For Monday, February 5 The Founding of the Tobacco Colonies
For Wednesday, February 7 New England
For Friday, February 9 Filling in the Middle
READ: in Reich, Chapter 6. Pp. 62-73
in Kupperman, Chapter 4. Virginia and Maryland, Pp. 57-79
The venture so ardently promoted by Harriot failed. It took nearly another generation before a second attempt achieved more success. The plantation based colonies of Virginia and Maryland form our subject for this day. John Smith's account (Kupperman, 58, ff.) demonstrates how close to failure the second venture came, as well. Two issues: why did men on the edge of starving refuse to work, and how did life in the wilderness begin to re-work the European into an American? The two essays in Kupperman will shed light on the second of these two issues. The first might be solved through understanding what a "gentleman" was.
John Smith (above) and Pocahontas (left). Each portrait reveals something about English attitudes. What does Smith's portrait suggest about the character of "gentlemen adventurers" and what does Pocahontas's portrat suggest about the English concept of royalty? Clicking on Smith's Portrait will take tyou to the Virginia Company's Instructions to the Colonists (1606). Download and bring to class.
READ: in Reich, Chapter 7 Pp. 74-86
in Kupperman, Chapter 4. New England Pp. 87-117
We turn our focus to New England, this class period. Here a culture based on the agricultural village evolves. We'll want to look at the relationship between Puritan theology and Puritan Political Theory. The relationship between Protestantism and Capitalism has interested sociologists and historians for about a century now. The essays by Anderson and Peterson discuss aspects of this relationship.
Regardless of location, regardless of ideology, certain common human themes will present themselves. Compare Frethorn (p. 65) with Pond (p. 92)
A nineteenth century conception of the landing of the first pilgrims. Though a bit romantic it isn't entirely inaccurate. The armor on the soldier highlights the fact that in many ways the pilgrims were closer to the medieval world than they were to our own. Click on the picture to read a description of pilgrim life by Edward Winslow.
READ: in Reich, Chapter 8 pp. 87-99
in Kupperman, Chapter 7 180-220
In each instance, the southern and northern English ventures each had a markedly unique character (not to say that there was absolute uniformity) occasioned by relatively homogeneous groups dominating settlement and relatively consistent geographies in each center of settlement. The middle colonies were very much a mixed bag. We can compare these colonies with the rest in order to formulate some hypotheses about the relative effects of diversity and conformity upon the American character.
The image at the left pictures the surrender of the Dutch to New Amsterdam. Click on the picture to reach a depiction of what life in New Amsterdam was like, by the Reverend Isaac Jogues. Print this off and bring it with you to class. Jogues' account may suggest to you why New Netherlands changed hands relatively smoothly.
The image at the left pictures the surrender of the Dutch to New Amsterdam. Click on the picture to reach a depiction of what life in New Amsterdam was like, by the Reverend Isaac Jogues. Print this off and bring it with you to class. Jogues' account may suggest to you why New Netherlands changed hands relatively smoothly.
