Founding theAmerican Colonies:Chapter 2, Section 1

Geography shapes the physical, economic, and political challenges a region faces.

Peoples of various cultures and religions settled the early North American colonies.

Settlements in AmericaMain idea: Spain, France, and the Netherlands founded colonies in North America.

● Spain/Portugal built American colonies in 1500○ Caribbean, Mexico, Central America

● France/England+ in 1600s○ North America

● Spain built new settlements/forts in North America in 1600s○ Florida, New Mexico, Texas, California○ To keep Europeans out, teach religion/start missions

France’s Fur-Trading Empire● French came to make $$ fur trading

○ Beaver fur popular (hats, clothes, etc.)● Samuel de Champlain set up trading post in

Quebec (Canada), capital of New France○ Then trappers/explorers/missionaries moved to N.America

■ Louis Joliet/Jacques Marquette discovered Miss. River■ Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle followed it to

Gulf of Mexico and named Louisiana for King Louis XIV● French settlers brought enslaved Africans to grow sugarcane, rice,

tobacco

The Dutch in North America

● Dutch/Netherlands able to sail the world due to huge fleet○ Set-up trade colony, New

Netherlands, in present day New York■ Capital, New Amsterdam, was in

New York City/Manhattan

1. What were some the reasons that European countries has for founding colonies in the Americas?

2. Name several Spanish settlements in North America.3. In what areas of North America did the French settle? Why did

the originally decide to come?

Junipero Serra● Franciscan priest who wanted to work as a missionary among

Native Americans● Sent to CA with goals of claiming land and converting natives

to Catholicism○ Established San Diego mission and founded 8 others, with 21 total by

1820● Motto “Always to go forward and never to turn back”, he

traveled by foot between missions (generally about a days walk in distance)○ Typically near the coast for fresh supplies

● Each mission unique, but with same layout○ Location was always determined by availability of wood, water, fields

The Virginia ColonyMain idea: The first permanent English settlement in North America was at Jamestown.● 1587, English colonists sailed for

America and founded colony on Roanoke (coast of North Carolina), but they disappeared after 6 years○ “Lost Colony” no one knows what

happened to them

Virginia● Failure of Roanoke halted colony plans until 1606● The Virginia Company (a joint-stock company) received a

charter and took more than 100 people across the Atlantic to establish first permanent English settlement○ Jamestown (named for King James I), first town in colony of Virginia

● Virginia life = hard○ No gold/silver, little food, bad weather, clashes with Native Americans○ Colonists survived under leadership of soldier/explorer John Smith,

who forced settlers to farm and get corn from N.Americans○ Made no money in first years, would have collapsed if not for John

Rolfe’s discovery that tobacco grew well in the soil■ Became first colonial cash crop

Self-Government in Virginia

● To attract more settlers, Virginia Company gave colonists the right to elect burgesses (representatives)○ First House of Burgesses met 1619 and mimicked English

Parliament■ Laws voted on■ Set an example of government for other colonies

1. Why would the availability of wood, water, and fields be a factor in determining the location of missions?

2. How is a charter and a burgess both related to government?3. What is meant by the phrase “representative government”?4. Who was John Smith? (the real one) How did he help the

Virginia settlers?

The 13 English Colonies

Main idea: The English established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America.● Not everyone came for wealth● Others came for religious freedom

○ Protestants were dissatisfied○ Puritans wanted to stay in Church, but not really○ Separatists wanted to leave and start fresh

■ King James I/King Charles I persecuted them

The Pilgrims Arrive in New England● 1620, group of Separatists

called Pilgrims went to America to worship freely○ Received land grants from Virginia

Company, sailed to Virginia on the Mayflower

○ Wind blew them off course, landed in Massachusetts (Plymouth)

The Mayflower Compact● Plymouth was outside the jurisdiction

of the Virginia Company/laws○ To provide/guarantee order, they signed a

formal document the Mayflower Compact, establishing civil government and promising to obey laws■ Important step in creating democratic government in

America■ Plymouth residents governed themselves for 70 years

until the became part of Massachusetts colony

Massachusetts● Pilgrim success encouraged persecuted Puritans to leave too

○ Formed a company, got a royal charter, left for America● Led by John Winthrop, Puritans landed and formed colony of

Massachusetts○ Many followed suit (20,000 in 14 years)

● An elected group ran colony through a General Court that created a colonial legislature○ Every adult landowning male could vote for governor and

representatives● Puritans come to put religious beliefs into practice, making

Protestant Congregationalist the official religion and barring members of other faiths○ Those who disagreed were expelled to form new colonies

Connecticut and Rhode Island● Connecticut, led by Thomas Hooker adopted plan of

government called The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the first written constitution, describing organization of representative government in detail

● Rhode Island, founded by Puritan minister Roger Williams, who believed people should be free to follow conscience about religion and that church and government should be separate, and that settlers shouldn’t take land from natives○ His ideas led to his banishment from Massachusetts and

the creation of Rhode Island■ With policy of religious toleration, the colony became a

safe place for dissenters

The Middle Colonies● By 1660 England had two

clusters of colonies○ New England Colonies -

Massachusetts (north), Virginia (agricultural south)

○ Between north and south colonies was Dutch controlled land, later under English rule became Middle Colonies■ New York, Pennsylvania,

New Jersey, Delaware

New York● Desire for wealth drew England to New York

○ Ruled by Dutch until English fleet took control of port○ King Charles II gave it to brother, Duke of York (renamed)

● Became fastest-growing commercial port● Governor and council appointed by Duke of York

directed all colony’s affairs○ But colonists demanded representative government like the

other colonies had○ Duke resisted for awhile, but gave up and allowed them to

elect legislature

Pennsylvania● Protest group known as Quakers that were

persecuted in England, founded colony of Pennsylvania, named for the wealthy William Penn, who received land grant as debt payment○ Penn saw land as “holy experiment” and chance to put

ideals of toleration/equality into practice○ Believed land belonged to natives and settlers should pay

■ In 3 years, over 3,000 people (English, Welsh, Irish, Dutch, German) arrived

■ In Charter of Liberties, colonists were granted right to elect representatives to legislative assembly

Virginia and the Southern Colonies● Virginia prospered from tobacco growth

○ Wealthy planters had land near coast and new settlers moved inland (Native American land)

● Powhatan Confederation almost destroyed colony, and Virginia Company was accused of mismanagement and resulted in loss of charter○ Became a royal colony, governor appointed by king○ House of Burgesses remained, but laws needed royal

approval and Anglican Church became official religion

Maryland● Catholic noble, Lord Baltimore George Calvert,

wanted to set up safe place for Catholics in America free from persecution○ Died, so his son Cecilius Calvert took colony, Maryland

(named for another royal Henrietta Maria)● Faced conflict early on between Protestants and

Catholics, Calvert passed Act of Toleration in 1649, granting Protestants and Catholics right to worship freely○ Act failed initially, but was a beginning step toward

acceptance of religious diversity in colonies

The Carolinas● King Charles II issued charters creating large

colony called Carolina, and provided 8 members/proprietors of his court to run/bring money to colony○ Didn’t go as planned…

● Settlers wanted a greater role in government, seized control from proprietors○ Two royal colonies created North and South Carolina

Georgia● Last of English colonies, led by General James Oglethorpe,

who received a charter where English debtors could make a fresh start○ Poor farm people/religious refugees

● Colony also created for protection against Spanish attack○ Territorial wars continued from previous years○ Could be military barrier

● Settlers complained about limits on land size and banning of slave labor○ Hesitantly, Oglethorpe lifted restrictions, but out of frustration returned

colony to king

1. How did Massachusetts and Rhode Island differ on the issue of religious freedom?

2. How were the rights of Virginians limited when it became a royal colony?

3. Why did Lord Baltimore fear an attempt to make Maryland a Protestant colony?

4. What is the House of Burgesses?5. What was the Mayflower Compact and why was it important?

For next time...Great Awakeningsubsistence farmingindentured servantsslaveryroyal coloniescharter colonieslimited governmentrepresentative government