Classifying the Colonies
Activity 2- Gabi Siewczynski
Jamestown
- Known as the first settled British North American colony in the New World settled in 1607.
- The Virginia Company was the joint stock company that was responsible for the founding of this colony.
- Jamestown was settled in a swamp land area that caused many problems for the new settlers including Malaria.
- Jamestown had a rough start due to the death of so many of its settlers because of problems such as starvation that resulted from the English being insufficient.
- Captain John Smith was able to save the colony from failing early on by organizing the men.
- The colony was also able to continue to exist thanks to the somewhat peaceful existence with the Powhatan people who served some help.
- Virginia Company's director's did not supply the colony much direction, so there was a need for leadership in the colony, and Lord De La Warr became the new governor.
- The first Anglo Powhattan War resulted from the cultural clashes that got worse between the Indians and settlers resulted in Jamestown.
- Tobacco grew like weeds in the Chesapeake region due to its climate, and saved Jamestown by becoming their principle export.
- Jamestown was the first colony to grow tobacco. This was because John Rolfe was the first to introduce the cash crop and did so in Jamestown.
Captain James Smith
The tobacco plant was a great success!
Originally the settlers were only interested in successfully finding gold.
Massachusetts Bay
- Was established in the early 17th century by the Puritians.
- The Great Migration which occurred from 1620-1650 was the time that brought almost 20,000 settlers to Massachusetts Bay.
- The Non Separatists Puritans were Puritans who originally felt they could successfully reform the Church of England and ought to remain in England.
- The Puritans who had believed they would be able to improve the church from the inside later decided to migrate to the New World because of what the Church was becoming.
- King Charles I was who chartered the settlers to form the Massachusetts Bay Company.
- The initial experience the Massachusetts colonist had was a smoother experience than that of the Jamestown settlers.
- What made the experience more successful was that those who were settling in the colony were much more prepared to begin a colony, there were constant settlers being replenished as well as supplied, and the colony was truly growing.
- The Bay Company made the most of its forest and water resources because they found the soil was not very favorable to a farming lifestyle.
- The Company had what looked like a practical democracy government that was based on the relationship between the freemen who voted and the clergy men.
- John Winthrop was the first governor of the colony who was able to serve for a decade, and wanted to create a society that would be a looked at as a model for everyone.
John Winthrop believed God had a purpose for the colony.
Because farming was not that predominant lumber was a large industry.
The prepared settlers arriving from where they have fled.
Pennsylvania
- The colony itself belonged to and was established by an Englishman William Penn, who strongly believed one's religion should involve a personal relationship with God.
- When Pennsylvania was first trying to be established by Penn Dutch, Swedish, and English squatters were occupying the land that he planned to make a Quaker refuge.
- An assemble of land owners of the colony, known as freemen, were elected to form an assembly that kept the colony in order and made it somewhat liberal.
- A main goal the colony had was to have harmony among the settlers in their daily life, while the government and Quaker principles worked to flow together.
- There were no restrictions on immigration into the colony which made it very attractive to a mix of ethnic groups. This different groups were made up of mostly religious "misfits" because of the religious freedom appeal Pennsylvania had.
- Early on William Penn was attracted to the Quaker faith which influenced his firm belief that there was no need for an established church, which he practiced in his colony.
- The government of the colony had no military defense, but this was because of the fact that the Quakers and Indians were living in somewhat peace.
- Not only was the colony made up of people who were seeking for religious freedom, but also those who who wished to escape harsh practices and be in a place of economic opportunity and civil liberty. Geographically these migrants came from from the colonies that neighbored them.
- The Quakers grew to be smart business people and quickly were able to export grains and other food goods that they were able to take advantage of. They were successful settlers which showed by 1700 when the the colony was only outnumber in population and wealth by Virginia which at the time had been long established.
- The policy William Penn created and made sure to see it practiced was the policy of buying all land that was taken from the Natives. Pennsylvania was the only colony to do so.
Maryland
- A Catholic colony is what was expected from Lord Baltimore, but a mix of Catholic and Protestant settlers were who found themselves in this colony that was becoming tolerant to Christians that were not Catholic.
- The colony's main purpose was to shelter and protect the Catholics, and so many chose to live in Maryland compared to other colonies. Their primary reasons for needing to flee had to do with the discrimination they were getting as Roman Catholics. An example of this discrimination is, most couples could not be legally married at the time by a Catholic priest because the Roman Catholics were being persecuted.
- Huge estates were provided for Lord Baltimore's English relatives, and because of the hopes for his settlers to maintain their land, the colony was classified early on as under a feudal system.
- The colony was able to export the crop and discover great success which later lead to slaves being imported in large numbers towards the end of the 17th century.
- Due to the very large growth of Protestants compared to Catholics, the Catholics began to fear pressure like what they had in fear in England. The restrictions that soon arose on the Catholics put emphasis on the policy to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
Lord Baltimore
- Maryland was a Chesapeake colony founded by an individual in 1634 by the name of Lord Baltimore rather than a joint stock company. He was a man who came from a English Catholic family who embarked for financial profits and for the want to create a Catholic refuge.
- The colony was able to serve as a English Catholic refuge for those who had been subjected to discrimination in England.
- 1649 Lord Baltimore decided to agree to the Act of Toleration, which stated that anyone who believed in Jesus Christ would be guaranteed freedom. This Act is what clearly declared that Maryland could be open to settlers that were of a religion other than Catholic. This tolerance was seen to be successful when the Protestants became so prevalent that they out settled the Catholics.
- Colonists were provided with land that they acquired to be their own that they developed into farms. These farms soon were prospering by growing acres of tobacco.
Jesus Christ
- The requirement for the belief of the divinity of Jesus was very strict, which mean that although Jews and Atheists may have been living there the death penalty applied to them if they denied the belief.
Georgia
- The founders of the colony wished to populate the colony with industrious farmers. But it did not go as well as they hoped because of their adjustments to the colony that caused the settlers to want to find ways around their founders restrictions.
- The philanthropists abandoned their responsibility of maintaining the colony which later caused the Georgia to become a royal colony.
- Financial support was provided from England because the colony served to protect against the Spaniards as well as a place unwanted people from England were taken to. This was the only colony that received support from England
- Growth at the end of the colonial era was the slowest in Georgia. This was because of factors including a poor climate for their plantation economy, the beginning restrictions on black slaves, and the results from the Spanish attacks.
- Founded in 1733, the colony was the last of the thirteen colonies to be formed.
Oglethorpe
- In 1733 a group of London philanthropists launched the colony for mainly one reason. This was to serve as a military buffer against the Spaniards who were coming from Florida.
- Catholics were the one group Christians who did not have the privilege to enjoy religious toleration. There were many missionaries present in Georgia who hoped to spread the Christian faith and ways to Indians and groups such as the Catholics.
The Spainards
- This buffer that Georgia was intended to be was successful in protecting the Carolinas and other northern colonies that were becoming more valuable. These northern colonies were starting to produced goods such as silk and wine. Not only was it protecting against the Spaniards but also the French who were able to come from Louisiana.
- At first the philanthropists had planned to keep slavery out of Georgia, however, the plantation life style mainly dealing with the farming of tobacco lead Georgia to be a slave populate state.
Rice!
- A plantation lifestyle allowed the colony to survive. They exported agricultural products including tobacco and rice.