Download The Middle Colonies

V’s History of the
World Part II
(or, I ran out of
slides on the other
power point!)
With the decline of Rome, there was no one to stop the advancement of
the warring Germanic tribes. These tribes traveled in search of food,
wealth, and shelter, and often left devastation behind them. The result
was that civilized life saw a long period of decline. Building slowed down,
bridges and roads fell into serious decline and disuse.
The lack of good roads and bridges, and the danger caused by the roaming
Germanic tribes, and bandits made it difficult to send goods from one
place to another.
The lack of trade seriously hurt the local economies of Europe.
Additionally, during this time period there was a general decline in
education. Overall, the lives of the people were harder, they had less food,
poorer educations, and lower living conditions than earlier generations. This
time period has come to be known as the Dark Ages, or Medieval times.
Medieval means “Middle Age” and refers to the fact that these difficult
times bridged the ancient world with the modern world.
In the A.D. 800s the Viking homeland of Scandinavia had
become over crowded. Many of these Scandinavian warriors
left their homes in search of wealth and adventure. They
traveled in medium-sized sailing ships that were large enough
to sail in the open sea, but small enough to navigate through
the rivers of Europe.
In addition to attacking and raiding Western Europe, the
Vikings also established colonies throughout the world,
reaching as far as the new world. They settled in Greenland,
Iceland, parts of France, and Great Britain, North America,
Ukraine, and Russia.
The Vikings were expert warriors. They used their lightweight ships to
sneak up on their victims, and then retreat before their enemies could
retaliate. Whatever they did not steal, they would burn to the ground.
They were brutal, and showed no mercy to their victims, often torturing
and killing them. With fearsome names, like “Eric The Blood Axe”, the
Vikings struck fear in the hearts of Western Europeans everywhere. No
one was safe from their attacks.
A refurbished
Viking ship still
seaworthy after
all these years.
The Vikings, or should I say the fear of the Vikings helped create the
military mentality of Western Europe. Most European countries, especially
the coastal ones lived in a state of constant fear of Viking invasion. Much
time was spent in creating weapons, strategies, and defenses. This
background and training served Western Europe well when it began
exploring the New World.
Feudalism began as monarchs started giving control of local territories to
lords. These lords controlled almost all aspects of life within their estates.
Along with their lands, these lords also owned the peasants who lived on
their land, as well as all of their possessions. The peasants were obligated
to work for the Lords, farming their lands, and filling other necessary
duties. In exchange for this sovereignty, the lords pledged their loyalty to
the king, and promised to supply him with knights for his armies. Often a
lord would have lesser lords who he controlled, and greater lords who he
was loyal to.
Because there was no strong central government, feudal lords
often went to war against one another. In order to protect
themselves, these lords began building large beautiful castles.
These castles consisted of a central building known as the
‘keep’ where the nobles lived, and where prisoners were kept
in dungeons. The keep was usually the most secure part of the
castle, and the hardest part to enter during battles.
Surrounding the keep was a large area known as the bailey.
The bailey contained a number of buildings including food
stores, soldiers quarters, workshops, and even a chapel.
Finally, the castle was usually surrounded by a high outside
wall, and a large deep mote which made it difficult for
outsiders to attack.
Knights were guided in their conduct by a code of ethics known
as chivalry. Chivalry promoted honesty, fairness in battle, and
proper treatment of noble women. The concepts of chivalry
gradually blended with the expectations of proper manners for
gentleman in western culture.
Saving the fair
damsel in
distress
The lands of a lord were referred to as a manor. A manor might be small
and only include a few hundred acres, or it might be huge, encompassing
several hundred thousand acres. A manor consisted of the lords estate or
castle, farm lands, forests for hunting, and a village where the peasants
lived. Because war was rampant, trade was nearly impossible. This meant
that a manor had to be self-sufficient. They had to produce everything
they needed to survive within their own manor. The lord directed these
efforts and protected his peasants. In exchange, the peasants worked on
road repairs, built bridges, farmed the lords lands, and built buildings.
They also paid tribute to the lord in the form of grain, food, clothing, and
other goods.
Medieval peasants had a difficult, and often short life. They lived in one
room huts, with dirt floors. These huts had no chimneys, which made them
very cold in the winter. They had little or no furniture, and had huddle
together to keep warm. These peasants ate mostly grain, and occasional
vegetables from small gardens. Meat was scarce and rarely available. When
meat was available, they often hung it from the rafters of their homes to
show off. The term ‘bringing home the bacon’ comes from this time period.
When men were successful enough to bring meat or bacon home to their
families, they would brag that their husband brought home the bacon.
Disease was common, and most peasants did not live beyond the age of 40.
Under the feudal system, the Catholic Church grew in power
and prestige. The bishop of Rome, known as the Pope claimed
authority over all Christians in Western Europe. The Pope
often became involved in political affairs, and even anointed
kings and rulers of various nations. Some Roman Popes were
more powerful than the local monarchs.
It was illegal to
teach the
common man to
read, so religion
was shrouded in
mystery and
intrigue
Local religious leaders also grew in power, influence, and
wealth. Because the leaders of the Church were almost always
nobles, they received lands and wealth from the king, and in
turn from the peasants who served them. Other nobles often
paid them tributes in hopes of obtaining the grace of God.
Because only religious
leaders could read, they
often interpreted scripture
in ways that were beneficial
only to the church itself.
This practice paved the way
for the Protestant
Reformation that followed
in later years.
Over time, these religious leaders became the wealthiest and
most powerful leaders in Western Europe. As this happened,
they became more concerned about the affairs of their
estates, and less concerned about fulfilling their religious
responsibilities.
One of those
responsibilities
included rooting out
those guilty of
witchcraft and heresy.
The art of torture was
elevated to a fine art
during the heinous
time period known as
“The Inquisition,” a
murderous campaign
that lasted over 1,200
years, killing 75 million
people.
In the A.D. 800s the island of Great Britain was divided among
several small kingdoms. Like the rest of Western Europe,
these small kingdoms faced significant threats from the
Vikings in the North. These kingdoms were made up of the
Anglo-Saxons. They shared a common language and culture. In
A.D. 886 an Anglo-Saxon leader by the name of Alfred The
Great was able to unite these kingdoms into one nation, which
he called Angleland. This would later be changed to England.
Alfred The Great created a strong central government, and was able to
use his strength to defeat the Vikings, as well as other threats in the area.
Alfred sought to bring about cultural reform in his kingdom. To do this he
established schools, and had a number of literary works translated into the
language of the Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon kings would rule England
for the next 200 years. In A.D. 1066 the last Anglo-Saxon king of England
died childless. His name was Edward The Confessor. After his death, three
different individuals claimed the right to rule the nation.
A series of rulers had come to power in Western Europe following the rule
of Charlemagne, amidst constant bickering of who was the rightful
ruler…Some were Norsemen, some were Anglo-Saxon, depending on the
strength of their army at the time. There was no real line of succession.
After the death of Edward, in 1066, Duke William of Normandy (William
the Conqueror) defeated the Anglo Saxons at the battle of Hastings and
once again brought unification to Western Europe.
William brought unification to a large part of Western Europe, partially
unifying Anglo Saxon, Danish, French, and Germanic cultures. This is one
of the major reasons why English spelling rules are so confusing. It was
during this period of unification that the Feudal knights began to go on
their holy crusades against the Muslims attempting to secure the holy
land for the Christians.
The land around Palestine was considered precious by both the Muslims and
the Christians, and (like today) it became the scene of violence and
bloodshed…A little ironic, don’t you think?
From about 600A.D. to the late 1000’s, the land around
Palestine was under Muslim control. Western European
knights fought at least 4 bloody “Crusades” in an attempt to
take the area back from the Muslims. These battles had much
to do with the continuing animosity between Christians, Jews,
and Muslims today
The city of Jerusalem was the center of faith for three major world religions. For
the Jews it was their homeland. It had been promised to them by Jehovah, who
they believed had covenanted with Abraham to give him the land of Israel. To the
Muslims, Jerusalem was the location where the Prophet Muhammad had ascended
into heaven. After Makkah, and Medinah, Jerusalem was Islam’s third most holy
city. To the Christians Jerusalem was both the location of Christ’s birth, and the
location of his death. It is also the location of much of the New Testament.
Ancient
Jerusalem
This Holy Land was conquered by Islam in the A.D. 600s, and would remain
in their control for many centuries to come. In A.D. 1095 Pope Urban II
called for volunteers to travel to Jerusalem and fight to take it back from
the Muslims. He called their mission a crusade. The word “crusade” comes
from the word Crux, which means “cross” in Latin. Those who volunteered
for the crusade would be called crusaders, meaning that they took the
cross of Jesus upon them.
One of the famous
Renaissance paintings
depicting a weary old
crusader returning
home from the
Crusades on his weary
steed.
So, what have we learned about the Middle Ages?
1. Western Europe fell into chaos and despair after the fall
of Rome. (Side Note : Byzantium)
2. Constantinople survived the Dark Ages by virtue of its
excellent and defensible location.
3. Emperor Justinian planted the seeds of Feudalism by
creating an army of knights to help defend the area from
barbarians.
4. Western Europe separated into tiny kingdoms each with
its own laws, cultures, and languages.
5. Because of ecological problems, Norsemen (Vikings) began
invading the Southern areas for food.
6. The small kingdoms built castles for defense against the
Northern raiders, creating a manor system where each
7. Kings put lords in charge of running the day-to-day life of
the kingdom – collecting taxes, organizing the farming of
the areas around the kingdom, and creating and organizing
the system of knights and pages.
8. The Catholic Church was the power behind the King – The
people did what the King said because the church told them
that the King was appointed by God. (Divine Right of Kings)
9. Charlemagne was a great king who promoted growth in art,
science, and education.
10.The Catholic Church embarked on a mission to wipe out
heresy, and the Inquisition was born. It was a period of
incredible brutality where over 75 million people were
executed for crimes against the church.
11. The Muslim religion was born with the prophecies of a man
named Muhammad.
12. As the Muslim faith exploded in size, inevitably it
came into contact with the Christian faith. Both
religions claimed the holy lands around Palestine as
their own.
13. A series of wars known as the Crusades began as
Christians and Muslims fought for control of the area
around Palestine.
POTENTIAL QUIZ QUESTIONS
1. After Rome split into two parts, what was the Southern
Empire called?
2. What major European city survived the Dark Ages?
3. What is the name of the type of civilization ruled by a King
under a Pope’s direction utilizing Knights and Nobles to
control the peasant population?
4. Why did the Vikings leave their homes to start pillaging
around in Western Europe?
5. What was the unwritten law that forced the peasants to
follow and obey the king?
The Black Death – Perhaps the most cataclysmic event to
ever strike Western Europe. The Bubonic Plague which was
spread by fleas carried on the backs of small rodents
swept through Europe killing over 75 million people.
Marcello’
s famous
drawing
Ring around the rosy
Pockets full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down
The spreading marks and bruising
beneath the skin on plague victims were
called “Buboes”. This is why when a
child gets a bruise or a bump it is called
a booboo.
The Shang Dynasty – One of the earliest known Chinese
dynasties. One of the first to spin silk using the thread
from a silkworm.
Demand for this
amazing
material
literally
changed the
world as silk,
information, and
culture began
moving between
the East and
the West.
Mandate of Heaven – Early Chinese people believed that the
emperor symbolized a direct link between the people and
heaven. Because of this, the emperor had great power and was
obeyed immediately and without question.
Sound
familiar to
“The Divine
Right of
Kings”?
The Qin Dynasty – came to power in 221 B.C. by using cavalry
armed with bows and arrows. They unified China under a
strong central government and started the building of the
Great Wall of China.
This dynasty
and their
methods were
a precursor to
the later
Mongolian
hordes that
swept Asia
under the
command of
Genghis Khan
The Great Wall of China – This massive structure helped
guard China against invasion from the North. It is 1400 miles
long and 25 feet high. It is 4.5 meters wide with a road
running along the top for rapid troop movement to threatened
parts of the frontier.
The Han Dynasty – overthrew the Qin Dynasty and ruled until
220 A.D. In this time period, the Silk Roads became widely
used and merchandise and information began to flow back and
forth between China and the Mediterranean.
The Silk Roads – Large trading routes out of Asia which
opened the door to trade and communication between the East
and the West. Silk, opium, spice, and information traveled
along these roads.
Confucius – A religious leader who taught about the
importance of family, respect for one’s elders, and reverence
for one’s ancestors. His basic rule was “What you do not like
when done unto yourself, do not do unto others.”
CONFUCIANISMS
If you want to get somewhere,
you must let yourself go.
Have no friends not equal to
yourself.
The superior man is modest in
his speech, but exceeds in his
actions.
What you do not want done to
yourself, do not do to others.
Gunpowder and Paper – two of the major
contributions made by the Chinese.
Gunpowder is a
combination of Sulfur,
Charcoal, and Potassium
Nitrate. (also called
saltpeter). Few things
have changed the world in
so dramatic a fashion.
The Mongol Huns – a warrior nation that created the
largest empire the world has ever known under Genghis
Khan. In the early 1200’s, the Mongols conquered China,
Korea, and huge sections of Europe. They were also
responsible for the building of the great canal.
Marco Polo – A Venetian trader who traveled from Western
Europe to China during the 1200’s. He brought back goods
and information that inspired later interaction between China
and Europe.
Shinto – early religion followed by the Japanese civilization.
This religion taught that spirits existed in ordinary objects
like trees, clouds, and mountains. Later, Buddhism became the
primary Japanese religion.
Symbol of Shinto Religion
Buddhism – created by Prince Gautama, this religion basically
taught that life is basically sorrowful, and that greed for
material possessions causes suffering. Devout Buddhists
follow the “8-fold path” searching for inner peace or
“Nirvana.”
Apparently Kurt Cobain
couldn’t find Nirvana!
Shogun – chief officers of the Japanese emperor. They
were responsible for the control of large areas of land.
Samurai – specially trained soldiers used by the shogun to
keep order in his area.
Daimyo- heads of the Samurai units
Bushido – the strict code followed by the Samurai that
stressed bravery, loyalty, and honor.
Beringia – the land bridge between Asia and North America
that appeared during the ice-age. Nomadic travelers crossed
this bridge from Asia and settled on the North-American
continent.
Johann Gutenburg – created a printing press that allowed the
Bible to be mass-produced, allowing it into the hands of the
masses. One of the most influential inventions in history.
The Malleus Maleficarum ( Witch’s Hammer) was published in 1487 by
Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger. It allegedly gave full papal approval for
the Inquisition to prosecute witchcraft in general and for Kramer and Sprenger
specifically. The book became the handbook for witch-hunters and Inquisitors
throughout Medieval Europe. Between the years 1487 and 1520, the work was
published thirteen times. It was again published between the years of 1574 to
1669 a total of sixteen times.
The Renaissance – a period of light and learning in which
people made great advances in art, science, and medicine.
Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are associated with this
interesting time period.
Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo
The Mona
Lisa
The Pieta
By
Michelangelo
DaVinci’s famous “Last
Supper”
The Major Powers of the 1400’s – England, France, Spain,
Holland, and Portugal were the main power-brokers on the
world stage at this critical point in history.
The Northwest Passage – A hoped for but never found sea
route to Asia that would have eliminated the long and
dangerous land trip to the Orient. Many explorers found new
lands while searching for the Northwest Passage.
Why was the Renaissance important?
1. The printing press allowed The Bible to be
printed more rapidly.
2. More people became literate and able to
interpret The Bible for themselves.
3. People began to increase their knowledge in
science, mathematics, geography, and
religion.
4. Artists began to express themselves in
new and exciting ways – often with
disastrous results.
5. People began to question long-accepted
beliefs and routines.
6. Information began to flood in from
different parts of the world
7. Countries began searching for a safer route to China and
India
8. Spain financed Columbus’s trip to the New World to search
for wealth, land, and a Northwest passage.
9. The Spanish conquistadors that followed Columbus found
gold, and easily conquered civilizations.
10.Other European nations followed Spain’s lead and began to
travel to the New World in search of wealth, land, and fame.
Direct Result: The people already living in the New World
were essentially invaded, exploited, devastated, invalidated,
decimated, violated, and destroyed!
Christopher Columbus – An Italian ship captain that convinced
Queen Isabella of Spain to give him three ships so he could
find a Western route to China and India. He landed in the
Americas in 1492, and thought he had reached India which is
why he called the natives, “Indians”.
Conquistadors – Spanish soldiers who came to the new world to
find fame and fortune. They are responsible for decimating
the Aztecs, the Incas, and the Mayans.
The Aztec Empire grew rapidly from the fourteenth to the
sixteenth century. By 1519, the Aztec population was
estimated to be well over 4 million! The capital city was full
of great palaces, beautiful gardens, sparkling water
fountains and a marketplace filled with foods and goods.
The Aztec
Empire
Montezuma – Aztec leader that had the misfortune to be in
charge at the time of the Spanish invasion.
Montezuma was imprisoned, held
for ransom, then murdered after
the ransom was delivered.
Hernan Cortes – Spanish conquistador that landed on the
east coast of modern-day Mexico in 1519. He was met with
hospitality but he responded with violence. He killed the
Aztec leader, Montezuma, and pillaged their cities before
returning to Spain.
Francisco Pizarro – Spanish conquistador who discovered the
Inca empire in what is present-day Peru and viciously killed
more than 10,000 Incas in a bloody two-week period.
The
Inca
Empire
The
Mayan
Empire
Anasazi
Cliff
Dwellings
in
American
Southwest
Reasons for Spanish success - Guns, germs, steel, and horses
Effects of Spanish invasion of New World – Spanish violence
and disease cut the native population by over two-thirds in a
50 year period. Their monetary success also sparked other
countries to search for new lands and wealth.
Martin Luther– in 1517, Luther nailed a list of grievances
against the Catholic Church on the door of a local cathedral.
He was especially upset about grievances. Many people agreed
with him, and within a few years, thousands of followers broke
away to form their own churches. (The Printing Press was
largely responsible for this rebellion)
The Protestant Reformation – The movement of thousands of
followers away from the Catholic Church following Martin
Luther’s list of grievances. This movement caused religious
chaos in Europe, and caused both persecuted Protestants as
well as Catholics to flee to the New World.
The Protestant
Reformation caused
the church to divide
into many different
sects, causing
persecution and
argument, and setting
in motion pilgrim
flight to the New
World
Henry VIII – English King famous for having had six wives.
He broke away from the Catholic Church when it wouldn’t
grant him a divorce and made himself the leader of The
Church of England which was Protestant.
Catherine of
Aragon
m. 1509 1533
Divorced
Anne Boleyn
m. 1533 1536
Executed
Jane
Seymour
m. 1536 1537
Died
Anne of
Cleves
m. 1540 Jan.
- July
Divorced
Kathryn
Howard
m. 1540 1542
Executed
Katherine
Parr
m. 1543 1547
Widowed
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada – The unlikely victory by
the English Navy over the mighty Spanish Armada. This
victory gave England brief control of the seas and an
advantage in colonizing the New World’s eastern coast.
British ships were
smaller and more
maneuverable,
helping them in high
seas and poor
weather. The
British also set
adrift, “Fire Ships”
from upwind of the
Spanish fleet
causing chaos and
devastation.
Walter Raleigh – Close friend of Queen Elizabeth who was
given the right to claim for England any lands not already
claimed by a Christian monarch. He started the first English
colony on Roanoke.
Walter found favor with the
queen when he laid his cloak
down in the mud so she would
not get her shoes dirty.
Okay young Jedi… I want you to think about the domino effect
of history that started with the widespread use of
Gutenburg’s printing press. How did the Western European
world change? What major events did it trigger?
I would like you to explain, (using a concept map) how
the Pilgrims (Separatists, etc.) ended up in North America
because of the printing press.
Possible terms you might use: Gutenburg, persecution, Martin
Luther, Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro, Bible, Catholic Church,
Henry VIII, Protestant, Church of England, indulgences, 95
theses, Reformation, Walter Raleigh, Queen Isabella, Aztecs,
Incas, Mayans, literacy, illiteracy, Separatist, Virginia
Company, Jamestown, James River, Roanoke, Plymouth Rock,
Mayflower compact
Roanoke – Small island off the coast of North Carolina where
Raleigh started the first English colony. The first attempt
failed, so John White was sent to lead a second attempt. The
colony mysteriously vanished when White sailed back to
England for more supplies and was detained for three years
because of a war with Spain.
All that was left of the colony was a
mysterious post with the word
“Croatoan” carved into it.
The Virginia Company – a group of British investors that were
given a charter to start a colony in the New World with the
hopes that the colony would provide a profit for the
shareholders while giving England a foothold in the New
World. This type of company is known as a joint-stock
company.
Jamestown – The Virginia Company chose a site along the
James River to start the first official colony in the New
World. The ground was swampy, mosquitoes were everywhere,
and Native Americans were very close. It was probably not a
very good location for America’s first colony.
Problems with the Jamestown Colony – Most of the early
arrivals were spoiled noblemen looking for easy fortunes.
They were not good hunters, fishermen, or farmers. The
colony probably would have perished if not for Captain John
Smith who forced the men to work before they were given
food.
Smith was a violent, powerful
man often involved in fights,
knifings, and shootings…A
perfect choice for bringing
order to a difficult situation.
P.S. He wasn’t involved with
Pocahontas!
John Rolfe – Jamestown colonist that developed a less bitter
form of tobacco that was in great demand in England. This
crop saved the Jamestown Colony economically. He later
married Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan chief.
The addiction
begins!
Mercantilism – Colonization for profit through increased
trade and acquisition of raw materials
Separatists or Puritans – Protestants that arrived in the
New World trying to escape the religious persecution they
were facing in Europe after the Protestant Reformation.
The Mayflower – In 1620, the Mayflower carried 35
Separatists and 67 others to Plymouth Rock in Cape Cod Bay
to start a new colony in the New World.
The Mayflower Compact – The first official constitution in
the New World. In this document, the Pilgrims promised to
form a political body to create and preserve order, and the
signers promised to obey the laws passed for the general good
of the colony.
Squanto and Samoset – two native Americans that showed the
Pilgrims how to fish, hunt, and farm. Without their help, the
small colony might not have survived.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony – A second group of Puritans
formed this colony north of Plymouth near Massachusetts Bay.
They intended to create a colony based on the Bible and
Puritanical beliefs.
John Winthrop – the first leader of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony.
Winthrop believed in
equality within the
community, between
men and women and
between differing
religious groups. This
“freethinking” belief
made many Puritan
elders angry with him
which is why he started
his own colony.
The Great Migration – In the 1630’s, more than 15,000
Puritans journeyed to Massachusetts to escape persecution,
famine, and debtor’s prison in England.
Roger Williams – Religious leader who believed people should
be allowed to worship any way they chose. He was banished
from Massachusetts, but he started a new colony for people
who thought as he did in Rhode Island.
Williams
exemplified
the belief in
freedom that
eventually
led to what
America
would
become
Anne Hutchinson – One of the first women’s rights activists.
She questioned the authority of Massachusetts officials and
religious leaders and was put on trial for heresy. She was also
banished from Massachusetts, and she followed Roger
Williams to Rhode Island.
Anne Hutchinson was
America’s first
“Feminist!”
Native American Problems – For the Native Americans,
contact with the colonists was deadly. In 1600, 100,000
Native Americans occupied New England, but by 1675, only
10,000 remained. Chicken Pox, Small Pox, and Measles proved
fatal to most Native Americans who had no natural resistance
to the diseases.
Metacomet – Indian chief known to the colonists as King Philip.
He was the chief of the Wampanoag tribe, and he and his men
killed several thousand settlers over a three-year period. He
was finally ambushed and killed by colonists, thus ending what
was known as King Philip’s War.
Manhattan – The Dutch originally purchased the island of
Manhattan for a small amount of beads and other goods. It
had a natural port, and it became an important center for
shipping and trade. The English liked it so much that they
took it and renamed the colony New York. It quickly became
the fastest growing colony in the New World.
William Penn – America’s first town planner. In 1680, he was
given a huge plot of land along the Delaware River which he
named Pennsylvania. He belonged to a religious group known as
the Shakers. The Shakers were pacifists, and believed that
all people should experience God directly without influence by
church services and officials.
Penn signing treaty with the
Delaware Indians.
Philadelphia – William Penn supervised the building of
Philadelphia himself. He considered the city a “Holy
Experiment,” and called it “The City of Brotherly Love.”
Sir George Calvert Lord Baltimore – A Catholic leader who
wanted to establish a safe place in the New World for himself
and his fellow Catholics. In 1632, King Charles I gave him a
colony north of Virginia. The colony was named Maryland in
honor of the Queen. Every colonist that planted tobacco
was required to also plant two acres of corn. The town of
Baltimore grew and prospered.
Sir William Berkely – The governor of Virginia in 1644 worked
out an arrangement with the Native Americans to keep
settlers from pushing any further west to prevent any more
uprisings. The settlers rebelled against this and soon began to
settle in the forbidden lands. Many Indian attacks followed.
Nathaniel Bacon – In 1676, Bacon led several bloody attacks
against the Native Americans. Berkely declared Bacon a rebel
and called for his arrest. Instead, Bacon’s army marched into
Jamestown and set fire to the capital. Only Bacon’s sudden
illness and death kept him from taking over Jamestown. This
act became known as “Bacon’s Rebellion.”
The Carolinas – Two more huge colonies were opened up in
what is present-day North and South Carolina. This area had
excellent farmland, and the farmers grew tobacco, indigo,
rice, and other cash crops. As the farms grew and prospered,
more and more African slaves were brought in to handle the
labor.
Georgia – This final British colony was created in 1733 as a
place where English debtors could make a fresh start. It was
primarily developed as a buffer zone between Spanish-owned
Florida and the other wealthier British colonies.
The English making a deal with the
Cherokee… The first in a long line
of broken promises and betrayals.
The French in the New World – French traders began coming
into the New World from the far north, and did well because
their traders got along with and lived among the Native
Americans. Also, the French colonies grew very slowly so
Native Americans weren’t brutally shoved off their lands.
The Spanish in the New World – Along with Florida, the
Spanish also began colonizing the New World along the Pacific
Coast using the Mission System. Red dots indicate Spanish
missions. Yellow dots indicate French missions.
Typical Spanish
Mission
Father Junipero Serra – A Spanish monk that developed a
string of missions along the Pacific Coast, each one only a days
walk from the next. Eventually, these missions would become
cities like Los Angeles and Monterey. Missionaries worked to
convert Native Americans to Christianity, but many were
mistreated and forced into slave labor in the missions.
Colonial Growth – Between 1607 and 1790, almost a million
people came to live in the colonies. 300,000 of these new
immigrants were African slaves. Because of the need for
laborers and the healthy living conditions, colonial women
tended to have very large families.
The New England Colonies – The soil tended to be thin and
quite rocky, and the climate was cooler. For these reasons,
colonists in New England focused more on shipping and trade
than the other colonies. Even though the Southern colonies
used the slaves, the Northern colonies were largely
responsible for shipping them.
The New Englanders
also became quite
proficient at whaling
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
Connecticut
The Middle Colonies – These colonies enjoyed slightly better
soil than the New England Colonies, and a slightly milder
climate. These colonies grew wheat and other cash crops and
were also involved in lumber and mining.
New York,
New Jersey,
Pennsylvania,
and Delaware
The Southern Colonies – With their rich soil and warm
climate, the Southern Colonies were especially suited to
certain types of farming. At first, tobacco and rice were the
primary crops, but as Northern factories began to appear and
operate, cotton took over as the most important export.
Maryland, Virginia, Georgia,
North Carolina and South
Carolina
The Iron Industry – because of the readily available coal, and
the necessary ingredients, the colonial iron industry grew
rapidly, employing thousands of workers and producing the iron
that helped the colonies grow and prosper.
Tony Stark is thankful
for the iron industry!
How Iron is created
The more advanced way to smelt iron is in a blast furnace. A
blast furnace is charged with iron ore, charcoal or coke (coke
is charcoal made from coal) and limestone (CaCO3). Huge
quantities of air blast in at the bottom of the furnace, and the
calcium in the limestone combines with the silicates to form
slag. Liquid iron collects at the bottom of the blast furnace,
underneath a layer of slag. The blacksmith periodically lets
the liquid iron flow out and cool.
Iron Advantage
Between the 15th and 20th centuries, some countries had an
industrial leg up on the competition due to the availability of
iron ore deposits. For example, China, India, England, the
United States, France, Germany, Spain and Russia all have
substantial iron ore deposits. When you think of the historical
importance of all of these countries, you can see the
correlation!