English Colonization of America: The Different Societies of New England and the Chesapeake Bay Region
Columbus’ discovery of the Americas in the 16th century led to a mass movement of exploration of and migration to the “New World”. Plentiful in land, resources, and wealth, the New World was a perfect solution to a new, emerging concept in 16th-century Europe: mercantilism, a theory claiming that the world’s wealth was limited. Thus, it was no wonder Britain joined the colonization of the Americas, a land with great potential for wealth and expansion. When the British people first journeyed to America - both as individuals and in families- in the early 17th century, they arrived with different motives and obstacles. As societies developed
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English farming practices were replaced with tobacco plantations in order to both adapt to new crops based on the new land and provide a stable economy using cash crops. This new agricultural practice sped up the rate of expansion, and enraged the already discontent Natives. When a group of local Indians under chief Powhatan resisted English expansion, the Virginia Company went nearly bankrupt in its effort to suppress the uprising. Subsequently, King James I revoked their charter and controlled the colonies through appointed governors until the revolution in 1776. These governors imposed rigid leaderships and strict rules, both of which were crucial to Jamestown’s survival and expansion; however, this arbitrary and supressive rule later led to conflicts within Virginia - the most well known being Bacon’s Rebellion. Such rebellions demonstrated potential instability within the Chesapeake Bay colonies and highlighted the danger of social unrest amongst white subordinate class. As a result, Virginia colonists turned to the African slave trade to fulfill labor demands, thus beginnings the long history of slavery in southern
A community is a group of people who work together towards a common goal and share a common interest. Lack of such a quality can and most likely will cause a struggling town or city to fall into the extremes of poverty and wealth. The New England community was so strong and so supportive in comparison to that of the Chesapeake Bay, that it is no wonder they developed into two distinctly different cultures before the year 1700. The Chesapeake region developed into a land of plantations and money-driven owners, with the elite wealthy, almost no middle class, and those in poverty creating the population. New England, on the other hand, had developed into a religion and family based society comprised of mostly middle class families by 1700. Looking at the terrain, ethic, government, and even the people themselves, reveals clues about how the drastic split in society came to be. It was one America, but two distinct societies had developed in it by the 1700's.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus came across North America accidentally during his voyage to the East Indies. Columbus’s discovery marked the beginning of a new era; with it the Europeans became aware of the opportunities the New World offered. This encouraged others to set out and explore the North and South America in the 1500s. Although colonial America was governed under the British rule, it developed differently than Britain. Since Colonial America was diversified, it offered new opportunities, different religions, and different political views than Britain.
During the years of 1675 and 1676 the North American colonies experienced conflicts that shaped the dynamics of their colonial life. King Phillip's War would effectively end relations between the New England colonists and the Indians. Also, the rebellion in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon stressed the growing discontent of poor frontier farmers for British rule. The consequences of these two events clearly had an impact on different levels that would extend well beyond their time. Therefore, the years 1675 and 1676 played a very significant role in the Northern American colonies.
...able behavior far different from that of rebellion.” The colonists held their tongues as long as they could, but in 1676, their frustration grew too strong. Bacon and a thousand Virginians rebelled and overthrew the governor, in what is known as Bacon’s Rebellion. Shortly after the rebellion, Bacon died, and Governor Berkeley returned and viciously crushed the brigands.
Historian Edmund Morgan argues that Bacon’s Rebellion was a major turning point in the history of the Chesapeake Bay. Morgan explains that in the years leading up to the Rebellion, indentured servants were surviving longer so they began to have their terms lengthened and rules tightened. These servants became vital to the new cash crop, tobacco. The colonies provided a much better life for lower class Englishmen and thus, indentured servitude became extremely popular. The tobacco demand in Virginia and the desire to exploit the lower class farmer for profits thwarted lower class freedoms, resulting in frustration amongst the farmers. Morgan argues that these frustrated lower class Englishman wondering around the countryside without any land, eventually leading to Bacons Rebellion, was a major cause for the spread of slavery. Morgan
The thought of the separation and democracy was far and few between amongst the colonists. A thought such as revolution was even more farfetched. Bacon’s Rebellion took place in Virginia's western front, an area of great agricultural potential. As pioneers began to take up the farm land in the west, latter settlers had to move farther west in order to find feasible farming land. These settlers soon discovered that the western backcountry of Virginia was inhabited by many Native American tribes, and that farming in these areas would be extremely susceptible to raids from disgruntled Indians. When the Virginia governor William Berkley denied the authority to raise a militia to drive the Indian tribes out of farmland in the western backcountry, resentment of the eastern elite grew. Farmers sensed that the upper class intended to use them as expendable “ human shields” to avoid confrontation with the Natives. Led by Nathaniel Bacon , a wealthy immigrant who arrived too late to nab good fertile coastal land, the group of farmers formed a militia to attack the tribes. Fighting against both the Indians and colonial authority , these protesters lashed out against the Susquehannocks, and also the Pamunkeys ( English
According to “People and Events: Bacon’s Rebellion” in 1676 Virginia a group of men that included white frontiersman, along with many servants and slaves led a rebellion that forced the governor to flee after the rebels had set fire to Jamestown, which at that time had 40,000 people. King Charles I sent a thousand soldiers to Jamestown hoping to quell the situation and establish order back into the colony of Jamestown. This uprising was led by Nathaniel Bacon and would later become known as Bacon’s Rebellion.
At the point when the primary Africans touched base in Virginia in 1619, slavery, which did not exist had not turned into a foundation in provincial America. Numerous Africans filled in as hirelings and, similar to their white partners, could gain place that was known for their own. A few Africans who changed over to Christianity turned out to be free landowners with white hirelings. The adjustment in the status of Africans in the Chesapeake to that of slaves happened in the most recent years of the seventeenth century. Bacon's Rebellion, an uprising of the two whites and Africans who trusted that the Virginia government was obstructing their entrance to land and riches and appeared to do little to clear the place where there is Indians, hurried
The events that led to the enslavement of black people in the Chesapeake tobacco colonies were the catalysts for their beginning as the great majority of laborers in those colonies. These events were affected by the diminishing supply of white indentured servants, preexisting white racial biases, as well as the growing availability of Africans. But the catalyzing event in bringing it about was the rebellion by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Bacon was an English aristocrat who had recently moved to Virginia which actually was the cause of his rebellion. In hindsight, the rebellion was really just a disagreement over Indian policy between him and the colony’s royal governor William Berkeley.
North America in the early eighteenth century was split between the three major imperial powers of the time, Great Britain, France and Spain. This period was a crucial moment in the colonial history of these three powers due to the expanding nature of their colonies, constantly looking to grab more land and resources for the nation at home. However, before the turn of the century, Great Britain had gone from a few colonies on the east coast of the continent, with the smallest amount of land claimed, to owning the largest part of the New World and obtaining almost complete control over North America. This dominance was not caused by the downfall of France or Spain’s colonies, at least not through their own fault. But rather through Britain’s
Indians were enraged and took their revenge on frontier settlements. Attacks continued southward down to James River. After revenge was accomplished, Governor Berkeley proposed that the assembly erect a series of forts along the frontier but it wouldn't open new lands of settlements and would be expensive. In 1676, Bacon defied Berkeley's authority by recruiting a small armed force. The rebellion he led was largely of servants, small farmers, and slaves against Virginia's wealthiest planters and political leaders. Bacon despised indigenous people and resolved to kill them all but Berkeley opposed of Bacon's plan because he liked the Indians and wanted to protect his Indian deerskin trade. Bacon ordered the governor arrested but his men burned Jamestown. He fell ill and died a month later. Berkeley quickly regained control. The results of Bacon's rebellion were new lands that were opened to colonists and wealthy planters became more cooperative with small farmers but convinced large planters that they'd be better served by bringing enslaved Africans to work their
At the time, Jamestown was a significant tobacco plantation economy. This created a requirement for cheap labor filled at first by white indentured servants and then by black slaves. Bacon successfully swayed black and white slaves alike because he knew if everyone rallied together as citizens, they would be victorious in overthrowing the government authorities. Bacon’s mobilization of the colonists was the first effective unification of different races and economic
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed disobedience in 1676 by Virginia pioneers drove by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley. The settlement's contemptuous approach as it identified with the political difficulties of its western frontier, along with different difficulties including letting Bacon well enough alone for his inner circle, declining Bacon’s request to be part of the fur trade with the Indians, and Doeg American Indian assaults, inspired a mainstream uprising against Berkeley, who had neglected to address the requests of the pilgrims in regard to their wellbeing.
Following the Age of Discovery in the 15th century, the race for colonization was one fought on a global scale. Many nations sought to expand into a maritime empire, one that covered all corners of the world and placed them on the top charts of global domination and power. The British were no exception to this; in fact, they were one of the leaders in colonization for many centuries, their exploits reaching from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Australia and North America were two of the targets of the British’s empire expansion; however, the reason, method, and impact of each differed from each other greatly.
During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700's, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically.