1. Describe the first settlements by the English and their purposes. The first English settlement was Jamestown, Virginia, and it was massacred by starvation. It was also full of mosquitoes carrying malaria and other parasite carrying diseases. With such a large amount of the population dying and the fact that women were not sent to the settlement until 1619 (12 years after its origin), moral was low. In 1616 the headright system was enforced, which gave 50 acres of land to everyone who pays his own way to Virginia, and another 50 for every person they bring along. Still the settlement was built upon indentured servitude, in which the company would pay the voyage for men who would then work for the company for 4-7 years. After the end of the 4-7 year contract, the men would receive their own land. In theory it was a good plan, but most men died before the end of their contracts. Mortality rates were so high because the main purpose of the settlement was to gain a profit for the company. the men spent the majority of their time digging for gold, searching for a northwest passage to Asia, and farming tobacco, and not enough time farming or hunting! the Virginia company was a joint stock company, so in order to raise money for colonization they sold shares of their company to willing investors. The Plymouth Company was also a joint stock company. The house of Burgesses was founded to govern the settlement of Virginia. It became a royal colony in 1624. In 1632, 10 million acres of land north of jamestown became Maryland, a possession of Calvert and his heirs. It was meant to serve as a refuge for Catholics, who were treated unfairly in England. Many Protestants came to Maryland but didn’t want to live under Catholics, so they claimed their own land, and eventually the headright system took hold. Due to the civil war in England, more religious problems arose which resulted in the Act For Religious Toleration. That didn’t work out very well because later there was legislation forbidding Catholics to vote. Maryland eventually ended up much like VA and grew tobacco.

2. How were French settlements different from the English? The French settlements were different from the English in many ways. The French settlements main source of income was fur trade, farmers grew enough food, the Natives were considered allies and helped with beaver trapping in exchange for goods, there were interracial marriages, they converted more Natives to Christianity, working contracts were three years long, there was a strong military presence, the settlements were not self-governing, they moved inland, many settlers went back to France, and there was a smaller population and lower mortality rate than in the English settlements. Whereas in English Settlements the main source of profit was tobacco, starvation ravaged the population, there were frequent conflicts with the Natives, there were only three interracial marriages, not as many Natives were converted to Christianity, working contracts were 4-7 years long, the settlements were self governed, and most settlers died.
3. What set of circumstances led to the creation of New England settlements? It is common knowledge that the Pilgrims founded the New England settlements to escape religious persecution (ironically, the only difference between religious persecution in England and New England was which religion was being persecuted). Queen Elizabeth made the nation a Protestant one, but some of her subjects, specifically the Puritans, didn’t believe she had done all necessary no expel Catholicism or corruption from the Anglican Church. Puritans did not accept the Book of Common prayer, which was a part of the Anglican Church. They thought sermons from the heart were more valuable Many Puritans were separatists, and left for Plymouth to create a church that would be more pleasing to God without worry of religious persecution. Not all Puritans were separatists, the ones that settled Massachusetts believed that the Anglican Church wasn’t beyond hope.Charles I rule came with the support of Catholicism and economic troubles. Many Protestants saw this as God’s displeasure with the new direction of religion.
Allying with the Natives made survival in New England possible. The natives taught the settlers how to grow corn and build shelter in the winter.
4. Describe the introduction of slavery and the reason behind it. Slavery was introduced for economic purposes. The two main crops grown in the Americas were tobacco and sugar cane, both of which require much labor to maintain. Planters first imported indentured servants, including young men kidnapped from England and Ireland, but that simply wasn’t enough. The next option was importing African Slaves. These seemed like a logical decision because these people were already enslaved and sold to the Dutch and Portuguese, they were accustomed to farming in tropical conditions, and it wasn’t considered immoral because slaves were not thought of as people. However, slavery during colonial times changed the meaning of slavery. Previously slavery was a punishment for crimes or people were enslaved if their town had been attacked, or slavery was a way to pay debts, but it was never really a life sentence, nor were slaves children also enslaved. During colonial times, slaves were treated no better than cattle; their humanity was nonexistent in the eyes of their masters, and it was truly appalling.

5. Describe the settlements of the middle colonies. There are four middle colonies, Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Carolina was developed in 1663 north of Florida and south of Virginia. Anthony Ashley Cooper and John Locke intended the settlement have a balance of property ownership and political rights guaranteed by by the Fundamental Constitution of Carolina. This never happened and Fundamental Constitution of Carolina was rejected. At First Economic prosperity was dependent on livestock that was sold to the West Indies, until rice was introduced. Rice was a very profitable staple, and the money was used to buy more slaves, which lead to the slave codes and ultimately more segregation and racism. North and South Carolina separated in 1729. Pennsylvania was a settlement built to satisfy the needs of Quakers who were mocked in England. Quakers believed in spiritual equality for all including women. It was found by William Penn who set up the Frame of Government (the Pennsylvania constitution) in favor of quaker beliefs and customs, but also set religious freedom. He also set up a bureaucracy in which he had much power. The colony had economic prosperity, but after Penn’s death many conflicts arose, and many Natives were forced to move westward. Settlers on the lower Delaware River eventually broke away and formed the colony Delaware. New York and Jersey originated as the Dutch colony New Netherlands. THe Dutch were already making lots of money and wanted to expand their profits into the fur trade, much like France. There was a strong sense of community as New Netherlands became a destination for all religious freedom. When conflicts arose with the Natives, New Netherlands became New York and New Jersey after the Anglo-Dutch wars, on from 1652-54 and the other from 1665-67. Charles II gave the territory to his brother Duke of York. He gave New Jersey to some of his supporters. Duke James of York eventually inherited the throne and continued to promote immigration to New York and Jersey, and encouraged the Dutch that were already there to stay. The population grew to 20,000.