Colonization of
English America
England was fairly late in establishing colonies in the New World. After four failures in the 1580’s, there was no further colonization attempt by the English until 1607, when a permanent colony was established at the mouth of the James River in Virginia.
Englishmen had various motives for colonizing. Economic reasons were foremost. Wealthy men wanted the opportunity to invest their money in joint-stock companies in the hope of making profits, and the desire to own land and enjoy a better standard of living was a contributing factor for individual colonists. The English government encouraged colonization because they hoped that gold and other precious metals would be found in the New World. They needed raw materials not native to England, and they needed markets for England’s surplus products.
The seeking of freedom of religion was also a factor in colonizing. Such groups as the Puritans, Quakers, and Catholics were being persecuted in England and sought to escape to America. The desire to make Christian converts of the Native Americans was strong in some colonizers. Social and political reasons motivated others. Many unemployed people roamed England after the tenants were forced off land being converted to sheep grazing; emigration was seen as a way of relieving the problem. Many people came to America for adventure, opportunity, or political freedom, which was greater than in England or on the Europeans continent. The English government also desired to establish military power in American to weaken the power of Spain. Settlers came from other countries besides England, but most came for the same reason as the English. However, Africans were brought against their will and forced to serve as slaves.
The Colonial Period in English America lasted until 1176. During this period, the colonies enjoyed a relatively large degree of freedom, due to privileges of self-government granted by colonial charters and the neglect by England which the long distance between the two encouraged. The governments of all thirteen colonies were similar. All were headed by a governor who was appointed by the proprietor in the proprietary colonies, elected by the voters in the corporate colonies, and appointed by the King for the royal colonies. Closely associated with the governor was his council. The members of the council were chosen in the same way as the governor except in Massachusetts, where they were chosen by the General Court. The governor carried out orders from those who had appointed him but the colonial assemblies gave him his salary and appropriations.
The colonial legislatures were made up of the council, or upper house, and the assembly, or lower house. Members of the assembly were elected by the eligible voters. Only adult men could vote, and many of them were restricted because of religious or property qualifications.
Local government varied in the different sections. The county was the basic unit of local government in the South, the township in New England, and a combination of the two in the Middle Colonies. Punishments for lawbreakers were less severe in the colonies than in England. Where prison or execution was common in England, the whipping post, branding iron, stocks, and ducking stool were often used for those who disobeyed the law in the colonies.