MJ+Chapter+2+Notes

Chapter 2  Much of the American landscape that the Native Americans thrived had been altered and even become unrecognizable. The English setup an outpost in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, the French setup an outpost in Quebec, in 1608, and the Spanish settlement of Santa Fe was setup in 1610. For many years, the English had little interest in colonizing the Americas because of religious unrest as well as a strong alliance with Spain, the major European presence in America. England’s quest for American colonies was jumpstarted by Queen Elizabeth. Their first few tries, most famously Roanoke Island, were complete failures. With Spain’s amassing wealth, Philip II of Spain invested greatly in the Spanish Navy and planned an invasion of their English Allies. Spain was defeated in 1588 and another peace treaty wasn’t signed until 1604. Many people, especially Puritan herders, were forced from their land by the king. This mobile force was wandering major English cities, unemployed and considered “surplus”. With surplus workers, growing unemployment, joint-stock companies, and the desire for religious freedom, the stage was set for England to go all-in on colonization. The settlement in Jamestown was a nightmare. The colonists caught a lucky break when peaceful relations were struck with Natives resulted in trading of foodstuffs. Regardless, some men were driven to the point of cannibalism during the first winter. The fragile peace with the Indians was soon to be broken. In 1622, Indian attacks, fueled by raids on their supplies, killed some 347 settlers and started a war. The Peace Treaty of 1646 banned Indians from white areas of settlement. The European hunger for land only grew with the development of the tobacco industry. Every inch of soil was growing tobacco and settlers wanted more land to cultivate. There were only 300 blacks in Virginia in 1650 but they would make up 14 percent of the population by the end of the century. The next colony to come along was Maryland. While Spain was distracted by the Dutch, the English claimed several Caribbean Islands including Jamaica in 1655. By 1700, black slaves outnumbered white settlers in the English West Indies by 4 to 1. The Barbados Slave Code of 1661 denied the most fundamental rights to slaves and gave complete control to their owners. In Carolina, the settlers adopted their own version of the Barbados Slave Code. Rice was soon the main export of Carolina. The hunt for African slaves with experience began. The Colony of Georgia was founded in 1733.