Precarious Experiment, A: Economic Upheaval
There is tremendous economic disruption after the war. The currency is worthless; Robert Morris' proposed 5% duty tax to pay for war debts fails. Under the Articles of Confederation economic problems fall to the states to resolve if a unanimous vote...
Growing Pains: Integration of Colonies within British System
As the first century of English settlement in America comes to an end and colonists celebrate their victories over arbitrary British rule, they are in fact become more a part of the imperial system in terms of communication and participation in the ...
Growing Pains: Migration to the Middle Colonies
At the end of the 17th century, with many of the "best" lands in New England and Virginia already taken, new colonists show an interest in the Middle Colonies. A number of colonists like Gabriel Thomas send reports home, sharing their observations ...
Saints and Strangers: Puritans Establish Second Permanent English Colony
In September of 1620, 35 "saints" and 67 "strangers" set sail from Plymouth, England to establish a second permanent English colony in North America. These Puritans, in conflict with the king and the upper hierarchy of the church, had been granted p...
From Days Before Time: Spanish Conquistadors, The
In time, Spanish explorers stop thinking of the Americas as simply an obstacle en route to Asia. They see it as a potential source of wealth, and claim the entire New World for Spain. Spanish monarchs do not have their own military force. Instead t...
From Days Before Time: Spanish Approach to Colonization Ignites Indian Uprisings
Small numbers of farmers, artisans, and government officials also migrate from Spain to the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries. Survival is difficult, but those who do withstand the challenges of the New World are those who align themselves wi...
From Days Before Time: Religious Motivation for Spanish Colonization
The Franciscan missionaries are appalled by the violence of the conquistadors and lobby the king to reduce their power. The Indian population sees an advantage to accepting the Franciscans as protectors, but realize that this too will come with a pr...
Saints and Strangers: Types of People Who Journeyed to New Land
The people who embark on these journeys are quite different from those who signed on for passage to the Chesapeake. Most are intact family groups who had owned property in their native England and could pay for their own passage. Often a large subse...
Divergent Paths: Governance of New England Towns
A very different form of community emerges in New England, one that is also distinctly American. Here the primary social unit is not the isolated farm, but the town-a tightly knit community of people bound together by their town covenant. In order t...
Growing Pains: Proprietary Charters Issued by Charles II
Historian John Murrin calls the 17th century the "age of remarkable experimentation in terms of how you organize a colony." The four new colonies Charles II initiates are all proprietary ventures styled after the Maryland model. Despite greater inte...