british North America:
Colonial Regions
Distinctions, Development and Documents
How did Jamestown Develop? How did all of the British Colonies develop?
KC-2.1 European developed variety of Colonization and migration patterns,influenced by different imperial goals, cultures, and the varied North American environments where they settled. They competed with each other and American Indians for resources. KC-2.1.I Spanish, French, Dutch, and British colonizers had different economic and KC-2.1.II imperial goals involving land and labor that shaped the social and political development of their colonies as well as their relationships with native populations. In the 17th century, early British colonies developed along the Atlantic coast, with regional differences that reflected various environmental, economic, cultural, and demographic factors.
The founding of Jamestown took place at a time of heightened European
involvement in North America. Interest in colonization was spurred by national
and religious rivalries and the growth of a merchant class eager to invest in over-
seas expansion and to seize for itself a greater share of world trade. As noted in
Chapter 1, it was quickly followed by the founding of Quebec by France in 1608,
and Henry Hudson's exploration in 1609 of the river that today bears his name,
leading to the founding of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. In 1610, the
Spanish established Santa Fe as the capital of New Mexico. More than a century
alter the voyages of Columbus, the European penetration of North America had
finally begun in earnest. It occurred from many directions at once--from east to
West at the Atlantic coast, north to south along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi
rivers, and south to north in what is now the American Southwest.
Source: Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty, pages 51-52
English North America in the seventeenth century was a place where entrepreneurs sought to make fortunes, religious minorities hoped to worship without governmental interference and to create societies based on biblical teachings, and aristocrats dreamed of re-creating a vanished world of feudalism. Those who drew up blueprints for settlement expected to reproduce the social structure with which they were familiar, with all its hierarchy and inequality. The lower orders would occupy the same less-than-fully-free status as in England, subject to laws regulating their labor and depriving them of a role in politics. But for ordinary men and women, emigration offered an escape from lives of deprivation and inequality." No man." wrote John Smith, an early leader of Jamestown, "will go from [England] to have less freedom" in America.
Settling British America
What were the expectations of the Virginia Company?
What Were the Realities of Life in Virginia?
George Percy describes the “Starving Time” in Jamestown George Percy was one of the wealthy “gentlemen” among the 144 men who settled Jamestown in 1607. He served as president of the colony during the “starving time” of 1609-1610 when more than 400 colonists died, leaving only sixty survivors. He wrote A True Relation in 1624, partly to justify his leadership during this period. |
Now for all of us at Jamestown, beginning to feel that sharp prick of hunger...a world of miseries began...some to satisfy their hunger have robbed...then having fed upon horses and other beasts as long as they lasted, we began eating vermin as dogs, cats, rats, and mice...and then to eat boots, shoes, or any other leather some could come by… Some were forced to search the woods and to feed upon serpents and snakes and to dig the earth for wild and unknown roots...hunger has driven men so desperate as to dig up dead corpses out of graves and to eat them… One of our colony murdered his wife, ripped the child out of her womb and threw it into the river, and chopped her in pieces and salted her for his food….He was punished by torture: hung by the thumbs with weights at his feet a quarter of an hour until he confessed... |
Colonial Expectations vs Realities
What Can We Learn About the Colonial Regions & Their Settlers Based on Passenger Lists?
Richard Sadd 23 (servant) Thomas Wakefield 17 (servant) Thomas Bennett 22 (servant) Steven Read 24 William Stanbridge 27 Henry Barker 18 (servant) James Foster 21 (servant) Thomas Talbott 20 (servant) Richard Young 31 Robert Thomas 20 (servant) John Farepoynt 20 (servant) Robert Askyn 22 (servant) Samuell Awde 24 Miles Fletcher 27 William Evans 23 Lawrence Farebern 23 (servant) Mathew Robinson 24 Richard Hersey 22 (servant) John Robinson 32 Edmond Chipps 19 (servant) Thomas Pritchard 32 Jonathan Bronsford 21 (servant) William Cowley 20 (servant) John Shawe 16 (servant) Richard Gummy 21 (servant) Bartholomew Holton 25 (servant) John White 21 (servant) Thomas Chappell 33 Hugh Fox 24 (servant) Davie Morris 32 Rowland Cotton 22 (servant) William Thomas 22 (servant) | John Yates 20 (servant) Richard Wood 36 Isack Bull 27 Phillipp Remmington 29 Radulph Spraging 37 George Chaundler 29 Thomas Johnson 19 (servant) George Brookes 35 Robert Sabyn 40 Phillipp Parsons 10 Henry Parsons 14 John Eeles 16 Richard Miller 12 Symon Richardson 23 (servant) Thomas Boomer 13 George Dulmare 8 John Underwood 19 (servant) William Bernard 27 Charles Wallinger 24 (servant) Ryce Hooe 36 John Carter 54 Women Elizabeth Remington 20 (servant) Dorothy Standich 22 (servant) Suzan Death 22 Elizabeth Death 3 Alice Remmington 26 Dorothie Baker 18 (servant) Elizabeth Baker 18 (servant) Sara Colebank 20 (servant) Mary Thurrogood 19 (servant) |
Passenger List for The America, to Virginia, 1635
Johannes Cassel (German, logger) children: Arnold, Peter, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sarah Joseph Ransted (German, shipbuilder) Michael Brand (Scottish) Sarah Shoemaker (German) widow children: George, Abraham, Barbary, Isaac, Susanna, Elizabeth and Benjamin Nathaniel Allen (Quaker) with wife Mary children Priscilla, Martha, Ann, Sarah and Samuel John Bezer (Scottish) with wife Susanna children John, Richard, Susanna, Elizabeth and Frances Joseph Cloud, servant to John Bezer Nathaniel Evans and daughter Elizabeth (Quakers) Richard and Mary Farr, servants to John Bezer Gideon Gamble (merchant) Nathaniel Park, servant to Nathaniel Evans, and his wife Elizabeth and their stepson John Martin Joseph Richards (merchant) John Beckingham, servant to Joseph Richards William Beckingham, servant to Joseph Richards Thomas Bowman (Quaker) with wife Mary John Claypool (a farmhand) John Fletcher (farmer) Daniel Hall, servant to Henry Waddy Thomas Seary Henry Waddy (farmer) | Thomas Holme (Scottish) Edmund McVeagh (Scottish) John and Elizabeth Martin James and Jane Paxson and children Sarah and William William and Mary Paxson and daughter Mary Joseph and Jane Richards (Quakers) Henry Stacey (Scottish) Erasmus Jansz (Dutch, a sailor) Hendrick Carstensz (Dutch) Hendrick Conduit (Dutch, farmer) Lubbert Gijsbertsz (farmer) with wife and 3 sons Robbert Hendricskz with wife Christina (Dutch) Jan Jacobsz (Dutch, logger) Jacob Albertsz Planck (Dutch) Cornelis Anthonisz van Schlick (Dutch) Jean Labatie (French Catholic) Josue Dedie (German Protestant, merchant) Ludwig Ischler (German Protestant) Jean Dedie (German Protestant, merchant) Jacob Räumann (German Protestant) |
Passenger List for The Dragon, to Pennsylvania & New York, 1690
A tailor, JOSEPH TUTTELL 39 His wife JOAN TUTTELL 42 Daughter ABIGAIL TUTTELL 6 Son SYMON TUTTELL 4 Daughter SARA TUTTELL 2 Son JOSEPH TUTTELL 1 JOHN LAWRENCE 17 Farmer, GEORGE GIDDINS 25 His wife JANE GIDDINS 20 THOMAS SAVAGE, a tailor 27 WILLIAM LAWRENCE 12 MARIE LAWRENCE 9 Minister, John Williams 45 JOAN ANTROBUSS 65 MARIE WRAST 24 THO GREENE 15 NATHAN HEFORD 16 Servant to JOSEPH TUTTELL MARIE CHITTWOOD 24 Shoemaker, THOMAS OLNEY 35 His wife MARIE OLNEY 30 Son THOMAS OLNEY 3 | EPENETUS OLNEY 1 Servants to GEORGE GIDDINS: THOMAS CARTER 25 MICHELL WILLIAMSON 30 ELIZABETH MORRISON 12 A tailor, RICHARD HARVIE 22 Farmer, FRANCIS PEBODDY 21 Weaver, WILLIAM WILCOCKS 34 His wife MARGARET WILCOCKS 24 Son JOSEPH WILCOCKS 2 ANNE HARVIE 22 Mason, WILLIAM BEARDSLEY 30 His wife MARIE BEARDSLEY 26 Daughter MARIE BEARDSLEY 4 Son JOHN BEARDSLEY 2 Son JOSEPH BEARDSLEY 6 mos. Farmer, ALLIN PERLEY 27 Shoemaker, WILLIAM FELLOE 24 Tailor, FRANCIS BARKER 24 |
Passenger List for The Planter, to New England, 1635
Colonial Regions & Populations of Select Colonies
| 1640 | 1660 | 1680 |
Massachusetts | 8,900 | 20,100 | 39,800 |
Plymouth | 1,000 | 2,000 | 6,400 |
Connecticut | 1,500 | 8,000 | 17,200 |
Pennsylvania | Colony not established yet | Colony not established yet | 700 |
New York | 1,900 | 4,900 | 9,800 |
Delaware | Unknown (colony had just been founded) | 500 | 1,000 |
Virginia | 10,400 | 30,000 | 43,600 |
Maryland | 500 | 4,000 | 17,900 |
Carolinas | 1,000 | 5,400 | 6,600 |
The first representative assembly…
July 30, 1619
The most convenient place we could find to sit in was the choir of the church, where Sir George Yeardley, the governor, being set down in his accustomed place, those of the Council of Estate sat next him on both hands. Forasmuch as men's affairs do little prosper where God's service is neglected, all the burgesses took their places in the choir, till a prayer was said by Mr. Bucke, the minister, that it would please God to guide and sanctify all our proceedings to His own glory, and the good of this plantation.
Which done, [the Speaker] read unto [the Assembly] the commission for establishing the Counsel of Estate and the general Assembly, wherein their duties were described to the life.
Having thus prepared them, he read over unto them the great Char-ter, or commission of privileges, orders and laws, sent by Sir George Yeardley out of England and so they were referred to the perusal of two committees... and accordingly brought in their opinions.
But some men may here object: To what end we should presume to refer that to the examination of the committees what the Counsel and Company in England had already resolved to be perfect, and did expect nothing but our assent thereunto? To this we answer that we did it not to the end to correct or control anything therein contained, but only in case we should find ought not perfectly squaring with the state of this Colony or any law which did press or bind too hard, that we might by way of humble petition, seek to have it redressed, especially because this great Charter is to bind us and our heirs for ever.
The first 20 slaves arrive …
Late August, 1619
…. About the latter end of August, a Dutch man of Warr of the burden of a 160 tunnes arrived at Point-Comfort, the Comandors name Capt Jope, his Pilott for the West Indies one Mr Marmaduke an Englishman. They mett with the Treasurer in the West Indyes, and determined to hold consort shipp hetherward, but in their passage lost one the other. He brought not any thing but 20. and odd Negroes, which the Governor and Cape Marchant bought for victualls (whereof he was in greate need as he pretended) at the best and easyest rates they could. He hadd a lardge and ample Commyssion from his Excellency to range and to take purchase in the West Indyes.