Notes on Don't Know Much About History

Paraphrase ·      Page 27 In 1612 John Rolfe crossed Native Virginia tobacco with seed from a milder Jamaican leaf. ·      Page 29 Portugal started the slave trade. ·      Page 29-30 In 1620 the Mayflower landed with it’s boat load of pilgrims. ·      Page 31 “The first written constitution in North America” was the Mayflower Compact. ·      Page 35 Roger Williams was a religious nonconformist that disagreed with the principles of England’s official church. ·      Page 39 “Charles II granted his brother, the Duke of York, the largest and richest territorial grant ever made by an English monarch.” ·      Page 39 The Swedes didn’t do much in North America, but they did introduce the log cabin. ·      Page 40 The French were more into trade rather than permanent settlements. ·      Page 50 In 1637 the Puritans declared war on the Pequot Indians. ·      Page 57-58 In the 1740’s two powerful evangelists started the Great Awakening.

Analysis ·       This provided a crop for Virginia to sell back to Europe thus making Virginia a profitable colony. ·      Portugal used African slaves on the sugar plantations of the West Indies. This is influential because it created the Barbados slave code and influenced the treatment of slaves in America. ·      The Mayflower was way off course and therefore was able to create self government such as the Mayflower compact. ·      The Mayflower compact allowed for a template of future self-government in America. ·      Roger Williams was banished and founded Rhode Island, a colony for religious freedom. ·      The grant the Charles II gave to his brother included the already formed, New Amsterdam (made by the Dutch). This eventually dot turned into New York. It is important because it is very racially and religiously diverse (due to it being a sea port). ·      The log cabin is important because many pioneers used it as a quick form of a very warm house. Also, I live in a log cabin. ·      The French’s interest in trade rather than permanent settlements affected their relationship with the Natives in that area. Instead of taking Natives’ land they traded with the Natives and built good relationships. This will be important when the French and Indian war takes place. ·      The puritans wiped out the Pequot Indians completely. The Iroquis then realised that the English should not be trusted and they braced themselves for war. ·      The Great Awakening sparked new religious ideas and reforms. It added to American nationalism and colony pride. This influenced and set the stage for the American Revolution.

Notes 9/24/14

Roger Williams was a religious extremist. priest that started questioning everyone. He believed that everyone should take communion. Political system should have nothing to do with the church. Questioned the puritans taking up Native land. He goes to Rhode island and finds the colony of Rhode island.

Rhode island - squatter colony in 1636 official charter in 1644. Made up of people who are exiled or have nowhere else to go. Include Anne Hutchinson. The colony practiced religious tolerance and manhood suffrage (all men can vote). independently minded community.

Fundamental orders (1639) was in effect a modern constitution created by the settlers on the new Connecticut river

King Phillip joins groups of natives together to fight the English.

New England Confederation - primary purpose defense against Indians, French and Dutch

Colonists independence grows...

1. Charles I gets beheaded
2. Oliver Cromwell takes charge (colonies can do whatever they want)
3. Charles II comes into power and tries to take control of the colonies

Navigation laws allow for the King to control the colonists better. It required all colonists to only trade with England. Very restrictive. Colonists then just smuggled everything that they wanted.

Relating theme to Video

America in the World – How did competition between European empires around the world affect relations among the various peoples in North America?

When settling Jamestown the British colonists were worried about Spanish attack. This caused them to go up James River and settle in a swamp. They also settled nearer to native lands. This caused conflict between the Powhatan's and the British. 

Southern Colonies

How were the Southern Colonies similar

• They exported a cash crop (they were all created for money)
• They did not have a main religion
• The Southern colonies all required slave labour because of plantation systems
• They were all expansionists in dealing with the natives because the crops that they grew required more and more land so they pushed the Natives off their land
• Initially the southern colonies all had white indentured servants

Podcast notes

·      Europeans landed in North America before 1492

·      The first arrived in 985’s – Vikings first Europeans to come to North America

·      They were disbanded and forgotten for a while

·      1492 Spain, a world power, looking for trade rout with the East, overland is too expensive, they wanted spices, perfume, gold, discover new land

·      Enter Christopher Columbus, Italian, but employed by the Spanish

·      Amerigo (AMERICA) Vespucci 1499 said that the new continent Columbus found was actually a new continent and not Asia

·      Spain is still primary world power

·      John Cabot (English) – 1497 Newfoundland, but lost at sea = fail

·      English is growing as a nation so they do not send many people

·      Queen Elizabeth sends Walter Raleigh, he founds Roanoke Island 1585/1587

·      1590 Walter Raleigh leaves to get supplies and when he returns the colony is gone. Hint with Croaton

·      How the Europeans changed America

·      Disease wiped out many natives

·      Brutal and conquering of Native peoples

·      By 1600 10% of the native population in North America from 1492 were alive

·      Europeans brought over Mercantilism, the goods would be sent back to mother country (gold from South America went back to Spain not for the benefit for South America)

·      1600- Spain has a huge amount of territory in the new world (mainly in the South

·      1607- English creates Jamestown sponsored by Joint Stock Company (the Virginia Company … guarantees the settlers the same rights as Englishmen! ß important! Different than other English colonies … leads to American concept of liberty )

·      The Spanish were finding a lot of gold in Mexico so the English thought that they would find gold. Hence the reason for Joint Stock Companies

·      The Joint Stock Company was meant to be a short term deal

·      People going over to England are poor people or in debt they need to escape

·      Enclosure movement – 1500’s large landowners in England begin to fence off their property (small town farmers could not feed their herds on the grasses anymore)

·      Europeans gave the first son everything that they had. This caused second and third sons to become explorers and get rich again.

·      Jamestown was easily defendable, but was hot and swampy. – lots of mosquitos brought malaria

·      Jamestown settlers began to die of disease, malnutrition, starvation

·      Winter of 1609-1610 starving time

·      1625- 85% of colonists who had come from 1607-1625 had died

·      Troops arrive sent by Virginia Company to reinforce the colonists and to stamp out the resistance of the Natives

·      Majority of the Powhatans get wiped out

·      1644- Natives try to make one last attempt to dislodge colonists, and fail

·      1646- war ends, idea of peaceful coexistent dies

·      Reasons for defeat:

·  DISORGANIZATION: Natives were divided into tribes

·      DISEASE: They were weakened from disease

·      DISPOSABILITY: English had no use for the Natives

·       

SOAPTONE Indians Should be Conquered and Exterminated

SOAPTONE Journals of Columbus

Source  

Who wrote the document?  

Edward Waterhouse

What is the author’s background/point of view? 

Edward Waterhouse was the secretary to the Virginia Company, the joint stock company that funded Jamestown, he was trying to come up with an excuse as to why the colony was making no money.

Whose point of view, given the topic, is
missing?  

The Natives.

Do you consider the source a reliable one on this topic?  Why/why not?

No, because he, Edward, was bias. He was greedy and looking for riches therefore he exaggerated the severity of what he found, and withheld the cruelties of the English towards the Natives.  

Occasion  

When was the document written?  

1622

What does the date of the document tell you about its content?

It was 15 years after the founding of Jamestown.

What other historical events were going on during this time? 

Chief Powhatan died.

Audience  

To whom is the author writing?  

This author is writing to his investors. 

What type of document is this (diary entry, personal letter, public speech,
etc.)?    

Public speech

Does the private/public nature of the document inform you about its content
(is the author sharing private thoughts, making a public pronouncement,
etc.)?  

The publicness of this speech makes you realize that the author is trying to persuade his audience that the Native are horrible people; this shows his bias. 

Purpose  
Why was the document written?  What is the purpose of the document?  

The document was written to assure The Virginia Company's investors that the Natives have been the reason for no profit and that once they are taken out money will soon begin to flow into their pockets. 

What is the document saying?

The document is asking for patience from the investors. 

Tone

What is the attitude of the speaker?

The attitude of the speaker is condemning towards the Natives.