AMSCO 2.1 Context: European Colonization of North America Notes

Topic 2.1

UNIT 2 — Period 2: 1607-1754

📍Topic 2.1 Contextualizing Period 2

📖 AMSCO p.32 - p.33

Key Timeline

Image courtesy of Sitara Hariharan

Main Idea

Period 2 Context

Context for Development of Society & Culture in the 13 British Colonies

• Each of the 13 colonies developed their own individual economies.
  • Northern colonies had a bigger focus on trade and industry, while Southern colonies relied heavily on plantation agriculture.
    • This reliance on cash-crop farming led to the rise in the importation of African slaves.
  • Over time, a new shared identity among the colonists began to emerge
    • While ties to England remained strong, this laid the groundwork for later conflict with England and future calls for independence.
• The westward expansion of the colonies led to increased conflicts with Native American populations.
  • Constant conflict over land and resources resulted in periodic warfare.

Context for Development of Slavery in European Colonies in North America

• Most North American colonies relied on labor-intensive agriculture, which involved the farming of cash crops for export.
  • In the early years, labor needs were met through indentured servitude but soon the demand for labor increased.
  • Some colonies practiced Native American slavery as well, but they were often able to escape and were more difficult to enslave.
  • This led to the importing of African slaves as a more permanent and cost-effective labor force.

Context for Interactions between Europeans and Native Americans

• European powers sought to establish colonies in North America primarily for economic opportunities and the expansion of trade routes.
• The arrival of Europeans disrupted traditional Native American life, leading to both cooperation and conflict.
  • For example, the fur trade became a significant point of trade between Native Americans and European colonists.
  • European concept of private land ownership clashed with Native American communal land use practices.
• Introduction of European diseases (ex. smallpox) led to massive casualties among Native American populations.
  • This allowed the Europeans to further push forward with colonial expansion
• Enslaving Native Americans for forced labor was difficult as they knew the land and were able to escape more easily.
  • This led to the introduction of imported slaves from Africa.

Early Settlements

• The Spanish and Portuguese were the first to arrive, settling in Central and South America.
• The first two successful British colonies along the Atlantic coast were Jamestown and Plymouth.
  • These colonies served as the starting point for the 13 colonies.
• Each colony developed its own economic system, and conducted transatlantic trade with products such as tobacco and timber.
  • By the mid-1700s, trade became a point of conflict as colonies resisted British control over trade.
• Trade was also a key point of early contact between Europeans and Native Americans.
  • The colonists got dependable food supply, and Native Americas got iron tools and guns.
• Trade also led to competition for resources.
  • The British and French fought a series of wars for control of land.
  • Some Native American tribes (ex. Iroquois, Huron) allied with the Europeans or each other for their own interests.

Sources of Labor

• Europeans wanted to make profits off of their new land claims.
  • They tried to enslave Native Americans first—this failed because they knew their own territory and could escape too easily.
  • Then they tried indentured servitude, where individuals from Europe would agree to work for a set number of years in exchange for transportation to the Americas.
    • This was common in the colonies, but still insufficient labor for those who owned larger amounts of land.
• The British soon started importing enslaved laborers from Africa.
  • Agricultural economies that relied on the importation of slaves grew in the 13 colonies.