C121

Task 1

9-26-2019

Jessica Tyson

A. Reasons for Early English Colonization

1. There were many reasons for early European exploration, there were events happening

in Europe and in surrounding countries that pushed the need for exploration. In the 15th century

European nations were recovering from the Black Plague, during this detrimental time ⅓ of

European population died. The plague affected other socioeconomic factors as well, such as

religion and the economy. The English monarchs claimed the French throne, in result started

the 100 years’ war. This war affected many things for the English, a main one was interrupting

the trade routes for African and Asia goods. Thus starting the main reason for English

exploration, finding a transoceanic route that could bypass Venetian and Muslim traders that

stood between the Europeans and the goods. Finding a new route that would provide direct

access to Asian and African goods would greatly benefit the England’s economy (Norton,2015).

There were two major reasons on the political side that caused England to want to

colonize in North America; because other countries were and for profit. The English were

envious of the vast riches Spain had acquired from the americas. The English wanted to stake a

claim in the new land just like France and Spain had done. The English hoped to copy Spain’s

success by using the indigenous people and their goods for their own benefit. The English

started attacking the Spanish Armada which in turn started a war between them in 1588, the

English ultimately defeated the Spaniards and went to start new colonies in the americas.
 Another reason for exploring the new worlds was spreading Europe’s main religion, Christianity.

Their goal was to convert heathens or non-Christian people to the religion of Christianity

(Norton,2015), (WGU,2018).

2. England had just endured the black plague and was suffering greatly from it. The 100

years’ war with france had a great impact on england's people and economy. There were many

social pressures that contributed to the English colonization of North America, some had to do

with religion and politics. The Puritans wanted religious freedom from the English government

and wanted to be free from prosecution so they fled to America to start a new life where they

could spread and practice their religion. Another reason was economic, many people wanted in

on the riches that the americas had to offer. A new life with untold treasures was very inviting

compared to a disease and war riddled England (Norton, 2015)

B. Economic, Political, and Social characteristics of early colonies

Economic Systems Social Characteristics Political Systems

Massachusetts *The massachusetts Bay
Bay colony relied on hunting and
fishing when first arriving.
*The pokanoket tribe was
under hardships and allied
themselves with the colonists
and helped them plant and
grow crops.
*Like all colonies slaves
helped with all labor.
*It was not uncommon though
for the entire family to help
with the crops.
*​The family structure was
important and went along with
their religious beliefs, the father
was in charge and at the head
of the household.
*Women helped tend to the
house chores and children.
*Women and children
sometimes helped with planting
and harvesting crops.
*Many were puritans and the
leadership of the colony did not
allow other religious views such
as Baptist, Anglican and
*​Massachusetts Bay started
out as a joint stock colony.
*Later the colony under mutual
agreement changed from a
joint stock company charter
into a covenanted community.
*As time went on it turned into
a self-government with a
governor and a two house
legislature.
*John Winthrop was the
governor of the Massachusetts
Bay colony.

Virginia *​Tobacco was the major cash
crop in the virginia colony.
*It was grown by using slave
labor.
*the tobacco was growing so
quickly that labor was scarce
and more workers were
needed in order to maintain
the tobacco demand.
*The tobacco was such an
important cash crop that it
was used to trade for all the
goods needed for the colony.
The Carolinas *​The settlers in the Carolinas
raised cattle and corn.
*Tobacco and corn were the
major cash crops of the
Carolinas.
*To make money the settlers
sold the corn and cattle to
caribbean planters.
*They highly relied on the
goods they received from
indians that they sold
elsewhere, like animal skins
and enslaved indians.
*The carolina’s other “cash
crop” was exporting indian
slaves.
References for chart : (WGU, 2018), (Norton, 2015)
Quaker.
*This colony attracted many
Puritans from England so that
they could freely practice
without persecution.
*​Like most colonies the father
was in charge of the household
and the wife and children were
to follow his command.
*The slaves that were owned
were also under the rule of the
father of the household.
*Unlike those in the
Massachusetts bay area,
colonialists of the Virginia area
had to follow the church of
England.
*​The father was the head of the
household like it was in most
every other colony.
*The father had control of the
money and the property.
*The wife was responsible for
the chores in the house and
taking care of and education
the children.
*Servants and slaves only
belonged to the higher up
wealthy families.
*​Virginia started out as a joint
stock colony, wealthy men
purchased a share into the
colony and chose the
governors who would run it.
*Virginia settlement elected
representatives and called it
the House of Burgess.
*James 1 revoked the charter
in 1624 transforming the
colony into a royal or crown
colony owned and ran by the
monarchy.
*Virginains protested and in
1629 the House of Burgess
was functioning again.
*​The Carolinas started out as a
proprietary colony, which is
where the monarch granted
someone to run the colony.
This was usually used to repay
favors.
*The english monarch later
took direct control over the
Carolinas colonies making it a
crown colony, owned and run
by the king.
C. Events that led to the Revolution

There are many reasons or causes for the American Revolution. Some were systemic

and took years if not decades to take effect; and some proximate occurring within years or even

months of the American Revolution. The reality is that it was a combination of many acts and

events over many years that eventually led to the American Revolution. It all started with the

end of the Seven Years War in 1763, this war left England in a lot of financial hardship and

because of this began the many taxes imposed on the colonies by the British government

(WGU, 2018).

The Seven Years War was financially draining for England and they had to find some

way to regain all that was lost in the previous years, the result was taxes and restrictions on the

English people and the colonies in America. The English parliament felt that they had the right

to create whatever tax was necessary because in their mind they started the colonies and after

the war North America was rightfully theirs. The Stamp Act was the first direct tax on the

colonies, and even though it was later removed it did not sit well with the colonists. The

American colonists formed groups that resisted the act and the fact that it was being forced on

them. The knowledge that the English parliament had that power over the American colonies is

the beginning of the American Revolution (Norton, 2018)

After Parliament repeals the Stamp Act they put into effect the Declaratory Act, which

gives the British government the power to legislate any laws for the colonies without restriction.

The Townshend Act puts taxes on certain goods, which causes a snowball of events leading up

the boston massacre. The Townshend Act is replaced by the Tea Act which places a tax on tea,

this causes the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In April of 1775 the battle of Lexington and Concord
happened. This battle showed the British that the Americans weren't going down without a fight,

and was the start of America’s Revolution (Kiger, 2019).

D. Political/Social changes on Women, Native Americans and African Americans

The American Revolution changed a lot of things for a lot of people. Now free from

England's hold, Americans now had to decide its own way of life. This was great for white males

but for other groups there weren't as many drastic changes. Women had always been thought

of as the lesser, the only duties fit for a woman was to bear children and tend to the house.

After the revolution some women started to stand up and realize that they were being treated

unfairly. Judith Murray argued that men and women had the capacity for equal intellect but had

unequal schooling opportunities. Another advocate for women was Abigail Adam, she like many

others disagreed that men should have all the power in the household (Norton, 2015).

No longer did americans want to coexist with the native americans, before the revolution

they often helped one another and were trading partners. But now they were seen more as

savage nuecenses that needed to be civilized. Hunting was not something the englsih did,

farming was the way of providing for the family. Colonists decided to teach the male indians to

farm and the women needed to only be performing household chores and bearing children

(WGU, 2018).

African Americans were still enslaved after the revolution, some were starting to see that

they were people who weren't objects to enslave and trade and buy. The north started to ask

questions and were the first to start to put a stop to slavery, but the south insisted that slavery

was vital to their way of life and abolishing it would casue a lot of problems. Even the slaves
who gained their freedom and were living as free people were not recognized as citizens and

were still treated like property (WGU, 2018).

E. References

Norton, M.B. (2015). A people & a nation. Retrieved from

https://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/53540310

WGU (2018) "Competency One Study Guide" Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/wgu.edu/historystudyguideone/

Kiger, P.J. (2019) 7 Events That Enraged Colonists and Led to the American

Revolution. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/news/american-revolution-causes