Colonial Period II
The Middle colonies
between the New England Puritan colonies and Jamestown along the Atlantic coast
Colonies captured from other colonial powers:
 New York, founded in 1624 as a Dutch trading post called New Amsterdam;
captured by the Duke of York in 1664 and renamed New York.
 New Jersey, formerly belonging to the Dutch, taken over by the Duke of York
and other English knights.
 Delaware, settled by Swedes and conquered by the English in 1682.
 Pennsylvania, given to the Quaker William Penn in 1681; settled chiefly by
Quakers. Penn granted religious freedom to settlers from all countries; King
granted the colony self-government; immigrants from Germany, Sweden, the
Netherlands and Ireland; tribe of the Delaware.
William Penn
promotion tract:
William Penn, Letter to the Free Society of Traders (1672)
General American History, p. 12
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Map of the middle colonies in the 1680s
General American History, p. 13
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The Southern colonies
Similar to Pennsylvania most Southern colonies were proprietary colonies
established through land grants by the British King to individual aristocrats or rich
upper class people.
Maryland, given to Lord Baltimore and settled mainly by Catholics; a tolerant
colony with religious freedom, but an aristocratic system of large landowners
and tenant farmers; slow immigration.
Carolina, granted to a group of young (Anglican) aristocrats in 1670 who wanted
to establish a colony of large landowners and tenant farmers; landowners could
vote an assembly that governed the colony; tenant farmers could not own land
and had no voice in politics; in 1729 the conflict led to a division into North
Carolina (small landowners and tenant farmers) and into South Carolina (capital
city Charles Town, settled by big landowners with many slaves).
Georgia, last colony to be founded; granted to former banker James Oglethorpe in
1733; gave small land holdings to English debtors released from prison;
outlawed large land ownership, the selling of alcohol and of slaves; most
settlers opposed this; in the end Oglethorpe handed over the colony to an
elected assembly which immediately allowed slavery and large plantations.
Three types of colonies can be differentiated according to how and by whom
they were founded and settled:
Northern colonies: mostly Puritan colonies; granted home rule by England at an
early stage; they could elect their own assemblies and a governor; small
farmers, artisans and tradesmen; in the 18th century a rich upper class developed
through extensive trade with England and the ship-building industry.
Middle colonies: the most liberal in regard to religion and politics; middle-seized
farmers and tradesmen; flourished because of good agriculture and trading in
the ports like New York.
Southern colonies: called proprietary colonies owned by private individuals;
developed an Anglican (pseudo)aristocratic society supported by slave labor on
large plantations; grew staple crops like rice, cotton, sugar cane, tobacco,
indigo; largely self-sufficient and isolated from the other colonies.
General American History, p. 14
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General American History, p. 15
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Map of the groups of settlers from various countries along the Atlantic coast
General American History, p. 16
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Immigration during the colonial period, 1607-1770
steady influx of new settlers; largest group from England settled on the coast;
Scotch and Irish settlers in the 18th century settled further inland esp. in the
Appalachian region; large groups of German Protestants went to Pennsylvania;
"Pennsylvania Dutch";
American core culture was determined: WASP (white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant).
Expansion:
the pressure of the incoming settlers looking for new land let to a constant
expansion of the territory claimed by the British. Not only Native American tribes
that were pushed farther to the West, but also other European colonial powers
suffered in consequence.
French and Indian War (1754-1763): France lost her possessions in North
America; the French influence remained strong in Quebec and Louisiana (New
Orleans), but the vast French holdings along the Great Lakes and in the
Mississippi/Missouri Basin were lost.
Colonies in 1750
General American History, p. 17
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Colonies in 1763 after the French and Indian War
General American History, p. 18
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Intellectual and social life:
Still very much dependent on mother country England; most books printed abroad
(mainly in England); the first printing office set up in Massachusetts; the first items
printed were contracts, legal documents, manuals for farmers etc.
The first American newspaper, The Boston News-Letter, established in 1704.
Example for utilitarian prose:
Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1733-1758 annually); calendar
with maxims on how to become rich and live in virtue:
General American History, p. 19
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Early to bed, early to rise, makes a
man healthy, wealthy and wise
If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the Philosophers-Stone.
Fish & Visitors stink in 3 days.
Diligence is the Mother of Good-Luck.
He that lives upon Hope, dies farting.
Do not do that which you would not have known.
Early attempt at belles lettres:
Anne Bradstreet, Poems (1678)
"Before the Birth of One of Her Children"
General American History, p. 20
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