The Southern Colonies
Virginia
o Tobacco
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John Rolfe- by 1612, had perfected methods of raising and curing tobacco
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European demand for tobacco led to Virginians growing it wherever possible (streets, graveyards, etc.)
So much land was allocated for tobacco, that Jamestown had to import food
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Demand for land increased significantly
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Reliance on tobacco had downsides:
ruined the soil if grown too much
made Virginia’s economy dependent on one crop
o In 1619, 20 Africans were sold to Virginia colonists by the Dutch
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Planted the seeds for African slavery in America
o The birth of representative government
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The London company authorized the creation of an assembly – The House of Burgesses (1619)
o Angry at the spread of tobacco and distrustful of the House of Burgesses, James I revoked the Virginia Company’s charter,
placing Virginia under royal rule
Maryland
o Established in 1634, at St. Mary’s, by Lord Baltimore, a prominent Catholic
o Roman Catholics faced persecution and discrimination in England
o Large estates were given to prominent Catholic families
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Soon these wealthy estates were surrounded by small farms, inhabited by poor (mostly protestant) farmers
o Maryland prospered on a combination of tobacco and indentured servitude
o Lord Baltimore originally allowed for religious toleration
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Increasing numbers of protestants began calling for restrictions on Catholics
o In 1649 the locals passed the Act of Toleration, permitting Catholicism, but restricting Judaism and atheism
o With its moderate toleration, Maryland became a haven for many Catholics
The Carolinas
o Established in 1670, and named after King Charles II
o Desired to grow food to supply the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, and export crops, like silk and wine
o Their close association with the West Indies also led to the adoption of the slave trade
o Soon the settlers joined with the local Savannah Indians to capture other Indians from further inland
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Many of these slaves were sold to sugar plantations in the West Indies, or to New England
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Slaves soon became the major export of the Carolinas
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In 1707, when the Savannah attempted to leave, they were all but eliminated by settlers
o Rice emerged as the primary crop of the Carolinas, and required large numbers of slaves
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Because of resistance to malaria, and familiarity with the crop, many Africans were imported
o Charles town (Charleston) soon became the largest port city in the south, and many wealthy Englishmen came to live there
o North Carolina
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Inhabited by religious dissidents, and poor farmers who could not afford land in Virginia
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Primarily squatters, they took land, without claim, and began growing tobacco
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These small farmers did not have used for (nor could they afford) slaves in the early days of the colony
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They tended to dislike authority, and avoided a buildup of aristocracy
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Separated from South Carolina in 1712, and became a separate royal colony
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Like other colonies, North Carolina had problems with native peoples, decimating the Tuscarora
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The defeat of the Yamasee Indians in 1720 signified the end of coastal Indian existence
Georgia
o Founded in 1733, by philanthropists and reformers, including James Oglethorpe
o Primarily to serve as a buffer against Spanish Florida, and French Louisiana
o Produced silk and wine, and served as a haven for debt prisoners, and was resistant to slavery
o Savannah became a major port city, and an international refuge.
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Germans and Scots , as well as many others came
o Allowed for religious toleration (except Catholicism)