Essays on Colonial America

Interatrial Relationships in America

Before the Civil War Interatrial Relationships in America Before the Civil War The film industry has presented extreme pictures of the treatment of slaves in America. On the one hand films like Gone with the Wind present images of the idyllic plantation, with paternalistic owners and happy loyal slaves eager to serve their masters. On the other hand, films like Twelve Years a Slave presents the brutal treatment inflicted upon slaves in southern plantations (Brook, “Slavery on Film: What is Hollywood’s Problem”). These extreme representations of the treatment of slaves fail to capture the varied conditions under which ...

Over the 170 years of its history, the United States was in colonial dependence on Britain. The settlement of the New World was the work of individuals and companies that have received such permission from the monarch of England. Differences in the social character of these colonizers predetermined different colonization trends in the regions of their settlement and conditionally divided them into three groups: 1) joint-stock companies of the bourgeois type; 2) Protestants and other religious minorities; 3) aristocrats. Thus, there were three types of colonies: the northern colonies - New England (Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut ...

The history of Jamestown dates back into June 1606 when King James I issued a charter to a team of entrepreneurs from London, also known as Virginia Company to build an English settlement in the Northern Part of America in a region called Chesapeake. On May 14, 1607, an English colony was established after Virginia Company settlers landed on Jamestown Island. Jamestown was almost brought to a rim of failure by famine, conflicts with the Native Americans, diseases and many other problems in the first two years before a new group of settlers rescued it in 1610. Jamestown, however, ...

Labor developments of women in the U.S. from colonial times to 1900 In colonial America, women earn their living as tailors or keep boarding houses. In the early 19th Century, women occupations have the limitation of factory and domestic work. Professional women can only work as teachers and writers. The traditional families had many children this prevents women them from pursuing professional careers. Professional organization in the colonial era does not enroll women. In 1800s, most women worked as secretaries, bookkeepers, machine operators, and inspectors. Historically, women have fewer career opportunities and legal rights than men do ( ...

Thesis Statement: The role that women played in colonial Virginia played a significant role in the growth and development of the social and economic construction of their societies.

History: Women in Colonial Virginia What were the Roles of Women of Colonial Virginia? Introduction Throughout history, women have always had an influential role in the growth and prosperity of their communities. These roles varied depending on the race of the people, geography of an area and the time period. America essentially had three significant groups of women from different backgrounds who have played varied roles in their communities ...

1. Compare and contrast the British and Spanish imperial enterprises in the Americas up to the early 1700s. Please consider these nations’ goals, practices, and achievements in the New World. Useful readings would include the textbook, Gray’s documents, and the article by Hackel titled “Spaniards” on the course website. First of all, geographically the British and Spanish colonist journeyed from the similar location of Europe. However it is important to note that each country, Spain and England, had separate languages and cultures. These influences would permeate the new colonies, instilling the results of these differences to this ...

The emergence of early colonial America onto the stage of Western civilization, dramatized many political, social, and religious events. Perhaps the greatest and most surprising story, surrounds the United States’ first official education system. It grew from turbulent beginnings. This paper explains how the United States government stepped into the pages of history, to create the first federally mandated public school system. One source states that the U.S. public education system can trace “its development from its roots in Puritan and Congregationalist religious schools in the 1600s” (“A History of Public Education in the United States”). As the newly ...

A colony is a group of emigrants who leave their country to go settle in a far away territory but remain subject to their parent country. It can also be defined as an area or a territory that is controlled by a distant country or people far away from it. Colonies were apart of life of the British and Americans in the 17th and 18th centuries. The main purpose of colonies was to increase the wealth of the central government and their government’s economic power. Colonial life is the everyday play and work of the emigrants who have gone to settle ...

A colony is a country that is politically controlled and administered by another country. During the 19th century, many European countries had colonies throughout the world where they exerted political control and economic exploitation. America was colonized by Great Britain. This is despite the fact that majority of the white people in Northern America were European immigrants. Others were native Indians and African Americans, who were slaves bought from Africa to work in European plantation farms. Life in the British colonial America was hard for the colonized. They lived under the supervision of the British. Their economy was mercantile, ...

Early American art often depicts how colonists understood and reacted to the issue of race and cultural differences. Not only are these subjects frequently depicted, one can see the evolution of racism over the course of time. In Thompkins Harrison Matteson’s “The Last Race”, the author depicts a scene with a group of Native Americans as they look out across what is presumed to be their homeland. The group appears to be a family with a male, female, and child. The Native Americans valued social collectiveness and held a deep respect for the land they inhabited. The white settlers often intruded upon ...

The study of colonial America is the study of themes. These themes could base on ideas, such as the Great Awakening, or they base the issue on great events, such as the prelude to the revolution. One of the most significant themes in America based on the desire for wealth, land, and prosperity. In fact, alongside the principles enshrined in our Constitution designed to protect rights to speech and faith which otherwise intended to protect property, which is what many had come to the New World to obtain. The colonial America depict the various historical events, which affected America ...

‘Instructor’s Name’

Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763. Ever since Columbus stumbled upon the continent of North America in his quest to find shortest route to India and China, the Europeans showed keen interest in colonizing the new found territory. The Spanish were the first to land in this continent with colonial interests followed by the English and French. The Age of discovery was seen by the Catholic Church as an immense opportunity to spread Christianity around the globe and their religious aim and the European colonization went in ...

The fundamental purpose for writing this book was to provide a through history about migration in the United States of America from the year 1492 to date. The author was interested in analyzing the various patterns and policies of migration since the colonial times. The author is also interested in unfolding some of the reasons which made different people to migrate to U.S.A. In addition, he also wanted to reveal to different people the various methods used by different people so as to get themselves in the United States of America. It is also prudent to note that the author ...

It is said that the political and socio-religious reform in America can be traced back to the Great Awakening. Most Americans have heard of the Great Awakening, and to some extent are aware of its profound impact on the course of the United States. The question is, Did a Great Awakening really occur in mid-eighteenth century America? Of course, the notion of the Great Awakening has been denied by many modern scholars, such as Jon Butler. In his article, Enthusiasm Described and Decried: The Great Awakening as Interpretive Fiction,” Butler writes that “[T]he label ‘the Great Awakening’ [] distorts the ...

During the late 17th century and the early 18th century, major changes occurred in colonial America. It was during a period in which the economy was flourishing; America experienced first the Enlightenment and later the Great Awakening.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment had started in Europe and it was not until over a century later that it made its way to America. By the time it actually reached America, it had already inspired people in Europe to become interested in education, literature, and science. The movement was advocated by those who believed that progress depended on the ability of humans to reason. This liberal ...

The Changing Role of Women in America: Thesis Statement

Thesis: Women have long been considered second class citizens (if considered citizens at all!) throughout the course of American history. Often dismissed from history books, I feel that it is important to recognize the contributions of women to the American nature. By carefully analyzing important events, I endeavor to draw out examples of how women have helped shape our nation. By looking at gender roles one can determine how these roles played a part in the American society and how they have changed. I propose that women did indeed provide instrumental support in the development of the American nation and ...

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: An Overview

Before considering the conditions in which African American women lived during Colonial America as slaves, it is significant to understand the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that started in the 15th century and continued till the 19th Century AD. The trans-Atlantic African slave trade was an occurrence that was unique in the world history. Moreover, the number of Africans forcibly shipped to the American continent is unparalleled in the human history. It is thought that that about two hundred million enslaved Africans laborers lost their lives within the transatlantic slave system (See Angelo 1989). The studies estimated that more than ...

The term culture is somewhat a multifaceted characteristic of a people that is somewhat difficult to define in simple terms. Social scientists have developed several definition of the term culture however, the simplest definition terms culture as a combination of accepted character among the people living within a community1. In general, every community has an accepted character defined by personal perceptions, attitudes, motivation, background, social class and personality. In the same regard, the American community has had its culture under consistent shift. During the colonial and the revolutionary period, the American culture was defined by several factors including the desire to independently own ...

Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and Other Writings is a very important text in both American History and Literature. Most often heralded as a document produced by, and about, one of the most important of the Founding Fathers, it is also a work that employs several literary devices and introduces many of the values that remain at the center of American culture. In his book, Franklin offers a way to live ones life, which is, interestingly enough, the way he lives his life. The book also has a section entitled, “Franklin The Scientist” which contains a series of letters which document his experiments and successes in ...

Providing a true measure of equality for men and women has proven to be problematic throughout history. The differences in the two gender roles have been based, to some extent, on the different roles that they both bring to the nuclear family. Women who chose to have children as part of their family are making a decision that will affect their personal and professional opportunities in ways that do not affect the men involved, and during the course of history, this difference has served to define many of the traditional roles for women and men. During the Colonial era, which has ...

America in 1620-1700 or Colonial America was filled with life and diversity as the influences of its new settlers slowly merged with the native practices of locals, instilling a sense of independence amongst territories. With the variety of cultures that have now mixed in the country’s way of life, there were notable legacies that left a mark in the country and are presently influencing the country at present. This particular period was also considered as the age of development and understanding as the country slowly started recognizing its own heritage and capacity in securing its own independence and identity from ...

Slavery mostly started with the capture of prisoners from African raids, wars and uprising against colonialism. These prisoners were sold to white traders who would transport them across the Atlantic Ocean to colonial America. Once in America, the slaves were auctioned and sold to the highest bidder at various trading centers. The first slaves were considered as indenture servants who were treated with some dignity and even set free after their term of service, usually three to seven years, was over. Some of these indenture servants eventually went on to become landowners, business men and paradoxically, became slave owners ...

Introduction

This paper will analyse and discuss early American cultures of Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans with a view of understanding the impact of African culture on American society. The institution of slavery in the 17th and 18th Centuries will also be highlighted coupled with its effect on American society. Practices of slavery in the colonies and later in the United States before it was abolished will also be discussed. The topics will be discussed with a view of proving the thesis that slavery did indeed affected and impact colonial America.

Early American History of Three Cultures

The three cultures that were present in early America were Europeans, ...