Chapter 17 Notes APWH

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Chapter 17 Notes

Summary: Despite the fact that the New World colonial empires of Spain Portugal, France andEngland all had similar characteristics, such as their subjugation of Africans and Amerindians, as well as

the application of Old World technology, New World colonies reflected their creating powers. British

North America was able to adapt quickly and more effectively, as they had more cultural and religious

diversity, and thus stronger government. They could also attract many more European immigrants than

other colonies. By the eighteenth century, the colonies were beginning to see themselves as a separate

entity, which when combined with Enlightenment thinking would cause action later on.

The Diversity of American Colonial Societies, 1530-1770

- 3 themes of the period of European colonization, 1, Amerindians quickly adapted to increaseEuropean involvement, 2, as vast exchange of biological and theological ideas between the New

and Old World, 3, complex colonial hierarchy and structure.

The Columbian Exchange

- Columbian Exchange refers to the exchange of crops and ideas from between both the New

and Old World.

- Especially marked by the exchange of disease, which allowed European powers to quickly

conquer the New World.

Demographic Changes

- New World population plummets due to the introduction of Old World diseases, such assmallpox, measles, influenza.

- Yellow fever and Malaria came from Africa, however both these diseases affected European

settlers as well.

Transfer of Plants and Animals

- Transfer of plants between New and Old World

- New World plants, such as maize, potatoes, manioc, all provided more calories per acre,

which contributed the population boost during the 1700s.

- Old World livestock blossomed in the New World, as there were no natural predators.

However, as they ate the grass, the would often decimate native agriculture. Despite this, they

provided hides and meat, and Amerindians learned to adapt to them, becoming sheep herders,

muleteers, and cowboys.

- Horse had a striking effect, allowed quicker movement and increased warfare capabilities, let

thousands of tribes to effectively hunt buffalo in North America. Caused a big change in culture.

Spanish America and Brazil


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- Spanish and Portuguese frontiers and regions expanded w\quickly from 1500-1600.

- Settlers from Europe imposed their strict, rigid hierarchical political model onto the

Amerindians, who complied, but retained much of their power and influence, as well as their

language, cruisings, medicines, and techniques.

- Structure in New World further changed by the introduction of African slaves, who broughtalong with them, their cultures and traditions.

States and Church

- Crown immediately took over the power of the conquistadors, implemented the Council of the

Indies in 1524, which was limited by technology and geography.

- Viceroy was the head of New Spain/Portugal, split territory into judicial and administrative

districts.

- Portugal focused on Brazil only during the 18th century.

- Church assumed the role of the transmission of European language and culture to the natives.

- Brazil and Spain justified their conquests by saying they were saving them from the devilthrough Christianity, but often the clergy abused their power.

- Attempted to convert Amerindian peoples by converting elites, but ultimately relied on torture,

executions and destruction, which the church ended in disgust.

- Amerindians were protected by Catholic clergy, such as Bartolome de Las Casas, who wrote

several books highlighting Amerindian mistreatment which led to the passage of the New Laws

of 1542.

- European clergy arrived with the intent to convert natives to Catholicism, however they were

stopped by the geographical dispersal of Amerindian population as well as linguistic and cultural

differences.- Eventually Roman Catholicism mixed with Amerindian culture to create a distinct Latin

American Christianity and set of traditions.

- After 1600s, the Catholic Church set its sights from the countryside to cities and towns, which

led to the founding of universities and also let the church become the most important institution in

Spain.

Colonial Economies

- Silver mines of Peru and sugar plantations of Brazil led to mineral wealth which caused

increased European trade with Asia, and also promoted growth of colonial cities, centralization,

and agriculture and livestock raising. Eventually, a lasting impact was made on Latin Americas

society and economy.

- Silver created most of the money, so it was more important than gold. Notable silver mines

occurred in Mexico and Bolivia (Potosi).

- Silver mining supported farming, livestock raising, and textile production, which ultimately

promoted urbanization and increased regional commerce.


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- After deforestation occurred, the silver was extracted using mercury, a poison, that had

negative effects on the people and the environment.

- A labor system called the encomienda (form of labor where all Amerindians were forced to

provide Spanish with food, textiles, or goods, or labor) was institutionalized, but was ultimately

altered due to falling Amerindian populations into the mita (form of labor where one-seventh ofmale Amerindians worked for six months every seven years), a corrupted version of the

Inca-era mita. As the wages were not enough to sustain life, many village dwellers decided to

become permanent workers in the mines, which allowed them to become assimilated into

Spanish-speaking Catholic colonial society.

- Before Brazil, Portuguese introduced sugar plantations into Atlantic Islands, so Brazil quickly

became dependent on slave labor and sugar.

- Sugar plantations were dependent on slave labor, and when enslaved Amerindians died they

replaced them by hiring slavers, who ruthless captured slaves from Spanish lands.

- Met the lack of Amerindians by importing Africans, and using them as slave labor, as theywere resistant to disease and thus more productive.

- Both sugar plantations and silver mining increased population growth as well as commercial

links. Both events eventually had an influence on the global economy, and promoted economic

integration.

- Both Spain and Portugal attempted to control trade by granting people monopolies and

protecting their cargo with warships and convoys. However, this slowed the exchange between

the New and Old World and eventually the majority of profits were smuggled by the English,

French and Dutch.

Society in Colonial Latin America

- Spanish colonies were contained Amerindians, creoles, and Spanish immigrants.

- Conquistadors relied on encomienda, but their abuse of Amerindian peoples undermined their

position, and they also had to fight for power with colonial viceroys, judges, and bishops.

- Creoles has control of mines and plantations while Spanish immigrants dominated the highest

levels of the church and government.

- Due to the dwindling numbers and the subjugation of the Amerindians, the began to lose their

cultural and linguistic differences.

- Amerindian elites wished to keep their special status so they allied with Spanish immigrants

and served as intermediaries between the indigenous masses and the colonial administration.

- The masses faced the most problems, such as tribute, forced labor, and loss of land but they

adapted by meeting market demands in sheep and wheat and resisted through colonial courts.

- Africans also played a role, as in the fluid social environment, many gained freedom. They

came over with their masters.

- Although Afro-Iberians were different from Africans, they were still persecuted, as they were


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barred from holding office in the 1600s.

- Differing African identities slowed down the resistance of colonial Latin America, but

ultimately forged distinct local cultures.

- Slaves resisted through sabotage, malingering, rebellion, and running away. They would

occasionally form small groups that could resist Spanish control for quite a while.- Majority of slaves were men and worked in agriculture, and thus could not honor their

traditional family patterns. They also faced harsh punishments and poor housing, diet and

hygiene.

- Although they did not face rich and powerful indigenous civilizations, Portuguese colonists

came to dominate Brazil, except that their culture was influenced more by African culture

instead of Amerindian.

- Manumission was granted to those who could make enough money, and soon free blacks

were a large majority of the population, as children born subsequently were not slaves.

- Mixed European and Amerindian mestizos came to dominate middle level society and theoutskirts, along with mixed African and European mulattos. They were all grouped into castas

by Spain and dominated small-scale ranching, retailing, and construction.

English and French Colonies in North America

- The North American colonies of England and France were similar to Spanish colonies

because dealt with natives the same way, had similar goals of exploiting them, and had a similar

dependence on African slaves.

- However, the colonies of England and France occurred later, in a much more economically

connected world, and both were heavily developed by private companies and individual

proprietors, which led to greater regional variety of economic, social, and political structure.Early English Experiments

- Englands first efforts to gain a foothold failed greatly, which including Sir Humphrey Gilbert

(1583), Sir Walter Raleigh (1584), and Roanoke (1585 and 1587).

- However, in the 1600s, England renewed its efforts and relied on private capital, hoping the

colonies would produce high-value products like silk, citrus, and wine. Colonization was also

influenced by European attempts to colonize Ireland in 1566.

The South

- In 1606, the private Virginia Company created a colony at Jamestown, however, the colonists

were too focused on easily acquired wealth and almost failed.

- After the King disbanded the Virginia Company in 1624, the colonists thrived on tobacco,

furs, and timbers. However, they remained dispersed and failed to create large cities like those

seen in Latin America.

- Added a new form a labor to encomienda, mita, and slavery, indentured servants, who

worked on land for 4-7 years in return for passage to the New World, and at the end, a small


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parcel of land, clothes, and tools. 80% of immigrants, ethnically indistinguishable.

- Figured the high death rate would make purchasing servants more cost-effective, later

switched to slaves when life expectancy rose. Virginia slave population, 950 in 1660 to 120000

by 1756.

- Colonial government established in 1660s, rule by crown-appointed governor, and the Houseof Burgesses. Soon the House began to meet by themselves, became more democratic and

more reliant on slaves.

- English colonists pushed south to capture more furs using Amerindians, and thus increased

their dependence on European products and weakened their cultural traditions.

- Amerindians became angered at colonists and fought several wars in the 1700s, but they were

defeated and their land was taken by the Europeans.

- The Carolinas split in 1729 due to differences in economy, South was more focused on slaves

and plantations while the North followed tobacco and forest products.

- African slaves in Charleston were given significant responsibilities and they had a large role inindigo and rice plantations.

- As the wealth of South Carolina rose, more blacks came to it, and thus African culture

influenced South Carolinian culture, and several rebellions occurred, including the Stono

Rebellion of 1739.

- Colonial South Carolina was heavily hierarchical, but the bounds between ethnic groups

became less clear as the population became more mixed.

New England

- Colonization of New England was marked by 2 religious sects, Pilgrims (wanted to break

away from Anglican Church) and Puritans (wanted to purify Anglican church). Both saw theNew World as the opportunity to express their religious beliefs.

- Massachusetts Bay Company fronted the money, limited the Kings power because he could

only revoke but not alter the charter, by 1643 twenty thousand Puritans entered New England.

- Massachusetts was not demographically skewed, equal males and females, allowed them to

rapidly increase unlike southern colonies who demanded a steady flow of foreigners.

- Massachusetts had greater autonomy and local political involvement because they resisted the

Massachusetts Bay Company.

- Economically, Massachusetts had to rely on commercial and shipping services because their

lands were too poor for growing cash crops. Thus, the extreme social stratifications did not

occur.

- Unlike the monopolies of Spain and Portugal, New England contained many merchants who

relied on market intelligence, flexibility, and organization.

The Middle Atlantic Region

- 1624, Dutch colonize New Netherland near Manhattan Island, underfunded, but able to


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control Hudson river. Later taken by English and renamed New York.

- Developed as a commercial and shipping venter, however, it was characterized by corrupt

politics and a diverse community.

- Pennsylvania began as a religious refuge for the quakers, quickly blossomed, through excellent

lands and good relations with natives.- Pennsylvania and South Carolina were different in that Pennsylvania relied on free workers

and did not develop the strict social hierarchy.

French America

- French settlement was similar to Spain and Portugal, relied on fur trade and also missionaries.

- Created New France (Quebec) in 1608, joined regional feuds between Amerindians.

- Centered around fur trade, creation of metis (mestizos), and over hunting created conflicts for

land and warfare

- Iroquois given guns by Dutch and English, guns rapidly changed the Amerindian culture and

hunting practices.- Jesuits provided boarding schools, but were undermined by the constant epidemics.

- French viewed Amerindians as trading partners, large reliance on fur trade, Amerindians

adopted culture gradually.

- France expanded rapidly, but not enough settlers. It lost all of its lands in the Seven Years

War, and gave Canada to England and Louisiana to Spain.

Colonial Expansion and Conflict

- As time progressed, imperial powers responded to the growing nationalistic identities of the

colonies by demanding more payment and asking them to spend more on administration and

defense. They also fought wars at home.Imperial Reform in Spanish America and Brazil

- After Charles II dies, there is a new system regarding the colonies, more ports, less convoys,

rapid economic expansion.

- However, small states and colonies could not afford the breaks that imperial wars brought, so

them rioted and also pushed for reform.

- Amerindian revolts also occurred, Tupac AMaru II rose up in 17800 to rebellion. He believed

that colonies were oppressing indigenous people.

- Portugal also experienced a similar expansion and revolts.

Reform and Reorganization in British America

- James II attempted the Navigation Acts, which limited colonial production when it fought with

the kings interest. He reinstituted royal governors.

- People responded by rebelling and sacking the royal governors.

- During the 1700s, the colonial population became more urban and more clearly divided. - -

Crises occurred when imperial wars occurred. However, England defeated France by alienating


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English colonies.

Chapter 17 Notes APWH

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