Significant Facts about Colonies
By Joy Kim
Jamestown
- Founded on May 21, 1607
- Virginia Company of London got charter from King James I of England (1606).
-VA Company's charter guaranteed settlers the same rights as Englishmen in England. - Capt. John Smith took over Jamestown (1608)
- Men died due to starvation, malnutrition, and diseases because they spent all their time searching for gold.
-wanted to find gold like Spain
-were unprepared for first winter in 1609-1610
-led to cannibalism - Relationship between settlers and Native Americans were not good, especially after Lord De La Warr arrived (Spring 1610).
- John Rolfe was known as the father of the tobacco industry.
- The Dutch arrived and sold about 20 Africans in 1619.
-started the North American slavery system - Representative self-government was created.
-Settlers were allowed to make an assembly called the House of Burgesses. - The first Anglo-Powhatan War ended in 1614 with a peace settlement.
- The second Anglo-Powhatan War ended with the peace treaty of 1646, which resulted in the banishment of Native Americans from ancestral lands and the separation of Native American and White areas.
Virginia Company's Charter (1607)
Captain John Smith
John Rolfe and Pocahontas's Wedding
Massachusetts Bay
- The Massachusetts Bay Company was a group of non-Separatist Puritans who secured a royal charter in 1629.
- Of the 70,000 refugees that left England during the "Great Migration" in the 1630s, only 20,000 came to Massachusetts.
- John Winthrop was the colony's first governor, and he set up a theocratic government.
- Only "freemen" (adult males belonging to the Congregational Church) had a say in the provincial government, while all male property holders could vote in town governments.
-Women were voteless. - The provincial government was not a democracy.
-Elected governors and General Court consisted of only Puritans. - Even people who were not Puritans had to pay taxes to a government-supported church.
- Religious leaders influenced the Massachusetts "Bible Commonwealth" greatly.
-"Bible Commonwealth" - theocratic political economy that centered all laws around God. - Quakers were often punished with banishment, fines, and floggings, due to ignoring the Puritan clergy authority.
- Anne Hutchinson was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 to prevent spreading her extreme ideas of predestination.
-believed there was no need to obey the laws of God or man because there was no for sure sign of salvation - Roger Williams was also banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 for "spreading new and dangerous opinions."
-questioned the legality of the colony's charter because they took the land from the Native Americans unfairly.
-did not believe government had power to decide one's religious behavior
Pennsylvania
- William Penn received a charter for Pennsylvania in 1681.
- The settlers of Pennsylvania had a good relationship with the Native Americans, until more non-Quaker settlers from Europe arrived and disagreed with the Quakers' policy toward the Native Americans.
- The government was very liberal and had a representative assembly elected by property holders.
- Unlike the Massachusetts Bay colony, the settlers in Pennsylvania did not have to pay taxes to a government-supported church.
- There was religious tolerance for all settlers, except Catholics and Jews could not vote or hold office.
- Although there was religious freedom, there were still "blue laws" that prohibited ungodly activities, such as stage plays, dice, games, and excessive amusement.
- The Quakers of Pennsylvania were very peaceful and easy-going. They did not care much about military defense, and immigration was very easy.
- The Quakers did not approve of black slavery.
- The people of Pennsylvania exported grains and other foods, which helped increase the population of the colony.
- Although William Penn was the founder of Pennsylvania, he only spent a total of four years living there.
Map of the Original Thirteen Colonies
A Quaker with a Native American
William Penn's Charter
Maryland
- Maryland was founded in 1634 by Lord Baltimore (George Calvert).
- It was the second plantation colony and fourth English colony to be formed.
- Lord Baltimore created Maryland for profits and a refuge for Catholics.
- He planned to govern as an absentee proprietor in a feudal relationship.
- Maryland was founded at St. Mary's, on Chesapeake Bay.
- The Catholic colony was surrounded by neighboring Protestant colonies, which resulted in a lot of tension.
- Maryland focused on growing acres of tobacco.
- The colony depended on indentured servants at first to do all of the labor.
- The Act of Toleration was written in 1649. It was a document that tolerated all Christians, but did not approve of religions that did not believe in the divinity of Jesus.
- Due to the strict policy against religions that questioned Jesus, Jews were forced to relocate. This caused Maryland to become somewhat less tolerant than before the Act of Toleration.
Georgia
- Georgia was the last of the original thirteen colonies to be founded. It was founded in 1733.
- Its main purpose was to protect the Carolinas from the French in Louisiana and the Spaniards in Florida. Hence the nickname, the "Buffer Colony".
- Georgia was the only colony that received money rewards from the British government because it was a vital part of defense.
- Georgia was named after King George II of England.
- Other reasons for creating Georgia, included providing silk, wine, and a haven for people in-debt.
- The colony was founded by James Oglethorpe and other philanthropists.
- Savannah, Georgia was a great melting pot that tolerated most religions.
- John Wesley began his missionary work in Savannah, Georgia until he later returned to England and founded the Methodist Church.
- Georgia was the least popular of the thirteen colonies.
- It had an unsuccessful plantation economy due to poor climate, restrictions on black slavery, and constant attacks from the Spanish.