Early Colonisation British Colonies in America Flashcards
Who was the first to compete with the ducth and the French in the first centruy following 1497?
The British were later than the Spanish
What was colonial policy founded on?
Colonial policy was grounded in a set of mercantilist policies, designed to increase tax from trade and create an inflow of bullion
what is bullion?
Gold and silver in bulk before coining, or valued by weight
When did the British begin serioudly cononizing North America?
Early 17th Century
By what means did the British expand colonies in North America
- Captured in war: New York (1664) from the Dutch, Jamaica (1655) from the Spanish, the maritime provinces in Canada (1713) from the French.
- Commercial enterprises evolved into a colony (e.g. the Virginia Company, 1606, the London and Bristol Company, 1610)
- Declared vacant and settled directly by English colonists, still based on a patent or charter (e.g.Massachusetts)
The Economic History literature generally studies these early colonies from the view of
successor
states: Canada, USA, or other. Parts of North America not yet under the control of the final colonial power or surrendered to another power are downplayed or excluded.
What made the paths taken by different jurisdictions during the early days of colonization different?
including their original
founding laws, but also because of their differing economic prospects of various activities. Opportunities for economic development were affected by the 150 years of mercantilist policies put in place by Britain
How were the earliest colonies formed? eg. Virgina?
Virginia, the goal was to replicate English society and economy. A lord (or company of lords) would get a charter with some delegation of sovereignty, and an objective to attract settlers and earn rents on the land grant
What is a ‘headright”?
- a device to attract immigration
-promised a grant of land based on how many people a head of heousehold brought with them.
Why were “propritorships” granted in Crown Colonies?
so that the political control rested ultimately with
the King, but the “lords of the manor” so to speak handled the courts. Similar to what happened in England.
Why did the opportunities for workers differ dramatically between Britain and the colonies?
In England land was scarce and labour abundant, so landed wealth could essentially set the terms of employment. For the poor, immigration to the colonies involved contracts that traded transportation for a period of servitude
Prerequisites for successful European Expansion.
- A commercial system to facilitate private gain seeking
- Technology sufficient for long distance trade
- Government backing
what is Merchantilism?
- Name given to a broad set of policies pursued by European governments from the 1500s to the mid-1800s
-Positive balance of trade allowed for bullion flows into the country
-Import raw materials and export manufactured goods. - Mercantilism was based on the principle that the world’s wealth was static, and consequently, governments had to regulate trade to build their wealth and national power. Many European nations attempted to accumulate the largest possible share of that wealth by maximizing their exports and limiting their imports via tariffs.
- in some sense, a zero sum game
- Due to the nationalistic nature of mercantilism, nations frequently used military might to protect local markets and supply sources.
- Mercantilism was replaced by free-trade economic theory in the mid-18th century
- supported self sufficency and avoided depedence on other nations. (colonies sureved a vital role due to limmited national supply)
In the early days of colonization, what did spain control?
- Spain “controlled” the wealth of Central America.
- Substantial amounts of gold and silver.
-Subject to raiding, but essentially directly imported into Europe.
In the early days of colonization, what did France control?
Fur Trade
What are some examples of Merchantilst policies?
- Corn Laws (Britsih)- restricted the import of grain.
- a variety of navigation acts- restricted the nationality of ships used to tradein Britain.
who said this quote? “It is that wealth was gold and silver, and that the national means to acquire wealth was a favourable balance of trade.”
Adam Smith (1776)
How did the colonist’s view property?
-Natural right to property in own body.
-Private property appropriated from common property by the mixing of one’s own labour
-A critical dimension was the degree of transferability. The simplest case for land was so called “fee simple” ownership.
-Owners had a unified right to develop (or not: use and abuse) property, and to receive the value derived from it.
How did the Spanish “discover” the Americas?
-Spanish sent explorers across the ocean looking for a route to Asia, and in the process “discovered” America.
What was the Vice- Royallty of New Spain?
would become Mexico after the War of Independence (1810-21) was part of the Vice-Royalty of New Spain
How was Vice- Royallty of New Spain governed?
Governed by a Viceroy who held power in the name of the monarch.
Why did the relative vlaue of the Northern Territory of New Spain (current day Mexico) eventually become Spain’s most important overseas empire?
largely because it was the main source of
silver.
What caused the population of Indigenous that people lived in what would become Spanish colonies to fall from 20 million to 750,000 over the 16th and 17th centuries before the population began to rebound?
warfare and disease
When were the first enslaved africans brought to New Spain?
1520
What is an Encomienda?
- territories that were granted by the crown (or its agents)
- these eventually were removed and replaced by Royal colonies
What is Tribute?
- Under the Aztecs (Mexica), tribute had taken the form of crops and other goods: corn, beans, amber, feathers, cacao, salt, etc.
-The Spanish introduced livestock, so the tribute came to include wheat (introduced) and food for horses.
What were “municipalities”?
- centers of trade.
What are the characteristics of the cod fish?
- Bottom fish found in northern waters.
- breeds in cold water
- moves to shallow water to feed
- cold water, slow moving
- low oil content, white fish
- very abundant in northern waters
What has the economy of cod always depended on?
- The technology of preservation
- Cod is great for preserving because of its low oil content
