Supplemental History notes for pages 34-44

Establishing and Governing the Colonies

I)Causes of English Migration to America

Intro- the motives of the French and Spanish migrants to the New World are often summed up in the phrase “Gold, Glory, Gospel.” While some English settlers also had these goals in mind, most came primarily to create a better way of life for themselves. The first successful English colony on in North America seaboard was Virginia (1607) and the last to be established was Georgia (1732)

A)Political Causes

  1. Many Englishmen came to America to find political freedom or to escape the unsettled conditions, which resulted from the struggles between the kings and Parliament.

B)Religious Causes

  1. Pilgrims – in 1620 arrived in Massachusetts Bay. They were Separatists, or people who did not agree with all of the teachings of the Anglican Church. They went to Holland first to escape persecution in 1608. (seepp 39-42 in text)
  2. The Puritans – in 1630 arrived in Massachusetts as they were seeking asylum for their beliefs that the Anglican Church in England needed to be purified of its liturgical excesses.
  3. Roman Catholics – Fled England between the years 1640-1660 when they were being persecuted by a Puritan-led government in England.
  4. The Quakers – William Penn founded his colony in order to provide a refuge for Quakers who were being persecuted in England.

C)Economic Causes

  1. This was the most important reason people left England
  1. Enclosure laws – once enclosed the land could only be used by the owner and not for anyone else to graze their animals. So, no more grazing in common. Created many landless working class people.
  2. There were also times of high inflation and unemployment.
  3. Businessmen also sought to go overseas to lead business ventures and make more money.

II)How the Colonies Were Governed

Intro – The English colonies were allowed a relatively large measure of self-government. This was the result of the British tradition of liberty and also of conditions which made it difficulty for the Crown to administer the colonies tightly during the 17th century.

A)Three Types of Colonies – they differed in terms of how the governor was selected.

  1. The Charter or self-governing colonies such as Connecticut and Rhode Island, the governor was selected by the colonists.
  2. Proprietary - such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware where the governor and other high officials were selected by the proprietor.
  3. Royal or Crown colonies – such as New York, Virginia and Georgia where the governor and other officials were chosen by the King.

B)Instruments of Colonial Government – to a large extent each colony controlled its own internal affairs during most of the Colonial Period.

  1. Charter – each colony had a grant of privileges from the King, known as a charter.
  2. Governor – The governor had the power to veto or approve colonial laws. The legislature of each colony, however, paid its governor’s salary. This “power of the purse” was used frequently to withhold the governor’s salary until he agreed to a piece of desired legislation.
  3. Council – Most colonies had a Council which advised the governor, shared in the lawmaking, and acted as the upper house of the legislature Most Councils were appointed rather than elected They had to approve laws passed by the colonial assemblies and they also served as the highest courts.
  4. The Assembly – elected representatives who had to power to tax, spend money and petition the Crown. (Great training in self-governance for the colonists).
  5. Local Government – this was run entirely by the colonists themselves. In New England, the town was the main unit of self-governance, while in the south it was the county
  6. The Colonies and Parliament
  1. In theory, the Crown supervised the colonies and could veto laws passed by the assembly. But until the 1700’s, they rarely did.
  2. Parliament for the most part focused on external trade of the colonies through navigation laws
  3. At times, they would send officials to the colonies to investigate problems and each colony had special agent who represented the colonial interests in Parliament. Penn – Ben Franklin

C)Trend Toward Royal Colonies

1..When a colony got into unusual difficulties or engaged in practice or actions considered dangerous to the Crown, its charter might be revoked.

a. In this case, it might become a royal colony

2.. This trend began in the late 1600’s and as a result, by 1775, the status of the colonies was as follows:

8 were royal colonies – Mass, New Jersey NY, New Hampshire, Virginia, NC, SC Georgia.

3 were proprietary colonies – Delaware, Penn, Maryland,

2 were self-governing – Conn and Rhode Island

III)Overview of the First Two Colonies – Virginia and Massachusetts

A)Virginia

  1. Founded in 1607 by a group of businessmen who were organized into a joint-stock company. 100 settlers at Jamestown
  2. The Jamestown settlers made many mistakes early on
  1. They brought too few farmers and artisans (blacksmiths etc) and too many gentlemen who were not used to hard work.
  2. They located the colony in low, marshy ground infested with malaria- carrying mosquitoes.
  3. They began to search for gold instead of undertaking the practical tasks necessary for survival.
  4. Thankfully, Captain John Smith forced his way into leadership and compelled the settlers by force to build fortifications, plant food crops and stock firewood. Still, fewer than half of the settlers survived the winter.
  1. Tobacco Cultivation began in 1612 when John Rolfe began growing and Indian species of tobacco in Virginia. It commanded a high price in Europe.
  2. Virginia became a royal colony in 1624 when the Virginia Company went bankrupt and lost its charter.
  1. By that time Virginia was thriving with over 1200 settlers, most of whom were engaged in the flourishing tobacco culture.

B)Massachusetts

  1. Plymouth 1620 – The Pilgrims set out for Holland and then the New World after suffering persecution in England for failing to embrace the Anglican Church.
  1. The Pilgrims organized a joint-stock company and received permission from the Virginia Company to settle in its territory but were blown off course and landed at Plymouth Rock Massachusetts November.
  2. They were beset with hunger and cold but under the leadership of William Bradford and help from friendly Indians, they managed to survive the winter.
  3. In the fall of 1621, they celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day.
  1. Massachusetts Bay 1630 – Led by John Winthrop, 1000 Puritans settled in the Massachusetts Bay area, mostly at Salem, Cambridge and Boston
  1. These settlers were equipped with enough food, tools and skilled workers that the colony prospered almost immediately.
  2. As more Puritans suffered persecution in England, they came to Massachusetts Bay which had a population of nearly 20,000 in 1640.
  3. The colony was seen as a religious haven for the Puritans and did not tolerate any disagreement with Puritan beliefs and practices.

NOTE ON THE PURITAN ETHIC

As Puritan believers migrated throughout colonial New England and into the Middle Colonies, they brought along a moral and ethical code which historians later called the Puritan Ethic. It stressed the following beliefs:

  1. God predestined or “elected” some people for eternal salvation
  2. That those elected for salvation could be recognized by how they lived on earth. God would bless them materially. (Deuteronomy Chpts 27-28)
  3. That they would shun idleness, extravagance, and vanity
  4. That they would avoid frivolous pastimes such as dancing, card-playing, and theatergoing.
  5. That they would read the Bible regularly for religious and moral guidance
  6. That they would devote their lives to working hard, being thrifty, achieving business success and accumulating material wealth.

Some historians have speculated that America owes a large debt to the Puritan Ethic or what became known as the Protestant Work Ethic, for its material success. That is because America, early on, was populated by a fair number of people who believed that because God blessed those He had predestined for salvation with material wealth. Presumably, those who held such a belief were motivated to work excessively hard in order to attain that wealth which would be proof of their election by God.

IV)Colonists’ Rights Based on English Legal Precedents

Intro – In a number of royal charters authorizing the establishment of colonies, the colonists were assured their rights and privileges. These rights and privileges rested upon four major landmarks in English history.

A)Magna Carta (1215) “The Great Charter”

1..King John was compelled by feudal nobles to sign the Magna Carta which stipulated three basic ideas.

a. the monarch is not an absolute ruler but is subject to the laws.

b. all persons are guaranteed trial by jury

c. Parliament alone may levy taxes.

B)The Evolution of Parliament

  1. By the 14th century, Parliament had divided into two houses:
  1. representatives of the higher clergy and nobility constituted the hereditary House of Lords; representatives of the wealthy middle class constituted the elected House of Commons.
  1. Also, by threatening to withhold tax laws, Parliament

compelled English monarchs to accept its legislation not only on tax laws but on all other mattes.

C)English Common Law

  1. By the 14thcentury, English courts had established the practice of referring to similar past cases and following the previous decisions of judges. – so called common law
  2. Common Law principles over time became the law and protected the individual against tyranny.
  3. By the end of the 17th century, common law had given all English people certain basic rights:
  1. Life, liberty and property could not be taken away arbitrarily
  2. If arrested, a person was entitled to a writ of habeas corpus (providing for a statement of charges and a speedy trial and to a trial by jury.
  3. Government officials could not search a private home without first securing from a court a search warrant specifically stating the articles being sought.

D)English Bill of Rights 1689 – Passed by Parliament as part of the Glorious Revolution which ended Stuart Rule in England

  1. the monarch may not, without the consent of Parliament, make or suspended laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army
  2. The monarch may not interfere with Parliamentary elections and debates
  3. The people are guaranteed the right to petition the government, protection against excessive fines bails and against cruel and unusual punishments.

V)The Colonists Establish Democratic Institutions

Intro- The colonies were far from democratic as we understand the term today but they were significantly more democratic than continental western Europe and even England. They established the following institutions.

A)Virginia House of Burgesses 1619

  1. Land-owning male colonists received from the Virginia Company the right to elect representatives to a colonial legislature – the House of Burgesses
  2. This was the New World’s first elected legislature and its first institution of representative government – other colonies followed suit.

B)The Mayflower Compact 1620

  1. The Pilgrims made a compact to further the common good of the colony they were about to establish, setting an example of democracy
  1. The Compact referred to direct democracy where the citizens themselves, not their representatives were the lawmakers.
  2. Majority rule
  3. Fair treatment of all persons under the law.

C)New England Town Meetings – provided colonists with training in self-govt.

  1. The Pilgrims began the process which became typical of colonial New England.
  2. Originally only men who owned property and belonged to the town church were allowed to meet and conduct town affairs and enact laws.
  3. They also elected town representatives to serve in the colonial assembly

D)The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639

  1. Led by Thomas Hooker, the settlers of Connecticut drew up the first successful written constitution of modern times.
  2. It permitted all loyal male citizens who owned property to elect a legislative assembly, which in turn would choose a governor.
  3. The Fundamental Orders implied that government rests upon the consent of the governed and that it should express the will of the majority.

Important Note – The settlers, when they were setting up their colonies, relied heavily on long-standing precedents in English law. They did not make things up on the fly. Also, because England was so far away and could only exercise so much control over them, the colonists had to fend for themselves. They had to take measures to govern themselves. This measure of autonomy is going to play a big factor when England sees the need to exert more control over the colonies who will understandably resist such control.

One last point to consider. When we see in future lessons the English attempt to exert more control over the colonists, the colonists will reference English law and their status as English men and women whose rights are being abridged.

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