Changes In Colonial America

Between 1492-1776, although many people moved to the “New World”, North America lost population due to the amount of Indians dying from war and diseases and the inability of colonists to replace them. John Murrin states, “losers far outnumbered winners” in “ a tragedy of such huge proportions that no one’s imagination can easily encompass it all.” This thought of a decreasing population broadens one’s perspective of history from that of an excluded American tale full of positivity to that of a more unbiased, all-encompassing analysis. The Indians and slaves have recently been noted as a more crucial part of history than previously accredited with.

There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create

Native Americans were deeply effected by colonization. It was extremely unfair of the Europeans to destroy Native American way of life. If the Native Americans had the weapons, like guns and disease, that the Europeans did, then maybe they could have fought for what was theirs. Europeans came to America and changed the Native Americans lives forever. This contact between the Native Americans and Europeans was called the Columbian Exchange. While both Native Americans and Europeans received advantages and disadvantages from the Columbian Exchange, Native Americans definitely suffered more while the Europeans were benefited

Whether by land or by sea, eighteenth century colonial travel was arduous, expensive, and many times dangerous. Because of this, few people traveled very far from their homes. Transportation has changed dramatically since the late 1700’s. It was during this time that Colonial America was budding as a new country. This was before airplanes, which appeared in the very early stages of the 1900’s. Cars showed up about the same time, so rewind about 200 plus years and we’re back in colonial America. It wasn’t civilized like it is today. The dirt roads were bumpy, grimy, and when the rains came, they were mud baths. So how did people during this time get around? Often, they didn’t. Not many people could afford the cost of travel back then. Daily American Colonial Life was extremely harsh for the first settlers and colonists. They were faced with a new country, unknown territory and no friends, relatives or neighbors to help them “In those days, it was fairly expensive to travel. Because of this, generally only government officials, merchants, and planters took the risk (Constitution Facts).” Women were supposed to stay home and look after the children while the husband went off to do business. America was still a budding country, so there were not as many cities as there are now and they were more spread out. If the man wanted to travel, it would require several hours, or even several days to ride on horseback. Often the husband wouldn’t return for a couple of days, and when he

The Native Americans sustained and took care of their home, while the Europeans pushed and pulled for more money to fall from it. This caused the land to lose a lot of its density and eventually the Europeans’ wealth as well. Things that were lost were proper farming grounds, culture of the Native Americans, and wild life. Different views of the Europeans and Native Americans caused a lot of conflict. The Europeans’ views on the Indians’ way of life became critical once they saw and felt as if their society was not controlled

As English settlers arrived in the Chesapeake and then New England in the seventeenth century, they disembarked their boats and marveled at the seeming abundance of the landscape. They arrived with hopes of recreating their “old world” and prospering from the merchantable commodities that were lying before them. However, English colonization did not occur in a vacuum, and the settlers soon discovered that their survival would be dependent upon a forged coexistence with the native inhabitants. Surrounded by Indian worlds, the colonists established unique regional identities, with the south becoming dependent upon the cultivation of tobacco and the use of slave labor, and the north establishing subsistence family farms and developing a commercial economy. This capitalist system eventually reshaped the colonies, leading to continued expansion that transformed the American landscape, destroyed the delicate intercultural diplomacy with the natives, and cemented territorial distinctions – creating “new worlds for all.”

Coming to America, many different groups of people had a hard time migrating here and trying to survive. Although many came well equipped for the hard journey, being new to the land made it harder for them to build colonies and thrive. This is because they came across many unexpected hardships that they were not prepared for mentally and physically. In this essay, I will talk about two different groups that migrated to America and how they adjusted to the new land and the new way of life. The colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth Plantation both had many similarities and a few differences when they came to America in the journey to build more and more colonies.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England particularly sent numerous groups to colonize the eastern coast of North America. These groups separated into two regions - the Chesapeake and New England Colonies. The differences between the two colonies as it relates to their reasons for emigration, their economies, and their religious practices were distinct. Many of these original differences have faded into our collective history but many are still evident today. These differences provide insight into where we’ve come from, who we are as a nation, and where we may be headed.

Daily life during the colonial American days was were rough and began the marking period for America. The colonial period set the stage for what we have today in American history such as what we grow and where we grow them. Anything from the clothing made to the foods we grow has been discovered during the colonial period. The start of the colonial period stood for rough livelihood by 1774 the ability to sustain life had been reached and reflects some parts of the modern world today. As for the Virginia Colony of 1775 there were millions of people living in the colonies and there were about 500,000 living in Virginia. Based off of those numbers we can see that Virginia was a popular place to be, Virginia was not full of wealthy people such as planters and merchants but there were a small significant amount that stood at two percent lived in cities such as Richmond, Williamsburg, and Fredericksburg.

Two European nations stumbled upon and colonized the Americas in the 16th-17th century. England sent out many groups to the East coast of North America in order to get their hands on two particular provinces. These two provinces were labeled as the New England and the Chesapeake. Although both nations would unite as one in the 1700’s, they were profoundly different and both provinces possessed qualities unlike the other from dawn. Also, the Chesapeake and New England founding fathers didn’t share the same intentions when they arrived at the New Old, which lead to many distinctions between the political, economic and social aspect of the two colonies.

The Native Americans fought back with the same fire and intensity as the Europeans. If the Europeans came in with a friendly manner they would have given them anything they wanted. (Document 5). Many of the things that they traded are necessities like fur, guns, swords, and good meat. (Document 3) Trading these goods gave the Europeans and the Natives a chance to communicate and spread ideas. As the trading occurred, war and sickness were among the few things people were worried about. Many of the American Indians that traded with the Europeans contracted small pox and other diseases which lead to death. (Document 6) Due to the trade between the native’s population decreased drastically because of the spread of diseases. Since the natives were trading they were obtaining information about the Europeans but also getting sick while doing it

This book talks about history and who first settled in the Americas and how the Colonists have shaped our country to be this way. Consequently, this tells us about all the long journeys a few brave, young men and women have made and how they are remarkably wonderful for doing that. This book also tells us how the Americas have gotten to be where we are today. Moreover, this book goes through how the first settlers came here to everything about the Revolutionary War to the Puritans learning from the Indians. In conclusion, this book is a very reliable source and it can be applied in our daily lives.

The radical changes as disease, war, trade or new religions in New England and Virginia during the 17th century affect the long-term relationship of Native Americans to settlers because the Europeans started to take advantage of the natives and their resources. They mistreated the Indians, and they wanted their land to settle in even though it wasn’t rightfully theirs to take in the first place. The settlers brought diseases such as smallpox and the measles. The Indians were scared and wondering why they were suddenly getting sick and dying. They had absolutely no idea that it was the settlers that was bringing these unfamiliar and incurable diseases. When they found out, they blamed it on them and got angry. The Indians were also cheated and

As I sit way in the back, I do not grasp your attention. I am nothing but a buzzing fly that can be easily ignored. Ignored I will no longer be. I will continue to destroy property and start disruptions until I am notice. Until my voice is the loudest among all colonist.

America has been the eyewitness to the constant change its natives have undergone. This predates to the age of colonization when Europeans and the natives had their first contact, marking an era of change. A myriad of changes followed this occurrence; complex societies, innovative innovations, and diverse cultures following up to the America we know today. However, can we imagine what life would have been like, if the Europeans had not come to the New World? In “Of Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford, “Coming of age in the Dawnland” by Charles C. Mann, “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, and “The General History of Virginia” by John Smith, one can deduce the changes these newcomers- with their colossal ships, refined languages, and their sophisticated weapons- brought to the New World, and how these modifications altered the course of America. The arrival of the English brought linguistic, cultural, and technological changes that would ultimately change the natives’ way of life as they knew it.