The Colonial Period in the America

The Colonial Period in the America

(Part-I)

The beginning of American colonization

Plymouth,1621. On the occasion of Thanksgiving with the Indians after the first Harvest

The colonial period in the America generally began at the beginning of the seventeenth century. At that time, a wave of people from all over Europe travelling to North America and settling in it had burst into the early seventeenth century.

Initially, the small stream of these migrations, started by a few English colonists, was later transformed into the great flood of millions of people. The flow of migrations continued in the United States for more than three centuries.

On this new continent, with the new hopes, inspired by the creation of a new world, the millions of migrants who migrated, created a new culture on this wild continent.

During the period that followed the Spanish colonization of Mexico, the West Indies, and South America, some Englishmen crossed the Atlantic Ocean to migrate to the area in what is now called the United States and begin to establish their colonies. When these settlers first arrived in the region, there were dense forests scattered all over their view. The forest was inhabited by people called “Indians”. These people were wild by nature. Most of them were aggressive and invaders, and because of the hostility they felt towards these colonists, these colonists were more concerned with their daily lives. But despite this, the settlers had an advantage. It is a vast forest spread about 2100 km in length from north to south. This forest was untouched by the rest of the world. It was a treasure trove of wood and abundant food from the forest. The forest wood material was in used to build the house as well as shipbuilding and for export.

In 1607, Jamestown, a village in the Old Dominion of Virginia, was established as a center of trade. This village became the first permanent colony of the British. With the development of tobacco, the sector soon became economically prosperous. Tobacco found a good market in England. Even though nature was blessed with this continent, the inhabitants of the region had to maintain a relationship with Europe for the import of goods which they could not produce.

The terrain was fixed for the colonies

The beach was well used by the residents for this work. Dense forests and the Appalachian Mountains were a problem for settlers beyond the seaside. The fowler and the trader were the only ones to risk entering such a deserted forest. The colonist had their habitat in the seaside line but it had a fine structure.  These colonies were self-sufficient, they had separate routes to the sea. Each colony had a separate entity.

During the colonization of American history, the government of migration from England did not take any initiative or responsibility. On the contrary, it was the private individuals who took the initiative and the profit motive was the key to doing so.

Map of Massachusetts coast

Virginia and Massachusetts were founded by chartered companies. The money invested in these companies was used for colonization, migration materials, travel expenses and colony management. The New Haven colony, which later became part of the Connecticut colony, was founded by wealthy immigrants with their own money. Goods in New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, however, were initially privately owned by English chieftains.

The first Charles rewarded Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and his descendants for some 2,800,000 hectares of land. It was later transformed into the state of Maryland. Carolina and Pennsylvania were created with the aid of the Second Charles. Technically, private owners and chartered companies were all king's tenants. But they used to give a symbolic amount as revenue to their land. And William Penn gave the king two skins of beaver.

The following are the thirteen colonies that became the United States. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Each colony was created in different ways. Most were native colonial branches. The people of Massachusetts founded Rhode Island and Connecticut. Massachusetts was a native of New England. James Edward Oglethorpe and some of his associates founded the Georgia Colony, with the kindness and practical reason they thought they needed to flee to the United States to liberate the prisoners from the British prisons and set them free in the South against the Spaniards. In the year 1621, New Dutch colony, founded by the Dutch. Under British rule it was renamed as New York in the year 1664. For the purpose of providing economic prosperity, most of the people in Europe have left their homeland and migrated. But at the same time, some were seeking religious freedom. While some intended to escape political repression.

The quest for religious and political freedom

During the religious revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, an organization called Puritans took up the reform program within the National Church. 

English Puritans escaping to America

Accordingly, he urged the National Church to be fully Protestant and to spread the path of faith and devotion. During James' reign, a group of mostly marginalized villagers, called Separatists, gave up hope that the established church would ever improve. The “Separatist” traveled to Lieden-Holland, which was permissible to practice religion in accordance with their beliefs. The group that traveled to Lieden later decided to immigrate to the New World around 1620 and established Plymouth. The same group came to be called "Pilgrims." After Charles II was crowned in 1625, the "Puritan" leaders in England began to suffer more persecution. Later these Puritans were come to these people called Pilgrims, and in 1630 the ‘Massachusetts Bay colony’ was established.

Pennsylvania Colony

Unsatisfied with his fate in England, William Penn and his Quakers (companions) made the Pennsylvania colony. One of the motives for Catholicism was the intention behind the establishment of Maryland by Cecil Calvert. The goal was to get more religious freedom, as well as to give more opportunity for economic prosperity to those from Germany, Ireland, and Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Many also immigrated to the United States for political purposes. Around the 1630th, the capriciousness of the first Charles in England caused many were fascinated by the new world. In the subsequent uprising, the opposition led by Oliver Cromwell defeated Charles, and many of the King's party soldiers made their way to Virginia. Many small German states began a policy of religious repression, and the damage caused by the wars at the top increased the number of immigrants to the United States in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. William Penn detailed how many opportunities exist for newcomers to the Pennsylvania colony. The captains of the ships who hired poor immigrants for wages often received great rewards. In pursuit of such rewards, these captains resort to unsolicited promises or to take measures to recruit as many people as they can and hold on to the ship. Judges and prison officials were encouraged that criminals should be allowed to immigrate to the United States instead of serving prison sentences.

Very few can afford to go on their own

With private owners or independent families who wanting to come to the United States, the colonial companies signed a limited-term contract with them. About half of New England residents came to the United States because of this agreement. Most of the immigrants to the United States in the seventeenth century were Englishmen. But it also included Dutch, Swedish, and Germans in the Central Division, French Huguenots in South Carolina, and Spaniards, Italians, and Portuguese elsewhere. But the number of non-English people was no more than ten per cent of the total population.

A mixture of many cultures

After 1680 England was terminated as a major hub for migrants. People from Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and France also came in large numbers. Thousands of people fled Germany to escape the war path. People came from Scotland and Switzerland to escape poverty. Many, however, abandoned Ireland, because of disregarding government, aristocratic land practices, and poverty. By 1690, the US population had reached 2.5 lac. After that every twenty-five years she doubled. The population in 1775 was more than 25 lac.

Non-English colonists converged with the cultures that initially settled. Also, the English language, law, and the customs were accepted according to the situations in the United States with the changed manner. Consequently, within the confines of the new world environment, a mixture of cultures in the continent of England and Europe produced a very unique culture.

Different sections of the colonies were formed according to the geographical conditions. Due to the warm climate and fertile land, the peasantry had increased mainly in the south. New England, northeast of snowy cliffs and snowy plains, was not suitable for agriculture due to rocky and rocky terrain, short summers and prolonged cold, so the people here discovered another industry. They set up mills for grinding grain and cutting wood using water power. Good supply of wood encouraged the shipbuilding industry. Better harbor increased trade and the sea became a great source of wealth. Settling in the villages and town around the harbor, the people of New England soon adopted urban life. The New Englandeers soon earned a reputation as a Self-sufficient and independent warden, cultivating the same rocky soil by hard work.

Development of colonies

During the middle of the seventeenth century, this colony of Massachusetts flourished, and Boston became one of America’s most important ports. The shipbuilder in Massachusetts Bay started the business of building and selling ships worldwide. At the end of the colonial period, a third of British-owned ships belonged to American construction. William Penn was a major contributor to the early development of Delaware, Pennsylvania and the subdivision of the same colony. Determined that the ideal of colonization should be created by dealing with justice and honest dealings with the local Indians, Penn obediently signed the treaty with them and established peace in the wilderness. 

William Penn's peace deal with the Delaware Indians

This colony was safe and developed rapidly. Within a year of Penn’s arrival 3000 new immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia was the soul of this colony. Soon the city of Philadelphia was renowned for its brick-and-mortar brick houses and stunning dock. By the end of the colonial period, there were 30000 people of different religions and businesses speaking different languages. Due to the great commercialism, Quakers earned a reputation as one of America’s most prosperous centers colonial times.

The Germans were renowned as the most skilled farmers in Pennsylvania. They were well versed in small business, weaving, shoe making, carpentry, and so on. Pennsylvania was the main gateway to the migration of Scotch-Irish people. These people were of a fiery instinct. They had their attitude about to take a land which they want and to protect their rights using their guns. These people, who believed in representative government, religion and education, were at the forefront of the new reforms in the inland from the seashore. The Pennsylvania population was of mixed nature. The true identity of the multilingual nature of America came to New York. Until the 1646, colonies on the banks of the Hudson River included the Dutch, the French, the Danes, the Norwegians, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese and Italian.