The Southern Colonies :The Southern Colonies An Introduction


England Up, Spain Down :England Up, Spain Down Spanish Armada defeated. Dutch secured independence. Spanish economy in decline. Lost control in Caribbean. In short: Spain in decline.


England Up, Spain Down :England Up, Spain Down Catholicism versus Protestantism settled violently in England. Elizabeth I was popular. England was unified and it had a sense of national purpose.


England Up, Spain Down :England Up, Spain Down Population growth. Land was enclosed for sheep grazing. Economic depression hit woolen trade. Cities overcrowded, wages declined, & prices rose. Laws of primogeniture limited options. Joint-stock companies provided financial means for people to move.


To Jamestown :To Jamestown Virginia Company received charter from King James I Purpose: Look for gold and passage from America to the East Indies. Landed in Chesapeake Bay. (Easy to defend, but infested with mosquitoes).


Early Years in Jamestown :Early Years in Jamestown Colonists met with disease, starvation, and death. Didn’t farm. (Too sick or looked for gold) Resented John Smith’s coerced farming policies. Few accustomed to work. Starving Winter (1609-1610)


Early Years in Jamestown :Early Years in Jamestown Traded weapons & metal tools for corn. Colonists expected Indians to feed them. (Led to violence) Powhatan pursued policy of containment. Colonists pursued unlimited war against Indians. Chief Powhatan made peace in 1614.


Early Years Jamestown :Early Years Jamestown Tobacco became a cash crop in 1616 thanks to John Rolfe. Head-right system adopted in late 1610s. Allowed colonists to privately own land. (Major incentive to farm land) Indentured servants worked for 4 to 7 years to pay off debts. (80%) Economics encouraged immigration.


English Dominate Tidewater Region :English Dominate Tidewater Region Indians lost land and hit with disease. Indians launched a surprise attacks against English in 1622 and 1644. Colonists turned to unlimited warfare that led to domination of Tidewater region. Powhatans extinct by 1685.


Government and Society :Government and Society Virginia became a royal colony in 1624. Continued head-right system. House of Burgesses survived the royal takeover. Oldest Representative legislative assembly in British Colonies.


Government and Society :Government and Society Maryland, a second Chesapeake tobacco plantation colony, was founded in 1634. Intended as a refuge for Catholics. However, majority were Protestants. Act of Toleration was passed in 1649 to protect Catholic minority. (Jews and Atheists subject to the death penalty) Hold on Chesapeake was complete.


Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake :Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake Lower survival rates in the early years of settlement prevented excessive accumulation of wealth. Planters grew a lot of tobacco which lowered prices. Higher survival rates meant more landowners and even more landless freemen.


Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake :Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake Elite tried to limit the political power of the landless by stalling elections and limiting voting rights. Tensions erupted in 1676 with Bacon’s Rebellion. Thought government served the Indians, not the people Elite planters voted out of office.


Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake :Social Upheaval in the Chesapeake Nathaniel Bacon labeled a traitor. Elite planters reasserted their power following the death of Bacon. Lesson learned: indentured servants not so good. (Landless freemen dangerous)


From Indentured Servants to Slaves :From Indentured Servants to Slaves Carolina founded in 1670 Purpose: to develop a profitable cash crop. (Early immigrants from Barbados) Early efforts to develop crop failed. (Economically tied to Barbados) Discovered rice. (Helped by slaves) Got involved in slave trade too. (Traded Indian slaves)


From Indentured Servants to Slaves :From Indentured Servants to Slaves 1670-1700 Chesapeake adopted slavery. Expensive, but worth investment. Slaves would live long. Slaves would never be free. Elites would rely less on indentured servants.


Social Ramifications :Social Ramifications Differences in wealth and status among whites still existed. Only elites could buy slaves. Poor whites couldn’t afford them. However, freedom became defined by race. (Lessoned tensions among rich and poor whites)