Classifying the Colonies
By Nikhil Kesarla, Furnish, Period 1
Jamestown
1. Colony was founded by the Virginia Company. This was to find gold, find religious converts, and get glory for Britain. Was the first permanent English colony in the New world.
2. Captain John Smith- "He who shall not work shall not eat," John Smith was the much needed savior of Jamestown, when he arrived he quickly whipped the colonists into shape and life started to improve for the colonists. However, he died a short while later
3. 3. "Starving time": Jamestown entered the "Starving time" when John Smith went back to England. This was when colonists were so desperate for food that they dug up bodies and ate them for nutrition. Of the 400 colonists in Jamestown, only 60 were alive at the end of the "Starving time"
4. Lord De La Warr: Governor of Jamestown, forced the colonists back to Jamestown and made them work. Also instigated fights against the Indians.
5. Tobacco- Long time savior of the Jamestown Colony as it was popular in England and the climate of Jamestown was just right to grow tobacco
6. House of Burgesses: Form of self-government in Jamestown that allowed settlers to choose advisors to advise the governor.
7. Conflict with Indians: Because colonists needed land to grow tobacco, this put them with increasing conflict against the Indians, which lead to losses for both sides
8. King James: King James revoked the royal charter given to the London Company to rule Jamestown, making it a royal colony which led to major finacial losses.
9. John Rolfe: Very important figure of Jamestown, as he was the one who discovered that tobacco would be profitable in England and also sealed the peace treaty with the Indians by marrying Pocahontas.
10. 1616- Year that tobacco became Jamestown's principal export to England and was the year that put Jamestown on firm economic footing.
Massachusetts Bay
1. Religious freedom- Formed by non-seperatist Puritans so they could practice thier religion
2. "The Great Migration": Movement in which between 16-20 thousand settlers moved from England to Massachusetts becuase of turmoil in England, making it one of the largest colonies
3. John Winthrop: First governor of Massachusetts,
believed that this venture was divinely inspired, and wrote "A model of Christian charity", which outlined the purpose of the Bay colony
4. Practical democracy: System of government was considered to be a practical democracy in which male church members voted on the governor.
5. Fishing- Because the soil in the northeast was to rocky to be suitable for farming, colonists made use of the ample fish and timber as their main components of industry.
6. Battles: Massachusetts was the site of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which was the first of the military engagements of the American Revolution
7. Climate: The climate of Massachusetts was very cold, with mild winters, but it also had the least diseases out of the colonies
8. Boston Tea Party: Very famous example of the colonists rebelling against British rule to protest unfair taxation
9. Plymouth Colony: Established of the coast of Massachusetts by seperatist Puritans as a haven for religious freedom
10. Religious Persecution: Massachusetts Bay was strictly for those who were Puritans, people who practiced other faiths were not allowed.
Pennsylvania
1. Religious Freedom: Was formed by the Quakers has a haven for religious freedom
2. WIlliam Penn: Was the first governor of Pennsylvania, and established a colony there.
3. Liberal government: Penn established a liberal form of government in Pennsylvania in which a represenative assembly was elected by male landowners in Pennsylvania.
4. Farming- Becuase Pennsylvania's soil and climate was very well suited to farming, that became its biggest and primary industry.
5. Religious tolerance- Quakers allowed religious tolerance among those who lived in Pennsylvania.
6. European lifestyle: Colonists who lived in Pennsylvania maintained their european lifestyle instead of creating their own.
7. 1681: Year King Charles granted William Penn the region that would become Pennsylvania.
8. Very well advertised: Pennsylvania was the best advertised colony; Penn sent out detailed pamphlets and offered land to prospective settlers
9. Benjamin Franklin: Franklin was from Philadelphia, and served as the governer of Pennsylvania. He was also one of the founding fathers of the U.S. and brought much prestige to Pennsylvania.
10. Social experiment: WIlliam Penn "experimented" with society in Pennsylvania, so that colonists could blend both Quaker and political ideologies
Maryland
2. Full religious freedom: Maryland was the first colony to allow full religious freedom to all Catholics
3. 1689: This is the year that Maryland becomes a royal colony instead of being owned by Lord Baltimore, meaning that religious freedom was now in the hands of the king
4. Peaceful relations with Native Americans: Unlike the colonists of other colonies like Jamestown, colonists of Maryland were able to maintain peaceful relations with the Native Americans.
5. Tobacco: Like the Jamestown colony, Maryland's economy was primarily based on tobacco and other foodstuffs.
6. Toleration Act of 1649: This act was very important because it allowed toleration of all faiths based on the divinity of Jesus, however it ordered the death penalty for those who did not believe in the divinity of Jesus
7. Legislative Assembly: This shows that Maryland was quite liberal compared to most other colonies in America because the governor was voted through male land owners
8. Chesapeake Bay: Maryland enjoyed the use of the Chesapeake Bay for transportation of goods, so they didn't have to rely much on roads.
9. Climate was mild: The early colonists of Maryland never had to suffer the harsh climate of Jamestown, as they were more sheltered and thus, enjoyed a calmer lifestyle
10. Diverse Culture: Because Maryland was religiously tolerant for many years, it attracted many different colonists making Maryland very diverse
Georgia
2. James Oglethorpe: Founder of the Georgia colony due to a charter granted by King George the 2nd
3. "Debtors prison": Georgia was mainly a colony for debtors and prisoners in England that would be given a second chance in Georgia
4. Warm climate: As a result of a warm climate, Georgia was able to grow many different crops and plantations
5. 1750: Until 1750, Georgia banned slavery in the colony
6. 1752: This is a very important year for Georgia, as this was the year the king revoked the charter, making Georgia a royal colony do that he could directly influence matters
7. Semi religious tolerance: Georgia was tolerant of all faiths except for Catholics, showing that ideologies in England indirectly influenced matters in Georgia
8. Monetary subsidies: Because Georgia was a vital link to the imperial defense in the New World, Georgia was the only one of the colonies to enjoy monetary subsidies for Britain
9. Produced Silk and Wine: While colonies like Jamestown and Carolina produced only tobacco, the climate of Georgia allowed settlers to grow silk and wine.
10. Savannah: Was the most important city of Georgia; this was a very important port city where resources could be sent to other colonies and Britain.