chapter 1 The American colonies by 1763

the development of the thirteen colonies

• 1607- first successful English colony established in Virginia
• 1620- sailing of the Mayflower to Massachusetts
• 1650- Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maryland added
• 1664- New York captured from the dutch
• 1660s- New Jersey and South Carolina founded
• 1680s- Pennsylvania and Delaware founded
• 1732- Georgia established
• 2400km along the Atlantic seaboard from Canada to Florida
• pre 1763- most colonists lived to the east of the Appalachian mountains

colonial division

• New England- New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
• middle colonies- New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
• southern colonies- Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

population growth

• 1700- 250,000
• 1763- 2 million
• high birth rate- the average american woman had 7 children
• low death rate- lived longer than most europeans
• immigration
• vast majority lived on farms
• half lived in the south, quarter in the middle, quarter in the New England
• by 1770:
• Virginia largest colony in population and land area- 500,000
• Pennsylvania and Massachusetts- 275,000 each
• Maryland and North Carolina- 200,000 each
• New York, South Carolina, New Jersey- 100,000 each
• New Hampshire, Rhode Island- 50,000 each
• Delaware- 40,000
• Georgia- 30,000

american towns

• 5 towns, all sea ports
• Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Newport and Charleston
• by 1760 combined population- 73,000
• 3.5% of the population

the colonial melting pot

• between 1700 and 1763- 400,000 people from Europe and Africa migrated to America
• most of the 17th century settlers were english
• less than a fifth of 18th century migrants were english

european settlement

• largest group- Scots-Irish Protestants from Ulster; discontented with the land system; bad harvests; decline of linen trade
• 65,000 Germans- peasants from the Rhineland; want to improve economic lot; attratced by religious tolerance
• Dutch, Swedes

indentured servitude

• tended to travel in groups
• part of colonisation schemes or under a system of temporary servitude
• designed to meet the colonies' severe labour shortage
• enabled people to obtain free passage by entering into a contract pledging their labour for a specified number of years
•  between a half and two thirds of all white immigrants during the colonial period were indentured servents

african settlement

• 1619- first black slaves land in Virginia
• 1763- 350,000 slaves (1 in 6 of the total population)
• most from west africa
• demand for slaves was so high that the black population grew more rapidly than the white population
• 90% lived in the south
• made up less than 5% the total population in New England

native americans

• British and European settlers did not assimilate with the native americans
• divided
• less advanced technologically
• hit hard by european diseases
• unable to resist the newcomers
• remained a powerful force to the west of the appalachians

the results of immigration

• 1760- half of the american population was english
• 15% welsh, scottish or scots-irish
• 20% africans
• 8% germans
• most european newcomers blended into colonial culture and society
• germans retained a degree of religious and cultural autonomy

colonial government

governors

• in most colonies the governor was appointed and could be removed only by the british king, to whom he was responsible
• the proprietary…