in fact trade in New Amsterdam, but it was extremely rare to occur. On the other hand, the average colonial wife had around 8 children and controlled the household. Women were known for cooking, cleaning, providing medical care, and making clothing. Women were also the ones who provided their children with an education. Their work was not limited to the household as they worked on the plantation, farm, or in the shop with her husband. Divorce existed, but it was rare because of the limited legal and political rights women obtained. They did in fact share labor and mutual dependence with their husbands as it protected them from abuse and provided them with decision-making.

Halfway Covenant

The foundations of the first Puritan colonies in New England were passed in the 1660s. In order to be a full member of the Puritan congregation, an individual must have needed to have a profound religious experience, a conversion. Nevertheless, only a minimal number of members of the native-born generation had these experiences. In order to maintain the influence and membership of the church, a covenant was offered by the clergy, referred to as the halfway covenant. This was a significant step in the right direction as people were now able to become partial church members, even if they had not felt a conversion. That covenant was only partially accepted as other ministers rejected and denounced it. As years passed, Puritan practices that were extremely strict weakened in New England communities in an effort to maintain the membership of the church.

Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay

The settlement of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay was driven by religion as opposed to wealth. Both colonies were settled by English Protestants who dissented from the official government-supported Anglican Church or better known as the Church of England. The monarch of England was the leader of the Church of England. Church of England had broken free from the control of the pope in Rome, so it was no longer associated with the Roman Catholic Church Kept most of the Catholic traditions and rituals as well as governing structure. The ones who dissented inspired by the teachings of John Calvin, a Swiss theologian, believed that the Church should be completely set free from Rome. The dissenters officially adopted the doctrine of predestination from Calvin as it was a belief that God would guide those he has selected for salvation prior to their birth. King Jame I, ruling from 1603 to 1625, saw the religious dissenters as a threat to his political authority and religion. He then ordered them to be arrested and eventually jailed. Radical dissenters to the Church were known as the Separatists because they had views of organizing churches that were free and isolated from the control of the royal authorities. Hundreds of Separatists left England and set off to Holland to find religious freedom. This was a significant event because their travels inspired them to be referred to as pilgrims. Cultural differences and economic hardship along with the Dutch eventually led to the Pilgrims seeking another area for their religion. Later, they chose the new colony in America that was operated by the Virginia Company of London at the time. A small group of Pilgrims then set sail for Virginia utilizing the Mayflower in 1620. Less than half of the 100 passengers on this ship were identified as Separatists while the rest had economic motives for taking part in the voyage. Following a rough 65 day voyage, the Mayflower docked at the Massachusetts coast located a few hundred miles north of the planned destination in Virginia. Opposed to going on the Jamestown as intended, the Pilgrims decided to set down roots in a new colony, called Plymouth. After the first winter, the settlers in Plymouth were aided in adapting to their new land by the American Indians. celebrated a harvest at a thanksgiving feast in 1621. Captain Miles Standish and Governor William Bradford grew the small colony. Fur, fish, and lumber also helped boost the Plymouth economy. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, groups of moderate dissenters viewed that the Church of England could be reformed as they wanted to purify the Church. They eventually were given the name the Puritans. In hope of receiving religious freedom, a group of the Puritans aligned with King Charles I. They eventually gained a royal charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. thousands of Puritans sailed for the Massachusetts shore as they founded Boston along with John Winthrop. However this quickly turned south as a civil war in England drove out more than 15,000 settlers in 1603, this movement was known as the Great Migration. Where pilgrims landed and settled

The Enlightenment

Throughout the 18th century, part of the educated Americans felt connected to the European movement in philosophy and literature, also known as the Enlightenment. Those who led the movement felt as if the "darkness" of the past ages could be redeemed through the usage of human reason in solving existing problems. One major influence on the Enlightenment and American thinking was John Locke, a 17th-century English philosopher, and political theorist. In one of his works, "Two Treatises of Government" he argued reasoning that while the government is supreme, it does follow "natural laws" created upon the rights that people have due to the fact that they are human. Furthermore, he states that sovereignty resides with the people and not simply just the state. Locke claimed that citizens had a right and in fact an obligation to fight against the areas that the government failed to protect their rights. Other Enlightenment philosophers adopted Locke's ideas and stressed that natural rights would provide a rationale for the American Revolution. This would be based upon the basic principles of the US Constitution. For example, George Whitefield felt as if a child should be instilled with the beliefs of God as if they will be set up to live a better lifestyle. In doing this, the child will have a more pure life and be more successful because they believe in and follow God. When they deal with the unknown, turn to God and he will guide them in the right direction. This is essential because the more people that believe in God, the better off the colonies will be long-term. Jonathan Edwards believed that if they do not preserve God in their life or even acknowledge him. They will live a life filled with flames, anger, and a pity of hell. Without God, there is nothing to stand upon or no power to believe in without God holding you up. When you don't believe in God, you will live a sinful life of a sinner. Edwards stressed the importance of this and why believing in God was so important for every human's life in the long run.

Labor Shortages: Indentured Servitude; Headright System; Slavery:

Virginia and Maryland had a great road of opportunities. For example, they could own land by trading or taking it from the American Indians and Europeans as there was a growing demand for tobacco. Nonetheless, they were unable to find a supply of laborers. In fact, Virginia experienced a high death rate from food shortages, battles, and disease with the American Indians. This ultimately meant that the population would grow very shortly. Landowners attempted numerous routes to find the workers that they wanted. This eventually led to the Virginia Company being in need of indentured servants to perform labor. Under the contract with the landowner who paid for the indentured servant's passage, younger people from the British Isles came to an agreement to perform labor for a specific period of time, typically between four to seven years, this was in return for a room and board. The masters had an absolute rule of their servants until their work period ended. At the end of the period, they were able to gain their freedom and have the choice of working for wages or obtaining their own land to farm. Specifically for landowners, the system was able to provide laborers, but it was only short-term. On the other hand, the Headright System was Virginia's attempt to attract immigrants through land offers. The colony offered 50 acres of land to each immigrant who in return paid for their own passage and any owner of a plantation paid for an immigrant's passage. Eventually, a Dutch ship brought a group of indentured black African servants to Virginia in 1619. Due to the current English law, hereditary slavery was not recognized. The first Africans in the Virginian land were not set for life and any children born to them obtained freedom. The early colonists struggled to survive as they were too poor to buy the Africans who were then being imported to sugar plantations in the West Indies as slaves. When 1650 rolled around, only about 400 African laborers existed in Virginia. At the end of the 1660s, the Virginia House of Burgesses put a law into effect that discriminated between blacks and whites. Although they were slaves, Africans and their children were to be kept in permanent bondage.

Colonial Population Growth

When 1701 rolled around, the English colonies specifically located on the Atlantic Coast had a small population of just about 250,000 Europeans and Africans. Clearly, if they did not get people to join the colony, it would collapse. In 1775, things turned around as the population had about 2,500,000 people. Within the African Americans, the population spike was even larger, they went from 28,000 to 50,000 between 1701 and 1775. With this being said conditions, life and culture were attractive to new settlers as the population consistently grew. The reasoning behind why the population grew so much was tied to two factors; the immigration of millions of people, and a dramatic increase in the birthrate among colonial families. A great portion of land was available and fertile that contained a steady food supply, which attracted European settlers who needed to raise large families. Those who came to the British colonies came from colonies like England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales and as well as parts of Central and Western Europe. Those who came to the colonies were primarily Protests as they were from kingdoms that spoke French and German. Many of them immigrated to the new colonies as an opportunity to escape religious wars and find economic opportunity through farming new land or creating a living for themselves as a merchant or artisan. The colonies were rich in new opportunities for those trying to immigrate which is why the population spike was so large. A majority of the immigrants settled in the middle colonies or the southern colonies, specifically the western frontier. Throughout the 18th century, minimal immigrants went to New England due to the fact that it was under heavy Puritan control and had limited land. Those who settled from the English colonies did in fact come to the American colonies, but problems existed within the English colonies. Their population was on the smaller side compared to other colonies, such as the Scotch-Irish and the Germans. The Germans were a group of non-English immigrants that settled specifically on the rich farmlands that were west of Philadelphia. They specifically spoke German and were centered around various religions as they obeyed the colonial laws. As they contained mere interest in English politics, they eventually only had a stock of 6% of the colonial population. The Scotch-Irish people originally came from Northern Ireland. Their ancestors moved from Ireland to Scotland hence the name the Scotch-Irish. they did not truly respect the rule of the British government, which nearly forced them to leave Ireland. Many of them settled throughout western parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Once 1775 rolled around, they were only 7% of the population. Additionally, throughout these colonies, other European groups made up 5% of the colonial population in 1775. These groups included the French Protestants, the Dutch, and the Swedes. Finally, the single largest group that were non-English immigrants were known as the Africans. This group did not come to America by choice as they were taken captive, forced to board the European ships, and sold as enslaved laborers. As a result, they worked on the southern plantations for the owners. Thousands of African Americans outside of the south worked various occupations; included, bricklayers, blacksmiths, or laborers. It's crucial to include that some of these workers were enslaved and others did have a wage as they owned property. In every colony, laws were passed that discriminated against African Americans that may if depleted their opportunities and rights. The whole African American population made up a dense portion of the colonies, 20%, which included those who were enslaved and free. Around 90% of those who made up the population were located in the southern colonies' lifelong bondage. The African Americans made up a majority of the population in Georgia and South Carolina.

Charter & Colonies

•1607 to 1733 •13 distinct English colonies •Developed in North America along the Atlantic Coast •Each colony has its own charter given to them by the English monarch. •Over time, three types of charters, as well as colonies, developed. •corporate colonies, like Jamestown •Under the operation of joint-stock companies, during these colonial years. •Secondly, royal colonies, such as Virginia were to be under direct authority and rule of the king's government after 1624. •Finally, proprietary colonies, like Pennsylvania and Maryland were under the rule and authority of independent charters of ownership by the kings. •The charters and the distinction of colonies were a step to the colonies being established

Jamestown

•First permanent English colony in America, Jamestown •Established in 1607 by England's King James I. •60 mile inland area would become the settled area for the colony in hopes of protection from the Spanish warships. •Founding of the area occurred during a heightened European involvement taking place in North America. •Interest in colonization propelled national and religious conflicts as well as the growth of the merchant class. •Merchant class was hopeful of expanding overseas for a greater opportunity of trading. •King James, I chartered the Virginia Company, a joint-stock company. •Jamestown was the capital of Virginia and named after King James I. •However, not everything was smooth when Jamestown was initially colonized. •Those who first settled in Jamestown suffered immensely, however, this was partly their own mistakes. •Jamestown was colonized along the James River, in a swampy area. •The colony suffered fatal outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. •In combination with this, a great number of the settlers were gentlemen who were not familiar with physical work. •A decent portion of the settlers were golf-seeking adventures who resisted hunting or farming, which in fact helped problems break out. •One of the mere benefits in this rocky start to colonization was goods from trading with the American Indians, however, this did not halt conflicts from occurring. •When conflicts would break out between the natives and settlers, settlers would go hungry because trade would stop. •Resulted in in persistent starvation for the settlers. •Through the leadership of Captain John Smith, Jamestown prevailed for its first five years. •John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas the colony was able to grow a new variety of tobacco. •Surge of popularity in Europe as well as becoming a profitable crop if tobacco •Despite tobacco, the Virginia colony remained near collapse by 1624. •Although over 6,000 people had settled in Jamestown only 2,000 survived. •The Virginia Company had not made strategic decisions for the colony which forced them into facing heavy debt. •King James I couldn't see this colony suffer any more than it had already. •He decided to repeal the charter of the bankrupt company and then took control of the colony. •Became the first royal colony of England.

Transportation

•Transportation any goods by water was much more efficient than simply carrying them over rough land and trails. •Trading centers were eventually created along with New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston because of the good harbors and navigable rivers. •Although it was difficult and expensive to maintain the roads and bridges, overland trails by horse became more common in the 18th century. •Taverns were not only essential as they provided food and lodging for travelers, but, they also were efficient for social purposes that exchanged news and politics. •Postal systems utilized horses on overland routes and even small ships on the water. •These operated between the colonies by the time the mid-18th century hit.