Labor and the growth of the northern American colonies

Labor and the Growth of the Northern Colonies in America

The growth of colonies in the North America started in the sixteenth century. All attempts of king Jacob II to organize trade companies (such as Moscow or West Indian) in the North America failed and the development of colonies had the same character as the development of Spanish and French colonies in the new world, which were populated by merchants and advanturists, who immigrated seeking for better life. Obviously colonization had a very mercantile and random character as new territories were populated primary by brave volunteers from European countries who had different reasons for immigration. Among the key factors of the growing immigration to the New World in 16-17th centuries were religious prosecutions on European continent. Colonists in the New World received religious freedoms on the hand with autonomy from metropolitan government. Immigrants were basically representatives of middle and lower classes of England and continental European states (merchants and farmers), who dreamed about economic opportunities and religious freedoms. First Puritan colonies in Massachusetts appeared in the year of 1628, as Massachusetts received certain privileges together with Virginia. Religious motives played the key role as well in the foundation of Maryland colony as Lord Baltimore, a very rich catholic wanted to found a religious shelter for his coreligionists and principality for himself. Between colonies of New England and Maryland there were territories which were later colonized by Dutchmen and Swedes. Swedes founded Delaware colony in 1638. Central article of Dutch colonization was town of New Amsterdam founded in 1626 (future city of New York). Local New Netherlands and New Sweden were later reorganized into 4 English colonies: New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania in difference to fundamentalist Puritan colonies of New England and aristocratic Virginia was the most liberal territory among North American colonies and was known for religious and national tolerance and humanism to foreigners which later laid into the political concept of American ideology.

American colonies had tied relations with European continent as Great Britain and major European countries were considered to be important trade and economic partners of the Americans. American colonies depended economically upon the metropolis and depended upon the trade policies of the Great Britain. In many respects nearly all colonies had wide autonomy and had privilege for self-government with minimum intervention into internal affairs from the side of English officials. Frankly speaking we should admit that colonists were loyal to the king up to the middle 1750s. Nevertheless the mentality of colonists was different from traditional English conservative values. Puritans in the north got religious liberties and were independent from Anglican church, aristocrats and farmers from Southern colonies were freedom-loving as most of them immigrated due to political reasons. So it was obvious that loyalty towards metropolis had to end one day when colonists would consider their rights to be infringed. Nevertheless the growth of economical and political power of colonies was the main motivation for future independence. Independence of Northern colonies in future became an extraordinary event as colonial systems of France and Spain in 17-19th centuries remained to function successfully. It can be explained due to several reasons: colonies of France and Spain were totally controlled by armies and none of them had anything similar to autonomy or privileges. Formal political autonomy of American colonies was a key factor which led to struggle for independence as economical restrictions and regulations of British officials were considered to be absurd and contradicted to with political system of Northern colonies.

Economical factor was no doubt one of the main factors of colonists and Native Americans relations. English colonists had a very mercantile concept of building relations with Native Americans which was based on territorial expansion and capture of Indians' lands. In order to realize such policies colonists had to displace local population which would never accept such hostile interference of foreigners. Also there was misunderstandings in European and Native American concepts of private property. Indigenous tribes acknowledged only community property which was a right of the whole community to hunt on the land they occupied as their farming needs were very modest (only plantations of tobacco and corn). Such concept was absolutely different from European concept of private property. Another particularity of English-Native American relations was the fact that partner relations with native population was hostile for English colonization doctrine. But after a military threat from the side of Northern opponents in Canada (French colonies) English colonists had to revise their attitude towards Indians turning some Indian tribes into allies by presenting them gifts and developing trade relations. Ultimately colonists came to the conclusion that they needed temporary cooperation with Indians in order to strengthen their positions in North America: "many Indians became dependent on the manufactured goods the fur trade brought them, and hunted to meet the demands of European markets rather than the needs of their families." (from Calloway, C. New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America, p.15)According to Colin Calloway Indian peoples quickly became involved into the system of colonial trade and ultimately they became an integral part of Atlantic colonial economy which worked only for colonists. European colonists wanted to change Indian culture and system of values which were considered to be an ideological basement for resistance. Europeans started to spread Christian ideology among pagan indigenous tribes: "European missionaries were convinced that there was only one true religion"(from Calloway, C. New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America, p.69) and no doubt they did their best to teach "wild" Indians Christian values. The nature of relation of colonists with Native Americans in the 16-18th century had created a long time attitude towards Indians based on discrimination and oppression.

Economical conditions in the north colonies made the biggest contribution to the development of relations between social classes. The lowest class were African slaves who were considered to be only working units and who had no human rights. Slaves were considered to be just a working force and could b easily sold or bought. None of them received wage and nearly all of them were illiterate. Exception was small percentage of home servants. The condition of Indentured servants was a bit fair as they were mostly convicted Englishmen sold to temporary slavery. After slavery term was over most of them stayed in America and contributed to the development of American nation:

After 1718, approximately 60,000 convicts, dubbed "the King's passengers," were sent from England to America. Ninety percent of them stayed in Maryland and Virginia. Although some returned to England once their servitude was over, many remained and began their new lives in the colonies.(from Convict Servants in the American Colonies)