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CHAPTER 2
England’s Colonies
This chapter discusses the founding of the British colonies. It outlines the general pattern of settlement
from Jamestown to the charter of Maryland colony and the founding of Plymouth and Massachusetts
Bay in New England. The chapter traces how the relationships between the various indigenous
populations and the British settlers created the tensions that led to the Pequot War and then later King
Philip’s War. A discussion of indentured servitude and the origins of slavery in North America
concludes the chapter.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. The English Background
II. Religious Conflict and War
III. American Colonies
A. People and Profits
B. Self-Sustaining Colonies
C. The Landless English
D. Virginia
E. Indentured Servants
F. Pocahontas
G. The Virginia Company Prospers
H. Bacon’s Rebellion
A. The Carolinas
B. Barbados
C. Carolina
D. Enslaving Indians
VI. The Middle Colonies and Georgia
VIII. Slavery in the Colonies
A. Slavery in North America
B. Slavery’s African Roots
C. Slave Culture
IX. Thriving Colonies
LECTURE IDEAS
1. Use the biographical approach to research the founding of Jamestown and Virginia by examining the
2. It would be useful to discuss the various Native American tribes that the British encountered in the
American colonies, such as the Iroquois and the Algonquin. A discussion of the initial reactions of the
3. Students should have a clear understanding of the joint-stock company and the whole workings of
mercantilism. An overview of British economic history would be a good starting point emphasizing these
4. A lecture comparing and contrasting the colonies of New England could be focused on the evolution of
Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine. Describe the
5. All too often in our treatment of colonial history, the Middle Colonies get short shrift given that
emphasis is normally given to New England and Virginia. Write a corrective lecture by focusing on the
beginnings of New York and Pennsylvania, highlighting their remarkable commercial, ethnic, and
6. A lecture on Bacon’s Rebellion will provide a vehicle for examining life and society in colonial Virginia
as well as an opportunity to explain why the Virginia elite soon shifted from indentured servants to
(1972) and, for the traditional view of the democratic qualities of Bacon’s Rebellion, T. J.
Wertenbaker’s Torchbearer of the Revolution (1940).
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. It is never too early to illustrate the changing nature of historical interpretation to your students.
Bacon’s Rebellion provides a very good opportunity to introduce basic concepts of historiography
2. It is no surprise that the first settlement at Jamestown was a painful challenge, but do not underestimate
the lasting impact of that suffering. Identify the sources of difficulty and how those elements remained
3. Consider this: If someone were asked in 1600 which nation would rise to control North America for
the next two centuries, few would have guessed England. Why would England be dismissed? Which
nations would be more likely choices? Helpful works include Lyle N. McAlister’s Spain and Portugal in
4. It is often assumed that slavery was an accepted practice in the seventeenth century. In fact, there was
a growing willingness to question slavery, particularly by the Enlightenment philosophies in Europe.
Although the colonies never engaged in a serious debate over the continuation of slavery before the
American Revolution, there was potential for greater debate. Ask students to read the 1739 Darien
Anti-Slavery petition at https://georgiahistory.com/education-outreach/online-exhibits/online-
exhibits/encounter-and-exchange/a-new-encounter-black-slaves-in-georgia/pre-revolutionary-
slavery/. Why did the residents of Darien argue against slavery? What might labor in America have
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss and compare Native American relations with colonists in Virginia and Massachusetts. What
were European motivations in establishing contact with Native Americans? How did this help bring
about very different relationships among the various European settlers, especially the British and
French?
2. It is noted that settlers to New England had a greater life expectancy than those to colonies south of
the Chesapeake Bay. Why? How might the different lifestyles and life expectancy have impacted
colonial development?
3. Discuss Bacon’s Rebellion as an example of class warfare in the colonies. How were the Native
Americans involved in the dispute?
4. Consider the conditions of indentured servitude and slavery in the Americas. What do these
conditions suggest about the common attitudes toward labor in the colonies?
5. Explain the concept of separatism as it related to the Puritans who settled at Plymouth. How did their
background as Separatists help shape their decisions at Plymouth?
6. Georgia’s colonial beginnings are remarkably different than those of other colonies. Explain why the
origins of Georgia were so unique. Why did it ultimately become a royal colony?
7. Discuss how the presence of the Spanish in Florida and the French in the North impacted the
development of the English colonies.
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
This chapter details the effort of English Puritans and Pilgrims to establish Christian commonwealths in
New England, which they hoped might serve as model societies. Many historians have argued that the
ongoing tendency of Americans to view the United States as a nation that has a special calling to serve as
an example for the rest of humanity is rooted in the Puritans and this missionary idealism. Organize a
discussion over pizza or coffee with some classmates and members of the community in which you
