The American Colonies

WHY?For what reasons did individuals come to America?

New England Colonies

Massachusetts (1620)• Pilgrims (Plymouth)

– Separatists• wanted to separate from the Anglican

Church

– 1st Thanksgiving

– Mayflower Compact• 41 men drew up the agreement

to outline fair and equal laws for the colony; signed on the Mayflower

• 1620

Massachusetts (1630)• Puritans

• Purify and reform Anglican Church• Massachusetts Bay Colony• Strict religious beliefs; radical

• John Winthrop“for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty

upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us”

City Upon A Hill, 1630

– New Hampshire (1630)• John Mason• English and Scots-Irish settlers• Economic freedom• Settled for religious freedom• Escape for those constricted by harsh religious and

economic rules of the Puritans

• Royal Colony

– Rhode Island (1636)• Roger Williams • Exiled by Puritans in Mass. settled in Providence• Religious freedom• Trade

– Connecticut (1636)• Thomas Hooker• Dutch (economic freedom) and English (religious

freedom)• Asked to leave by Mass.• Agriculture and trade

Middle Colonies

– New York (1626)• Peter Minuit• Dutch (Netherlands), taken over by English• Trade and profits• Anglican• Proprietary to royal colony

– New Jersey (1660)• Lord Berkley• Established by Sweden became English• Agriculture, trade and profits• Proprietary to royal colony

– Delaware (1638)• Peter Minuit• Dutch, Swedish and English• Farming, trade and profits• Proprietary

Pennsylvania (1682)– William Penn– Proprietary– Home to many European

Immigrants: Swedish, Dutch, English, Scots-Irish and German

– Farming

• Quakers– Equality and all possessed

“Inner Light”– Pennsylvania

Southern Colonies

Virginia (1607)• Jamestown• 1st permanent settlement mostly males

(indentured servants and treasure hunters)• 60/900 colonists survived• Ruled by John Smith• Founded by the Virginia Company

– Joint-stock company: organized to raise money by selling stocks/shares to investors

– Becomes royal

House of Burgesses (1619)-22 representatives called burgesses met to outline laws for the colony

– Maryland (1634)• George Calvert, Lord

Baltimore• Religious freedom for

Catholics• Established for trade,

finding precious metals and to locate a water passage across the continent

• Farming• Proprietary

Maryland Act of Toleration• 1649• Granted freedom of worship for all

Catholics• Symbolic beginning of freedom of religion

– North Carolina (1653)• Group of proprietors: business venture• Settlers from Virginia • Farming, trade and profit• Anglican

– South Carolina (1670)• Group of proprietors• Settlers from France, English, Africans and Irish• Food crops• Anglican• Proprietary to royal

– Georgia (1733)• General James Oglethorpe• Spanish settlements taken by English• Debtors and convicts protect colonies from Spanish and

French invasions• Slow economic growth farmed, harvested lumber and traded

furs

The Charter of Carolina 1663

Discrimination

• African Americans– Free– Slaves

• Native Americans– Pushed off land by westward settlers

Religious Tolerance

• Roger Williams Providence, RI• Pennsylvania

– English Quakers– German Lutherans – Scotch-Irish Presbyterians– Swiss Mennonites

• New York linguistic and cultural diversity– First synagogue

Colonial Economy

Economic Diversity:

-South= Agriculture -North = Commerce

-Towns and citiesdevelop along water

Commerce and Immigrants (New England)

• Port cities– Boston– Immigrant population increases due to

religious freedom and economic opportunities (German, Scotch-Irish, Dutch)

– More towns in North than Southern colonies– Use town meetings to govern

New England Colonies

• Shipbuilding

• Fishing

• Smaller farms self-sufficient

Middle Colonies’ Economy

• Diverse in people and business

• Less slaves – Shops, homes and farms

Middle Colonies’ Economy• Farming

– Wheat, barley, rye

• Commerce– Access to water– Shipping overseas– New York and Philadelphia

Southern Economy

• John Rolfe and tobacco– Virginia, Maryland, NC

• Plantations develop– Need for labor– Indentured servants

• Agree to work for landowner• 4-7 years

– slavery

Southern Plantation Systems

• Exported cash crops to make money• Creates:

(1) Large farms around rivers (2) Need for lots of labor (3) Wealthy class of plantation owners

Slave Trade

• First slaves were captured Native Americans

• African slave trade flourished by 1700s• Slaves endured a harsh voyage: Middle

Passage• Widespread use in Southern colonies