Looking out for number one Essay

Woody Holton. Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999.

I believe what Breen is trying to say in his essay is that the Englishmen that came to Virginia were very different from the settlers of other colonies and they had a much different society develop than what was typical in the other colonies. They were a highly individualistic society. Breen believes that the personalities of those who came to Virginia were, in part what caused Virginia 's society to become so individualistic. Being so individualistic didn 't exactly work out so well for the structure of society or the well being of the colonists.

Contrary to the pilgrims of New England, those who settled in the Chesapeake area colonized the region for more economic purposes. Many people who settled in the Chesapeake were down-on-their-luck English citizens living in swamps and slums hoping to stake it out in the New World, because it couldn’t be much worse than the conditions they faced back in England. Most received their tickets to America through indentured servitude, paying for their trip with a few years of free labor for a wealthy master. Document C is a roster of indentured servants bound for Virginia who are all set to work for the same master. Indentured servitude had long lasting effects on the colonies, the most impactful being Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 (Document H). This uprising was caused former indentured servants who had no land or property of their own once their work contracts expired. Because the land westward was populated by Natives and therefore almost impossible to acquire, the dissenters focused against the rich and powerful members of the colonies. The successful uprising led to reforms such as work regulations explained in Document E, as well a shift away from indentured servitude and towards slavery of blacks. Other settlers besides indentured servants were aspiring traders and gold-hunters mentioned in Document F. While traders had little success early on and treasure hunters definitely didn’t find their fields of

Over the past 29 plus years of working in this school district as a teacher, vice principal, STEM coach, instructional coach, and Title 1 coordinator, I would have to say my involvement in Title 1 has had the steepest learning curve. In all of my other jobs, I was able to learn how to be a teacher, coach or administrator through university coursework and classes offered for credential renewal. However, being a Title 1 coordinator this year has put me in the “shoes of a new learner,” much like my former students where I feel as though my head may explode with all of my new knowledge. I would like to pass along my new learnings about Title 1 and why it is so important to the White Pine County School District.

Document F states, “The worst [among us were the gold seekers who] with their golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses.” This quote displays the major motive of emigrants to the Chesapeake region as gold seekers, or monetary prosperity. Documents G and H show that there were many indentured servants in the Chesapeake area. These indentured servants were often used for the tobacco farms. Since the soil was infertile in New England, the colonists there often focused on trade, small scale manufacturing, fishing, and other sea industries. The economy of each region impacted its social structure, which many indentured servants and slaves in the Chesapeake region while there was much more equality in New England.

While the first two sections of the book provide the historical context of the settling of the Virginia colony, the last two demonstrate Morgan’s theory of how racism was developed to ensure a sustainable workforce. The rise of the labor theory demonstrates how slavery itself became a necessary business venture in Virginia while at the same time justified the Revolutionary concepts of liberty and equality for all white men. The belief that only the men, or white Englishmen

Slavery and indentured servitude was the backbone of the Virginia economy. Slaves were considered an investment in the planter’s business and a necessity for success. The treatment of slaves was much the same as owning a piece of property or equipment. Slaves were not viewed as fellow human beings, quite the opposite they were of lesser status. Slaves and indentured servants grew tired of their treatment and responded with acts of rebellion. One such act was for the slaves and servants to run away. Indentured servants and slaves both made the incredibly brave decision to risk fleeing and capture in the hope of finding a free and better life, as opposed to continue living in their oppressed conditions. Runaway slave advertisements became

Document F states, "The worst [among us were the gold seekers who] with their golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses." This quote displays the major motive of emigrants to the Chesapeake region as gold seekers, or monetary prosperity. Documents G and H show that there were many indentured servants in the Chesapeake area. These indentured servants were often used for the tobacco farms. Since the soil was infertile in New England, the colonists there often focused on trade, small scale manufacturing, fishing, and other sea industries. The economy of each region impacted its social structure, which many indentured servants and slaves in the Chesapeake region while there was much more equality in New England.

Politically, Virginia and New England differed in the basis of their governing systems. Virginia focused on the desire of its individuals: “(t)hat our governors by reason of the corruption of those times they lived in, laid the foundation of our wealth and industry on the vices of men.” This standard of government was an early precursor to democracy and allowed Virginian’s to feel the rights of being freemen. New England, instead of basing their government on the individual desires of man, governed the colony on the basis of Christianity. The New England settlers strongly believed the spirit of God would deliver them and create greatness in the colony: “the God of Israel is among us, and ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies. The Lord will make our name a praise and glory.” The colony wanted to be set above the rest, or in other words,

In the past historians have written that the regions of Chesapeake and New England are extremely different, but still have something in common. Accordingly, they are found in their times of origination, they were both founded around the same time and also by the same people. Ultimately, they have both accepted Protestantism and the colonies both speak English. One major similarity is that they haven't forgotten who and where they came from, England, they still pledge allegiance to one crown. Like any other colony, they have created a society where both have been slow to establish social status. Unlike New England in Chesapeake a governing power tried to create a feudal system but the colonies shit it down quite fast. Notably they both have put themselves into a social group and no outside force trying to sway the people's social ranking placement.

In their thought-provoking but generally well-received book, Myne Owne Ground: Race and Freedom on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, 1640-1676¸ authors T.H. Breen and Stephen Innes investigate a heretofore little-known community of free blacks. Despite the burgeoning slave trade and generally held racist beliefs in pre-Colonial Virginia, the authors argue, convincingly, that a community based more on land ownership than race as a social divider thrived, albeit only for a generation. They further explore the origins and eventual demise of this curious but egalitarian system. Though it goes against the broad swath of our cultural

The Chesapeake was shaped economically by tobacco, Bacons rebellion, by John Smith. The tobacco dominated in this particular region since 1618 it was very profitable and people grew it best on leveled grounds with 80% of Chesapeake homes laying ½ of a riverbank and most 600 feet of the shoreline, bottom line is tobacco was their destiny it was their money for food and other essentials. This shaped Chesapeake since it made up pretty much its entire economy so when tobacco falls, the world falls for them. The Bacon's Rebellion was a popular revolt in colonial Virginia in 1676, led by Nathaniel Bacon because of high taxes, low prices for tobacco, Sir William Berkeley the governor, provided the background for the uprising, which was precipitated by Berkeley's failure to defend the frontier against attacks by Native Americans. This shaped the region since we gained land, furs, and harvest. John smith was young, 28, but had experience fighting Turks and Spanish, and had enough experience to assume control in Virginia, he organized work bands, and ensured sufficient food and shelter for winter; he also became the colony's best Indian negotiator, and when he was captured by Indians in late 1607, he showed bravery and courage, and the chief's daughter, Pocahontas saved Smith's life. This shaped Chesapeake since he provided help for the colony and when he left for England the colonies went on a

Breen and Innes do a great job suggesting that a person’s conduct, not necessarily their race, played the major role in early Virginia. They make an inadvertent argument that dominance and submission were the real issue when it came to owning property at the time, not race. The large plantation owners intimidated the smaller farmers and landowners. Blacks were on the same playing field when compared along with the small farmers and landowners. Sadly, this did not last with the entrance of racial mindsets as aforementioned. There is also an argument that even though the hardest working blacks could work their way out of slavery and into freedom, they could maintain the wealth it took to perpetuate that freedom. The growing plantation system and the growing black population is what brought an end to the equal status of the free, black

Chesapeake colonies of Virginia and Maryland were settled in the early 17th century. It was a difficult life for the first colonist; they had limited labor and were constantly raided by Native Americans. Colonist tried to use the Native Americans as a source of slavery. Most of the colonist’s farms were by forest areas so Native Americans would just leave in to the woods. Colonists were afraid of pressuring them because they feared getting ambushed by gangs of Native Americans.

It was later in 1663 that Virginia had seen a massive increase in freedmen. The rich masters feared that this increase would cut their own profits; therefore they “began to alter their society in ways that curtailed and threatened the independence of the small freeman