Unit 2A -- Early Colonial Period (1585 to 1640)




Six countries settle North America

  1. Russia -- Alaska to San Francisco
  2. Spanish -- Southwest, Mexico, Florida
  3. Dutch -- New Amsterdam (New York)
  4. Sweden -- New Sweden (New Jersey)
  5. French -- St Lawrence River Valley and Louisiana
  6. English -- East Coast of North America

 

For the purposes of this lecture, we will deal only with the French and English settlements. I dealt with the Spanish last time, although I would like to remind you that the oldest surviving settlement in the United States is a former Spanish town: St. Augustine, Florida. The Russians aren't important until much later. As for the Dutch and the Swedes, their settlements will be dealt with when I get to English colonization in the mid-Atlantic region.

An important fact to remember: Europe in two distinct camps after the Reformation

  1. Protestant -- English, Dutch Reformed, French Huguenots, Prussia
  2. Catholic -- French, Spanish, Portuguese, Austria

Overall, it's important to remember that by this time nations are solidifying their power with respect to the church, whatever the institution. Even in Catholic countries, the Church is losing some power Vis a Vis the state

Back to the lecture:

  1. Spanish gold from the New World flooding into Europe
  2. Spain rapidly becomes the wealthiest nation in Europe
  3. Other nations want in on the deal
  4. Money = Power

France

  1. Quebec -- French speaking even today
  2. Louisiana -- Strong French influence, combined with Creole from the islands
  3. Champlain -- 1497 -- Explores the St. Lawrence River Valley.
  4. Big reason for colonization -- MONEY FROM FUR TRADERS
  5. Small settlements in Canada -- Montreal and Quebec City centered on trade with the Indians
  6. Big missionary effort -- French will use the Indians as allies against the English -- this effort will be largely unsuccessful, but the French will try
  7. NO legacy of constitutional law or representation -- we'll deal with French Absolutism after the break
  8. French trappers will eventually make it to the Great Lakes area and down the Mississippi
  9. Louisiana will be explored in the late 17th century, and New Orleans colonized by Arcadians from Nova Scotia after the English take over in the 18th century
  10. 1763 -- After a series of wars with England, the French lose all of their colonial North American possessions. This angers the French crown. His majesty will be ready to strike back when we come calling in 1777.
  11. Important to remember -- French colonies founded over money and TRADE. THEY'RE REALLY THE ONLY EUROPEAN POWER THAT TREATS THE INDIANS AS ALLIES

England

English Monarchs, the Reformation and Colonial America

Henry VII -- 1485 to 1509 -- Strong Catholic -- John Cabot voyages to the New World

Henry VIII -- 1509 to1547 -- "Defender of the Faith" -- Begins English Reformation in the 1530s when he wants to divorce his wife (Catherine of Aragon) -- English Church will still be Catholic but with no allegiance to Rome

Edward VI -- 1547 to 1553 -- Strong Lutheran style Protestant -- tries to turn England fully to Protestantism by reforming the Church -- sickly monarch -- dies young

Mary I (Bloody Mary) -- 1553 to 1558 -- daughter of Catherine -- staunchly Catholic -- executes Protestants

Elizabeth I -- 1558 to 1603 -- Break with Rome final -- Spanish Armada Defeated -- Anglican Church (Protestant but Catholic) -- Roanoke Colony (1585) -- English pirates set their eyes on Spanish gold

James I -- 1603 to 1625 -- Scottish king takes the throne -- King James Version of the Bible -- Virginia and Plymouth founded -- Separatists persecuted and flee to Holland and America

Charles I -- 1625 to 1649 -- James's Son -- Problems with Parliament over money and Religion -- Puritans growing stronger at home -- Massachusetts and Maryland founded -- Civil War with the Puritans (Presbyterians) ends in Charles's head rolling on the floor

Commonwealth -- 1649 to 1660 -- Oliver Cromwell -- Puritans in control of England -- Winthrop can't go home, however, due to Presbyterianism vs. Congregationalism

Charles II -- 1660 to 1685 -- The Restoration -- Charles II invited back from France to assume the Crown -- Carolinas and Pennsylvania founded by the King's friends -- New York taken by the Duke of York (Charles's brother) -- Dominion of New England begins -- 1676 in Virginia and New England

James II -- 1685 to 1688 -- Catholic -- tried to lean England back towards Catholicism -- when a son is born that is to be raised openly Catholic, thereby establishing a Catholic line of Succession, Parliament steps in and invites William and Mary to take the throne. Dominion of New England Deepens

William and Mary -- 1689 to 1702 (Mary dies in 1694) -- "Glorious Revolution" brings William and Mary to the throne, but gives most of the power to Parliament -- Kings will never really rule England again -- (War of the League of Augsburg) King William's War (1689 to 1697)

Anne -- 1702 to 1714 -- Queen Anne's War (War of Spanish Succession) from 1701 to 1713 -- Peace of Utrecht gives Arcadia and Hudson Bay to the English

George I -- 1714 to 1727 -- German happy to be king (related to William) -- doesn't speak English -- Parliament in control -- "Salutary Neglect" in the colonies

George II -- 1727 to 1760 -- Salutary neglect continued -- King George's War (War of Austrian Succession) from 1739 to 1748 -- Louisbourg, a major French fortress in the New World, captured by colonial New Englanders, but given back to France in the peace treaty (for important concessions in India and elsewhere) -- Georgia founded -- French and Indian War (Seven Years War) starts in 1754 in North America, 1756 in Europe

George III -- 1760 to 1820 -- American Revolution and the War of 1812 -- We'll deal with George III later

 

 

 

 

Virginia (Southern Colonies) -- Show me the Money

  1. England wants a piece of the pie
  2. England also has some unique attributes
    1. small but adventurous merchant class
    2. society racked by internal religious divisions
    3. agricultural revolution and enclosure laws lead to excess population on the island and a mass of unemployed people
  1. Halycut advocates to Queen Elizabeth the establishment of a colonial base north of Florida -- can raid Spanish and would be a place to send surplus population
  2. 1585 -- Roanoke Island, NC -- 1st English colony in the New World -- bad experience -- colony disappears -- probably all killed by natives
  3. 1607 -- Virginia Company settles Virginia -- Joint Stock Venture -- risk spread out -- really a business -- settlers mostly young sons of aristocracy -- colony starves until John Smith declares Martial law and puts everyone to work -- eventually the Crown will take over the colony
  4. Important aspect of southern colonies -- all except Georgia started for Money. They quickly turn to crops and Mercantilism (tobacco, Rice, indigo)
  5. DEFINE MERCANTILISM AND TRIANGLE TRADE ON THE BOARD (Sugar -- Rum -- Slaves)
  6. Maryland -- founded by Lord Baltimore -- haven for Catholics, but quickly becomes a tobacco colony
  7. Georgia (1733) -- last English colony founded as a philanthropic venture to empty the debtors prisons -- originally outlawed slavery, but soon follows South Carolina's lead
  8. 1619 -- Dutch ship blown off course by a storm lands in Jamestown. They trade Black Africans for supplies. The Africans are not slaves, but rather indentured servants -- slavery will not come to Virginia in full force until the 1640s.

Massachusetts (New England) -- Religious Choice

  1. Religious descent -- Puritans unhappy with the Church of England -- it's too Catholic
  2. 1620 -- Pilgrims (separatists) settle Plymouth after crossing on the Mayflower -- settlement will remain small and will eventually be absorbed by its bigger neighbor in 1691
  3. 1629 -- John Winthrop leads a group of Puritans to the shores of Massachusetts Bay. Winthrop and his flock believe that they are creating a "city on a hill" -- God's heaven on earth -- a beacon of light cutting through the fog -- charter is in Massachusetts and all church freedmen vote
  4. imagery important -- they're God's chosen people
  5. Calvinist Predestination -- members of the elect -- equality for Church members -- God is all knowing, so he knows who will be among the chosen 144,000.
  6. Image of sour faced ministers blasting their congregations is true, but must be tempered with the realization that Puritans were regular people too
  7. Since God had given Massachusetts to the Puritans
  1. any dissention is dissention against God and can not be tolerated
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