Colonial Development The Chesapeake Chesapeake Colonies Dominated by

Colonial Development The Chesapeake

Chesapeake Colonies § Dominated by a plantation economic system § Slavery & indentured servitude in all colonies (Africans after late 17 th C) § A privileged few control large quantity of lands (aristocratic) § Church of England (Anglican) most prominent…religiously tolerant region § Expansion views came from need for more land

Jamestown Fort & Settlement (Computer Generated)

Jamestown Housing

Tobacco Economy § Workers were mostly white indentured servants until late 1600’s, then Africans § Headright System: 50 acres of land to any person who pays the passage of a white indentured servant § Planters used the system to gain huge tracts of land & workers! § By 1700, 100, 000 indentured servants came over (~75% of all Europeans in Virginia and Maryland)

Jamestown Colonization Pattern: 1620 -1660

Tobacco Plant

Bacon’s Rebellion

Bacon’s Rebellion § Former indentured servants (Freedmen) frustrated at lack of available good lands in eastern Va. § Forced to squat in western part of colony, near/on Native American lands § Native Americans didn’t like the expansion into their lands § Freedmen mad that their gov’t wasn’t doing anything to protect them § Freedmen become organized into a militia led by Nathaniel Bacon

Bacon’s Rebellion § Significance: Planters (elite) saw indentured servants as too difficult to control as Freedmen…. . so they imported more Africans instead § Significance: Planters (elite) controlled the poor whites psychologically by telling them they were better than blacks § ? ? Long term consequences of this? ?