Settling the Southern Colonies
Summary
TLDRThis historical documentary explores the early English colonization of North America, focusing on the failed Roanoke Colony and the successful yet tumultuous establishment of Jamestown. It delves into the challenges faced by settlers, including conflicts with Native Americans, the shift from indentured servitude to African slavery, and the economic boom brought by tobacco farming. The narrative underscores the pivotal role of race and labor in shaping the social and economic foundations of the American South.
Takeaways
- 🚢 The script discusses the early English colonization efforts in America, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by the English in establishing a foothold, in contrast to the Spanish and Portuguese successes.
- 🌳 In 1584, Walter Raleigh initiated a reconnaissance mission to an island off the coast of present-day North Carolina, which later became known as Roanoke Island, due to its abundant flora and fauna.
- 🤝 The English settlers described friendly encounters with the local inhabitants of Roanoke, who were organized at a village level and shared similarities with English agricultural communities.
- 🌪️ The Roanoke colony mysteriously disappeared, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' carved in a tree as a clue, suggesting a potential relocation to a nearby island.
- 🏰 The Jamestown settlement faced numerous hardships, including disease and conflict with the indigenous population, leading to a high mortality rate among the colonists.
- 👨🌾 John Smith played a crucial role in the survival of the Jamestown colony by reorganizing it and establishing a relationship with the local Powhatan tribe.
- 🌾 The cultivation of tobacco in Virginia became a turning point for the colony's economy, providing a profitable cash crop that drove the expansion of settlements.
- 🔗 The success of tobacco farming led to increased tensions with the indigenous people over land, culminating in the 1622 Indian attack aimed at slowing the English encroachment.
- 🔄 The labor system in the Chesapeake region shifted from indentured servitude to African slavery as the demand for labor increased, reflecting a broader societal and economic change.
- ⏳ The script also touches on the rise of the sugar industry in the Caribbean and its influence on the development of slavery, which had profound effects on the sociopolitical climate of the colonies.
Q & A
What was the initial reaction of the English to the colonization of America after the Spanish and Portuguese had already established their presence?
-The English initially marveled at their inability to establish a strong presence in America despite the fertile lands, even after the Spanish and Portuguese had already made significant conquests and settlements.
Who was Walter Raleigh and what was his contribution to the English colonization of America?
-Walter Raleigh was a brash, ambitious adventurer who, in 1584, embraced the challenge of English colonization in America by launching a reconnaissance mission to an island off the coast of present-day North Carolina, which his men later named 'Roanoke'.
What was significant about the island named 'Roanoke' in the context of English colonization?
-Roanoke was significant because it was where the English settlers found abundant flora and fauna, and had friendly encounters with the local inhabitants, which encouraged further English exploration and attempts at colonization.
How did the English settlers' interaction with the local inhabitants of Roanoke influence their views on the potential for colonization?
-The English settlers recognized that the local inhabitants lived in villages much like English villages, were agriculturalists, and had a civil and settled life, which encouraged the idea that the New World was suitable for English colonization and could support a similar lifestyle.
What challenges did the English colonists face during their initial settlement attempts on Roanoke Island?
-The English colonists faced numerous hardships, including the delay of supplies due to England being locked in combat with Spain, and the disappearance of the colonists when John White returned after a prolonged absence, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' as a clue to their fate.
What was the role of John Smith in the Jamestown colony and how did he contribute to its survival?
-John Smith played a crucial role in the survival of the Jamestown colony by reorganizing it and enforcing a system where everyone was forced to work. He also established a relationship with the Powhatan chief, which was vital for the colony's sustenance.
How did the cultivation of tobacco impact the growth and economy of the Virginia colony?
-The cultivation of tobacco by John Rolfe in 1612 provided a marketable crop that the colonists could produce, which in turn generated profit. This profit enabled plantation owners to support more labor, leading to more tobacco production and economic growth.
What was the 'Starving Time' in the history of Jamestown, and what were its effects on the colony?
-The 'Starving Time' was a period of severe famine during the winter of 1609-1610, where only 60 of the original 500 settlers survived. This period highlighted the colony's vulnerability and led to extreme measures for survival, including cannibalism.
How did the labor system in the Chesapeake region evolve from primarily white indentured servitude to African slavery?
-The labor system shifted due to a combination of factors, including the increasing need for labor in tobacco and sugar production, the desire to maintain social divisions along racial lines, and the fear of class alliances across racial divides, as evidenced by Bacon's Rebellion.
What was the impact of the sugar industry on the development of the slave labor system in the Caribbean and British North America?
-The sugar industry was labor-intensive and required immediate processing of the cane once it was ripe. This demand, along with the success of the Caribbean sugar plantations, propelled the use of slave labor, which in turn influenced the institution of slavery in colonies like Carolina from their inception.
Outlines
🏰 Early English Settlements and the Mystery of Roanoke
The video segment discusses the early English attempts at colonization in America, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by English settlers in establishing a foothold in the New World. It highlights the 1584 expedition led by Walter Raleigh to Roanoke Island, which resulted in the return of Englishmen with reports of the island's abundant resources and friendly interactions with the local inhabitants. The segment also touches on the agricultural lifestyle of the Native Americans, their seasonal movements, and the English fascination with their village-like settlements. The narrative takes a mysterious turn with the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists, leaving behind only the clue 'Croatoan' carved into a tree, suggesting a potential relocation to a nearby island. The summary ends with speculation about the colonists possibly surviving and integrating with the indigenous population, influencing the later English settlements.
🚢 The Struggles and Transformation of Jamestown
This segment delves into the hardships and eventual transformation of the Jamestown settlement. Initially, the settlers were more focused on finding gold than on establishing a sustainable colony, leading to a disastrous first winter with half of the colonists perishing. The leadership of John Smith, who emphasized the importance of work and diplomacy with the native Powhatan tribe, played a crucial role in the colony's survival. However, despite the establishment of a relationship with the Powhatan, conflicts continued, and the settlers' aggression towards the native population persisted. The narrative describes the 'Starving Time' of 1609, where the settlers resorted to cannibalism to survive. Post this, the Virginia Company restructured the colony's approach, tying land ownership to labor, which led to the cultivation of tobacco as a profitable crop. This shift marked the beginning of a more stable and economically viable colony.
🌱 The Rise of Tobacco and its Impact on Society and Labor
The video script explores the rise of tobacco as a cash crop in the Chesapeake region and its profound impact on the economy and society. It details how tobacco cultivation led to the rapid expansion of settlements and the increasing demand for labor. The segment discusses the life of Anthony Johnson, one of the first Africans in North America, who experienced the transition from indentured servitude to slavery. It also touches on the environmental impact of tobacco farming, which depleted soil nutrients, and the economic divide it created between the wealthy planters and the poor. The narrative continues with the Bacon's Rebellion, which highlighted the tension between the frontier farmers and the established planter class, and the strategic use of race as a means to maintain social order and suppress potential alliances between white and black laborers.
🌍 The Expansion of Sugar Plantations and the Caribbean Influence
This segment discusses the colonization of Barbados and the subsequent development of sugar plantations, which had a significant labor demand driving the expansion of the slave trade. The founding of Carolina and its early institution of slavery are linked to the Caribbean's influence. The narrative follows the story of John and Affra Coming, who migrated from Barbados to South Carolina and became significant land and slave owners. Their story illustrates the early practices of land acquisition and the establishment of plantations that relied heavily on slave labor. The segment also touches on the sociopolitical climate shaped by the Caribbean's model of sugar production and the lasting impact on the region's economy and society.
🏴☠️ Shifts in Labor and the Emergence of Racial Hierarchy
The final segment examines the transition from white indentured servitude to African slavery in the Chesapeake region and the intentional use of race as a dividing line to maintain social order. It discusses the political and social changes following Bacon's Rebellion, which led to more clearly defined racial divisions. The segment also highlights the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few land and slave owners, and how the principles of private property extended to the ownership of labor, setting the stage for a rigid racial hierarchy in the South. The narrative concludes with reflections on the early English settlements and the evolution of a mixed tradition that valued land and labor ownership, which had lasting implications for the development of the American South.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Roanoke
💡Jamestown
💡Tobacco
💡Indentured Servitude
💡Powhatan
💡Bacon's Rebellion
💡Slavery
💡Virginia Company
💡Croatoan
💡Anthony Johnson
Highlights
The English, despite the Spanish and Portuguese conquests in America, had not been able to establish a strong presence in the fertile and temperate regions.
Walter Raleigh launched a reconnaissance mission to an island off the coast of present-day North Carolina, which his men named 'Roanoke'.
The Roanoke Island was found to have abundant flora and fauna, and the English described friendly encounters with the local inhabitants.
The indigenous people of North Carolina were organized at a village level, were agriculturalists, and lived in a manner similar to English villages.
John White, the leader of the Roanoke expedition, had to return to England for more provisions, leaving the colony for an extended period.
Upon White's return to Roanoke in 1590, the colonists were gone, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' carved in a tree as a clue.
The colonists had left in an orderly fashion, dismantling their houses and burying what they couldn't take with them.
The English colonists at Jamestown may have encountered Roanoke colonists without recognizing them, as they likely assimilated with the Indian population.
The Virginia Company was granted a charter to establish an English settlement in the Chesapeake region, leading to the founding of Jamestown.
The early colonists at Jamestown were more interested in finding gold than in agriculture, leading to a harsh first winter.
John Smith played a crucial role in the survival of the Jamestown colony by reorganizing it and establishing a relationship with the Powhatan chiefdom.
The colonists' aggression towards the indigenous people continued despite their reliance on the Indians for food supplies.
The 'Starving Time' of 1609 saw only 60 of the original 500 settlers survive the winter due to extreme food shortages.
The Virginia Company reorganized the colonial enterprise by offering land to anyone who would come and serve a term of labor.
The cultivation of a marketable variety of tobacco by John Rolfe in 1612 provided a profitable crop for the colonists and a reason to work the land.
The success of tobacco cultivation led to a rapid expansion of settlements along the James River, displacing the indigenous people.
The Great Indian Attack of 1622 was a response to the tobacco boom and the English settlers' encroachment on native lands.
Tobacco became a major cash crop in the Chesapeake, with production increasing dramatically over the 17th century.
The labor needs for tobacco cultivation led to an increase in the importation of African slaves, shifting the labor system towards slavery.
The story of Anthony Johnson, an early African servant in Virginia, illustrates the gradual shift from indentured servitude to racial slavery.
The Caribbean's influence on the southern colonies was profound, with the institution of slavery and the cultivation of sugarcane shaping the sociopolitical climate.
The Coming family's plantation in South Carolina exemplifies the growth of slave-based agriculture and the accumulation of wealth by a colonial elite.
The 17th century saw a shift in dominance in the Chesapeake region from Native Americans to English colonists, with a growing diversity due to the arrival of Africans.
The institution of slavery in the southern colonies was marked by a rigid racial hierarchy and an early concentration of wealth and power among a small elite.
Transcripts
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
(Actor) Richard Hakluyt: I MARVEL NOT A LITTLE
THAT SINCE THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF AMERICA...
AFTER SO GREAT A CONQUEST
AND PLANTING BY THE SPANIARDS AND THE PORTINGALES THERE,
THAT WE OF ENGLAND COULD NEVER HAVE THE GRACE
TO SET FAST FOOTING IN SUCH FERTILE AND TEMPERATE PLACES.
Narrator: IN 1584 WALTER RALEIGH, A BRASH, AMBITIOUS ADVENTURER,
EMBRACED THIS CHALLENGE
AND LAUNCHED A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION
TO AN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF PRESENT-DAY NORTH CAROLINA.
TWO MONTHS LATER, HIS MEN RETURNED TO ENGLAND
WITH A DETAILED REPORT OF THE ABUNDANT FLORA AND FAUNA
ON THE ISLAND THEY NAMED "ROANOKE."
THEY ALSO DESCRIBED FRIENDLY ENCOUNTERS
WITH THE LOCAL INHABITANTS.
Karen Kupperman: THE INDIANS WHO LIVED ON THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA
AND THE ADJACENT SHORE
WERE PROBABLY ORGANIZED AT A VILLAGE LEVEL.
THEY DID SOME MOVING SEASONALLY,
FOR HUNTING AND SHELLFISH GATHERING
AND THAT KIND OF THING,
BUT THEY WERE AGRICULTURALISTS.
AND WHEN THE ENGLISH CAME TO ROANOKE,
THEY VERY CLEARLY RECOGNIZED
THAT THESE PEOPLE LIVED IN VILLAGES
VERY MUCH LIKE ENGLISH VILLAGES,
THAT THEY WERE AGRICULTURALISTS
AS THE ENGLISH WERE AGRICULTURALISTS.
AND, IN FACT, JOHN WHITE, THE PAINTER,
WHO WAS THERE BOTH IN 1585 AND IN 1587,
PAINTED PICTURES OF INDIAN VILLAGES
WITH THE PURPOSE, ACTUALLY,
OF DEMONSTRATING THAT THESE PEOPLE LIVED A LIFE
THAT WAS RECOGNIZABLY CIVIL AND SETTLED.
Narrator: ENCOURAGED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF LIFE ON ROANOKE,
RALEIGH SOUGHT INVESTORS AND RECRUITED COLONISTS
TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL FARMING OPERATIONS IN THE NEW WORLD.
AFTER CONFRONTING AN ARRAY OF HARDSHIPS,
JOHN WHITE, THE LEADER OF THE EXPEDITION,
RETURNED TO ENGLAND TO PROCURE MORE PROVISIONS.
BUT ENGLAND WAS LOCKED IN MORTAL COMBAT WITH SPAIN,
AND NOT UNTIL AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA
WERE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO BOLSTER THE COLONIAL VENTURE.
WHITE'S RETURN TO ROANOKE WAS DELAYED UNTIL 1590.
Karen Kupperman: THE OUTER BANKS IS A VERY TREACHEROUS PLACE,
SO THEY ANCHORED SOME DISTANCE AWAY.
THEY SAW THE SMOKE FROM FIRES
AND THOUGHT THAT THE COLONISTS WERE STILL THERE...
(Actor) John White: WE SOUNDED WITH A TRUMPET AND CALL,
AND AFTERWARDS MANY FAMILIAR ENGLISH TUNES AND SONGS,
AND CALLED TO THEM FRIENDLY, BUT WE HAD NO ANSWER.
Karen Kupperman: THE NEXT DAY WHEN THEY WENT TO THE ISLAND,
THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS IN FACT A WILDFIRE
AND THAT THE COLONISTS WERE GONE.
BUT THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE COLONISTS HAD LEFT
IN AN ORDERLY FASHION.
THEY HAD DISMANTLED THEIR HOUSES AND TAKEN THEM WITH THEM.
THEY HAD BURIED WHAT THEY COULDN'T TAKE.
Narrator: THE COLONISTS HAD LEFT ONLY ONE CLUE ABOUT THEIR FATE:
THE WORD "CROATOAN,"
THE NAME OF A NEARBY ISLAND, CARVED IN A TREE.
Karen Kupperman: A STORM WAS COMING UP,
ONE OF THESE GREAT COASTAL HURRICANES.
THE SHIP CAPTAIN SIMPLY SAID, "WE CAN'T STAY HERE".
AND SO THEY NEVER WENT TO CROATOAN
TO SEE WHETHER THE COLONISTS WERE THERE.
AND I THINK IT'S HIGHLY POSSIBLE
THAT SOME OF THEM WERE STILL ALIVE
WHEN JAMESTOWN WAS SETTLED 20 YEARS LATER.
THE ENGLISH COLONISTS AT JAMESTOWN
MAY HAVE LOOKED A ROANOKE COLONIST IN THE FACE
AND NOT RECOGNIZED HIM OR HER,
BECAUSE I THINK THEY VERY LIKELY
MELDED IN WITH THE INDIAN POPULATION
SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INDIANS BY 1607.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
Narrator: NEARLY 30 YEARS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF THE COLONY AT ROANOKE,
KING JAMES I
GRANTED THE VIRGINIA COMPANY A CHARTER TO MAKE ANOTHER GO
AT ESTABLISHING AN ENGLISH SATELLITE
IN THE CHESAPEAKE REGION.
ON MAY 13, 1607,
THE COLONISTS SETTLED ON A SMALL PENINSULA IN THE JAMES RIVER,
ABOUT 60 MILES FROM THE MOUTH OF CHESAPEAKE BAY.
(Actor) Robert Beverley: THE CHIEF DESIGN OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED
WAS TO FETCH AWAY THE TREASURE FROM THENCE,
AIMING MORE AT SUDDEN GAIN, THAN TO FORM ANY REGULAR COLONY.
Narrator: THE ADVENTURERS WHO CAME TO VIRGINIA
WERE MORE INTERESTED IN PANNING FOR GOLD THAN PLANTING CROPS.
WHEN WINTER ARRIVED,
NO LAND HAD BEEN CLEARED, NO HOUSES BUILT,
AND THE FORT STOOD UPON A MALARIA-INFESTED SWAMP.
HALF OF THE ORIGINAL COLONISTS PERISHED
BEFORE THE END OF THAT FIRST YEAR.
THE RELATIVELY OBSCURE JOHN SMITH
THEN STEPPED IN TO FILL THE LEADERSHIP VOID.
Karen Kupperman: HE ARGUED THAT HE WAS CRUCIAL TO THE SALVATION OF THE COLONY
AND I'M NOT SURE HE'S COMPLETELY WRONG ON THAT.
HE DESCRIBES HOW HE REORGANIZED THE COLONY
IN THAT EVERYONE WAS FORCED TO WORK.
HE ARGUED THAT THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HE ESTABLISHED WITH,
AS HE CALLED HIM, "THE GREAT EMPEROR POWHATAN,"
WAS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE,
AND I THINK HE MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON IN THE COLONY
WHO COULD HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT RELATIONSHIP.
POWHATAN SAW THE COMING OF THE JAMESTOWN COLONISTS,
PARTICULARLY SINCE THEY SEEMED SO DISORGANIZED
AND LARGELY INCAPABLE,
AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN TRADE GOODS,
ESPECIALLY WEAPONS AND TOOLS.
AND HE ANTICIPATED, I THINK,
THAT JAMESTOWN WOULD REMAIN A SMALL MILITARY OUTPOST,
EASILY CONTROLLABLE BY HIM
BECAUSE THE COLONISTS WERE TOTALLY RELIANT
ON INDIAN SUPPLIES OF FOOD.
Narrator: BUT EVEN AFTER THE ALGONQUINS
HAD COME TO THE AID OF THE ENGLISH,
THE COLONISTS DID NOT CEASE COMMITTING ACTS OF AGGRESSION
AGAINST THE INDIAN PEOPLE.
(Actor) Powhatan: CAPTAIN SMITH, YOU ARE COME TO DESTROY MY COUNTRY,
AND SO MUCH AFFRIGHTETH ALL MY PEOPLE
AS THEY DARE NOT VISIT YOU.
WHAT WILL IT AVAIL YOU
TO TAKE THAT BY FORCE YOU MAY QUICKLY HAVE BY LOVE,
OR TO DESTROY THEM THAT PROVIDE YOU WITH FOOD?
Narrator: THE NEXT WINTER,
JAMESTOWN CAME CLOSE TO GOING THE WAY OF ROANOKE.
ONLY 60 OF THE ORIGINAL 500 SETTLERS
SURVIVED THE WINTER OF 1609,
LATER CALLED "THE STARVING TIME."
(Actor) George Percy: HUNGER DROVE MEN TO DIG UP CORPSES FROM THEIR GRAVES
AND TO EAT THEM.
OTHERS LICKED UP THE BLOOD
THAT HAD FALLEN FROM THEIR WEAKER FELLOWS.
ONE MAN, HE KILLED HIS WIFE, SALTED HER,
AND HAD EATEN HER BEFORE IT WAS KNOWN.
WHETHER SHE WAS BETTER ROASTED OR BOILED, I KNOW NOT.
BUT SUCH A DISH AS "SALTED WIFE" I NEVER HEARD OF.
Narrator: AFTER THE FIRST DISASTROUS DECADE,
THE VIRGINIA COMPANY MOVED TO REORGANIZE
THE WHOLE COLONIAL ENTERPRISE.
Karen Kupperman: AND WHAT THEY DO AT THAT POINT IS DIVIDE UP THE LAND
AND THEY OFFER LAND TO ANYBODY WHO WILL COME,
50 ACRES, AFTER YOU'VE SERVED YOUR TERM OF SERVITUDE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT YOU WOULD NEVER, EVER HAVE ACHIEVED IN ENGLAND.
AND EVERYBODY WHO IMPORTS SOMEONE,
EVERYBODY WHO PAYS SOMEONE'S PASSAGE,
GETS 50 ACRES.
AND SO THE GENIUS OF THIS SCHEME,
IF I MAY PUT IT THAT WAY,
IS THAT THEY TIE OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND,
EITHER AS AN INVESTOR OR AS A COLONIST,
TO ACTUALLY PUTTING LABOR ON THAT LAND.
IN OTHER WORDS,
WHAT THEY HAD COME TO REALIZE IS THAT THERE IS NO TREASURE
AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY TREASURE
AND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE VIRGINIA,
OR AMERICA IN GENERAL,
PAY IN THESE LATITUDES
IS TO PUT LABOR FROM THE OLD WORLD INTO THAT LAND
AND CREATE A PRODUCT.
Narrator: THE HARD TIMES BEGAN TO EASE IN 1612 WHEN JOHN ROLFE,
FUTURE HUSBAND OF POWHATAN'S DAUGHTER, POCAHONTAS,
SUCCESSFULLY CULTIVATED A MARKETABLE VARIETY OF TOBACCO.
SUDDENLY, THE COLONISTS NOW FOUND THE WILL TO PLOW THE SOIL.
AND THE MORE TOBACCO THE COLONISTS PRODUCED,
THE MORE PROFIT THEY GARNERED;
PROFIT THEN ENABLED PLANTATION OWNERS
TO SUPPORT MORE LABOR,
WHICH, IN TURN, ENABLED MORE TOBACCO PRODUCTION.
Karen Kupperman: THEY SPREAD OVER THE LAND WITH A RAPIDITY THAT NO ONE,
CERTAINLY NOT POWHATAN, COULD HAVE IMAGINED.
AND BY 1622 BOTH SIDES OF THE JAMES RIVER FOR 70 MILES,
UP TO THE SITE OF PRESENT-DAY RICHMOND,
ARE SETTLED WITH PLANTATIONS.
BECAUSE IN VIRGINIA, IT'S NOT JUST SHEER LAND,
IT'S THAT LAND ALONG THE RIVERS THAT REALLY MATTERS
BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE COMMUNICATIONS ARTERIES.
THOSE ARE THE WAY YOU GET YOUR CROPS TO MARKET.
CONTROL OF THE LAND ALONG THE RIVER
IS WHAT IS CRUCIAL FOR BOTH INDIANS AND ENGLISH
AND THE ENGLISH ARE PUSHING THE INDIANS OFF THAT LAND.
POWHATAN DIDN'T LIVE TO SEE THIS.
HE DIED IN 1618.
SO IN 1622 IT'S HIS SUCCESSOR, OPIKANKANO,
WHO COORDINATED THIS GREAT INDIAN ATTACK
TO TRY TO TURN BACK THIS WAVE OF SETTLEMENT
THAT IS ESSENTIALLY PUSHING THE INDIANS
OFF THE LAND THAT THEY HAD CULTIVATED FOR,
YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY CENTURIES.
AND SO THE GREAT UPRISING IN 1622
IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE TOBACCO SUCCESS
AND THE GROWTH OF THE SETTLEMENT.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
Native American Woman: IN ANCIENT TIMES, WHEN THE LAND GREW BARREN,
THE GREAT SPIRIT SENT FORTH A WOMAN
TO SAVE THE PEOPLE FROM STARVATION.
SHE TRAVELED THE WORLD,
AND WHERE HER RIGHT HAND TOUCHED THE SOIL, POTATOES TOOK ROOT;
WHERE HER LEFT HAND TOUCHED THE SOIL, CORN SPRANG UP.
WHEN THE WORLD WAS ONCE AGAIN RICH AND FERTILE,
SHE SAT DOWN TO REST.
AND WHEN SHE ROSE AGAIN, TOBACCO GREW THEREAFTER.
Narrator: NATIVE AMERICANS USED TOBACCO FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS
BEFORE EUROPEANS ARRIVED
AND TURNED IT INTO A COMMERCIAL CROP.
BY 1620 THE ANNUAL TOBACCO YIELD IN THE CHESAPEAKE
WAS UP TO 60,000 POUNDS;
BY 1640 OVER A MILLION;
AND BY THE END OF THE CENTURY, 35 MILLION POUNDS.
IT BECAME, QUITE LITERALLY, A "CASH CROP."
TOBACCO WAS USED TO HELP FINANCE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR,
SERVING AS COLLATERAL FOR LOANS FROM FRANCE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR,
CIGARETTES BECAME MORE PREVALENT,
SURPASSING CIGARS AND CHEWING TOBACCO DURING WORLD WAR I.
DURING WORLD WAR II,
AMERICAN GIs RECEIVED CIGARETTES WITH THEIR DAILY FOOD RATIONS.
BUT TOBACCO HAD ITS DETRACTORS, EVEN EARLY ON.
(Actor) King James I: SMOKING IS A CUSTOM LOATHSOME TO THE EYE,
HATEFUL TO THE NOSE, HARMFUL TO THE BRAIN,
DANGEROUS TO THE LUNGS,
AND IN THE BLACK, STINKING FUME THEREOF
NEAREST RESEMBLING THE HORRIBLE SMOKE OF THE PIT
THAT IS BOTTOMLESS.
Narrator: IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY,
SMOKING CAME UNDER ATTACK.
TOBACCO WAS LINKED TO CANCER AND OTHER DISEASES,
AND LAWSUITS AGAINST THE INDUSTRY GIANTS PROLIFERATED.
BUT AT THE DAWN OF THE 21st CENTURY,
MARLBORO STILL CONTINUES TO COMPETE FOR THE SPOT
AS THE BEST-SELLING BRAND-NAME PRODUCT IN THE WORLD.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
AS DEMAND FOR VIRGINIA TOBACCO INCREASED,
SO DID THE NEED FOR LABOR.
AS EARLY AS 1619 THE FIRST AFRICANS,
ARRIVING ON A DUTCH SLAVE SHIP,
WERE TRADED FOR PROVISIONS AT JAMESTOWN.
THE AFRICANS, LIKE MANY POOR ENGLISHMEN
WHO WERE THEN ARRIVING IN THE COLONY,
WERE SOLD INTO INDENTURED SERVITUDE.
TECHNICALLY, THESE SERVANTS WOULD SERVE A FIVE-YEAR TERM
AND THEN BE FREE TO WORK TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN LAND,
BUT IN REALITY,
MANY INDENTURED SERVANTS WORKED CONSIDERABLY LONGER.
Dan Littlefield: AT THE TIME THAT THESE AFRICANS ARRIVED IN VIRGINIA,
VIRGINIA HAD NOT DECIDED TO ESTABLISH A SLAVE SOCIETY.
IT WAS GOING TO BE AN ENGLISH SOCIETY
AND THEY PREFERRED PEOPLE FROM ENGLAND,
EVEN OVER OTHER EUROPEANS.
BUT ONCE AFRICANS ARRIVED,
EVENTUALLY THEY WERE VIEWED AS A SOURCE OF LABOR.
Narrator: AMONG THE FIRST AFRICANS BROUGHT TO NORTH AMERICA
WAS A MAN WHOM HIS PORTUGUESE CAPTORS CALLED "ANTONIO."
WHEN HE ARRIVED IN JAMESTOWN IN 1621
SLAVERY DID NOT YET EXIST IN THE COLONY.
THUS, HE BECAME AN INDENTURED SERVANT
AND WAS GIVEN AN ENGLISH NAME: ANTHONY JOHNSON.
IN 1625 JOHNSON MARRIED THE ONLY AFRICAN WOMAN
RESIDING ON THE PLANTATION WHERE HE WORKED.
AFTER 20 YEARS OF SERVITUDE,
ANTHONY JOHNSON FINALLY PURCHASED HIS FREEDOM.
BY SPONSORING FIVE INDENTURED SERVANTS FROM ENGLAND,
HE THEN ACQUIRED HIS OWN 250-ACRE TOBACCO FARM.
ANTHONY JOHNSON PROSPERED AS AN INDEPENDENT TOBACCO FARMER
IN VIRGINIA,
YET AT THE SAME TIME,
ATTITUDES TOWARDS AFRICANS IN THE REGION WERE CHANGING.
SENSING TROUBLE,
JOHNSON BEGAN TO SELL OFF PARCELS OF HIS LAND
TO VARIOUS WHITE SETTLERS.
IN 1664 THE JOHNSON FAMILY MOVED TO SOMERSET, MARYLAND
WHERE THEY RENTED LAND AND CONTINUED TO FARM.
FARMING IN MARYLAND WAS SUCCESSFUL FROM THE START.
FARMERS PRODUCED A SURPLUS OF GRAIN THEIR FIRST YEAR
AND SENT IT TO MARKETS IN NEW ENGLAND.
THEY THEN QUICKLY MOVED INTO TOBACCO PRODUCTION.
SOON, LIFE IN MARYLAND REVOLVED AROUND TOBACCO,
AS IT DID IN VIRGINIA.
Female Farmer: EVERYONE SMOKES WHILE WORKING OR IDLING,
MEN, WOMEN, GIRLS AND BOYS, FROM THE AGE OF SEVEN YEARS.
Narrator: ONE SETTLER DESCRIBED TOBACCO AS:
Maryland Settler: OUR MEAT, DRINK, CLOTHING AND MONIES.
Narrator: TOBACCO BROUGHT QUICK PROFITS,
BUT IT ALSO QUICKLY DEPLETED THE NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL.
BECAUSE LAND WAS ABUNDANT,
WEALTHY FARMERS WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THEIR HOLDINGS,
AND THE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR STEADILY INCREASED.
Michael Johnson: SERVANTS ARE BECOMING FREE,
BUT THEY AREN'T ABLE TO OBTAIN THE LAND
THAT THEY HAD HOPED THEY WOULD GET
AND SO -- EASILY AT LEAST --
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING
IS MOVING OUT TO THE FRONTIERS OF SETTLEMENT
AND THAT IS CAUSING CONSTANT FRICTION
BETWEEN THE SETTLERS AND THE NATIVE AMERICANS.
Narrator: FRONTIER FARMERS MOVING OUT BEYOND THE FALL LINE
FELT THEIR INTERESTS TO BE INCREASINGLY AT ODDS
WITH THOSE OF THE OLD-MONEY PLANTERS
WHO DOMINATED THE EASTERN SEABOARD.
IN 1676 THIS FRICTION ERUPTED INTO ORGANIZED VIOLENCE,
LED BY NATHANIEL BACON.
(Actor) Nathaniel Bacon: SEE WHAT SPONGES HAVE SUCKED UP THE PUBLIC TREASURE
AND WHITHER IT HATH NOT BEEN PRIVATELY CONTRIVED AWAY
BY UNWORTHY FAVORITES AND JUGGLING PARASITES
WHOSE TOTTERING FORTUNES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED
AND SUPPORTED AT THE PUBLIC CHARGE.
Michael Johnson: BACON HIMSELF IS A YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPER
WHO COMES FROM ENGLAND
AND WANTS TO BECOME ONE OF THE LEADERS OF VIRGINIA
AND FINDS HIMSELF KIND OF SHUT OUT OF POWER
BY THESE SORT OF OLD GUARD PEOPLE
WHO ARE RUNNING EVERYTHING.
HE THEN BECOMES THE LEADER OF THESE FRONTIER FIGHTERS
AGAINST THE INDIANS
AND IT TURNS INTO A CONFLICT BETWEEN HIM
AND THE OLD LEADERS OF THE COLONY
WHO ARE IN THE GOVERNMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OLD GUARD IN VIRGINIA FEARED MOST
WAS THAT BLACK PEOPLE,
BLACK PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN BOTH SERVANTS
AND BLACK PEOPLE WHO WERE SLAVES,
WOULD JOIN WITH WHITE PEOPLE WHO WERE SERVANTS
AND WHITE PEOPLE WHO HAD BECOME FREE,
TO TRY TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO DISPLACE THE GOVERNMENT
OR TO OVERTURN THE SOCIETY.
THAT WAS A FEAR.
AND THERE WERE SOME BLACKS AMONG BACON'S SUPPORTERS.
Narrator: AFTER MONTHS OF VIOLENCE
AND THE SUDDEN DEATH OF NATHANIEL BACON FROM DYSENTERY,
THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT
WAS FINALLY ABLE TO QUELL THE UPRISING.
Dan Littlefield: THE LAST GROUP OF REBELS TO SURRENDER
WAS A GROUP OF ABOUT 80 OR SO WHITE INDENTURED SERVANTS
AND ABOUT 20 BLACKS.
THE PLANTER CLASS RECOGNIZED THE THREAT THAT THIS CLASS ALLIANCE,
ACROSS RACIAL LINES,
REPRESENTED TO THE PLANTER CLASS
AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY, VERY CONSCIOUSLY,
SOUGHT TO DIVIDE THEM
BY GIVING EXTRA ADVANTAGES TO POOR WHITE PEOPLE
AND DENYING THOSE ADVANTAGES TO POOR BLACK PEOPLE.
Narrator: THE FATE OF THE BLACK TOBACCO FARMER, ANTHONY JOHNSON,
IS INDICATIVE OF THIS TREND.
AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH,
JOHNSON STILL OWNED 50 ACRES OF LAND.
HE ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE THEM TO HIS SON RICHARD,
BUT A VIRGINIA COURT THWARTED JOHNSON'S DESIRE.
A JURY FOUND THAT,
BECAUSE JOHNSON "WAS A NEGRO AND BY CONSEQUENCE AN ALIEN"
THOSE 50 ACRES WOULD BE AWARDED
TO A LOCAL WHITE PLANTER INSTEAD.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF BACON'S REBELLION,
THE LABOR SYSTEM IN THE CHESAPEAKE REGION
MOVED EVER MORE STEADILY
FROM ONE BASED PRIMARILY UPON WHITE INDENTURED SERVITUDE,
TOWARD ONE BASED UPON THE ENFORCED LABOR
OF AFRICAN SLAVES.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
Narrator: SUGAR CRAVINGS WERE AS PRONOUNCED
IN 17th-CENTURY ENGLAND AS THEY ARE IN AMERICA TODAY.
WITH THE COLONIZATION OF BARBADOS IN THE 1640s,
ENGLAND FINALLY HAD A REGION
IN WHICH TO DEVELOP SUGAR PLANTATIONS.
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTURY,
BRITISH COLONIES EXPORTED
ABOUT 150,000 POUNDS OF SUGAR ANNUALLY;
BY THE YEAR 1700,
THIS NUMBER HAD SKYROCKETED TO 50 MILLION POUNDS.
SUGAR PRODUCTION IS VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
SUGAR CANE MUST BE CUT THE MOMENT IT IS RIPE
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY GROUND.
THESE REQUIREMENTS WERE PART OF WHAT PROPELLED
THE SLAVE-LABOR SYSTEM.
AS THE SUGAR INDUSTRY EXPANDED
FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN,
SO DID SLAVERY.
THE DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE CARIBBEAN'S SWEET SUCCESS
WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE FOUNDING OF CAROLINA
AND TO THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY IN THAT COLONY,
VIRTUALLY FROM THE BEGINNING.
EVEN THOUGH SUGAR DID NOT BECOME A STAPLE CROP
IN BRITISH NORTH AMERICA,
THE LINK TO THE CARIBBEAN SHAPED THE SOCIOPOLITICAL CLIMATE
OF THE COUNTRY IN PROFOUND WAYS.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
IN AUGUST OF 1669, AN ENGLISH SAILOR, JOHN COMING,
BOARDED A VESSEL CALLED, "THE CAROLINA" AS FIRST MATE.
DURING THE VOYAGE,
HE MARRIED ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, AFFRA HARLESTON,
ANOTHER WOULD-BE IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA.
THE CAROLINA SAILED FROM BRITAIN TO BARBADOS,
WHERE MORE SUPPLIES AND PASSENGERS ENTERED THE SHIP.
IN MARCH OF 1670,
THE SHIP'S OCCUPANTS FINALLY CAME ASHORE
NEAR WHAT WAS SOON TO BECOME CHARLES TOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA.
Jonathan Poston: CHARLESTON IS AT THE CONFLUENCE OF TWO RIVERS
AND AT THE APEX OF A VERY DEEP, VERY DESIRABLE, HARBOR
AND A HARBOR THAT CAN BE APTLY DEFENDED FROM SEVERAL POINTS.
THE COMMUNITY WAS AFFECTED BY A SORT OF TRADE,
AS WELL AS A LINK,
BETWEEN THE CARIBBEAN AND CHARLESTON
IN TERMS OF GOVERNANCE,
IN TERMS OF THE SETTING UP OF ITS RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL
AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
THE FAMILIES WHO WERE CONNECTED TO BARBADOS
HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE, PROBABLY, IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
Narrator: SHORTLY AFTER SETTLING IN NORTH AMERICA,
JOHN COMING WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN.
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS,
HE EARNED HIS LIVING SHUTTLING CARGO AMONG SOUTH CAROLINA,
ENGLAND AND BARBADOS.
MOST LIKELY, BENEATH THE DECKS OF HIS SHIPS,
JOHN COMING OFTEN CARRIED CAPTIVE AFRICANS,
FOR THE ENGLISH SETTLERS BEGAN IMPORTING SLAVES
FROM VIRGINIA AND BARBADOS
WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF THEIR ARRIVAL.
THE ENGLISH LORDS WHO WERE GIVEN SOUTH CAROLINA
AS A PROPRIETORSHIP
TRIED TO ATTRACT ENGLISHMEN FROM BARBADOS,
WHERE A SYSTEM OF SLAVERY HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED.
AND SO THEY MADE PROVISIONS FOR INCREASING LAND GRANTS
TO PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT SLAVES WITH THEM.
Narrator: JOHN AND AFFRA COMING ACQUIRED LAND AND AROUND 1680,
THEIR FIRST SLAVES.
IN 1695, AFTER 25 YEARS OF MARRIAGE,
JOHN COMING DIED WITHOUT AN HEIR.
HE LEFT HIS IMMENSE 740-ACRE ESTATE, KNOWN AS "COMING'S T,"
AS WELL AS ALL OF HIS "CHATTELS" TO HIS WIFE AFFRA.
AFTER AFFRA COMING'S DEATH IN 1698,
THE "COMING'S T" PLANTATION WAS PASSED ON TO ELIAS BALL,
JOHN COMING'S ENGLISH NEPHEW.
OVER THE YEARS,
THE BALLS' HOLDINGS GREW INTO A SMALL EMPIRE
THAT WOULD LAST UNTIL THE CIVIL WAR.
(♪ Music Playing ♪)
Michael Johnson: THE WAY I THINK ABOUT THE 17th CENTURY IS
THE CENTURY BEGINS WITH THE REGION THAT IS THE CHESAPEAKE,
AS A REGION DOMINATED BY INDIANS, BY NATIVE AMERICANS,
THEIR CULTURES, THEIR PEOPLES,
THEIR LANGUAGES, THEIR RELIGIONS.
AND BY THE END OF THE 17th CENTURY,
THAT SAME REGION IS NO LONGER DOMINATED BY NATIVE AMERICANS,
ALTHOUGH THEY STILL PLAY A PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT ROLE.
THEY'RE STILL POWERFUL, BUT THEY AREN'T DOMINANT.
THE DOMINANCE HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO THE COLONISTS
WHO NOW CONTROL, ESPECIALLY, THE COASTAL STRIP OF THIS REGION.
THEY CONTROL IT MILITARILY AND POLITICALLY,
BUT THEY STILL DON'T REALLY CONTROL IT CULTURALLY.
AND PARTLY THEY DON'T BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY.
DIVERSITY THAT IS INCREASED AFTER 1670
BY SO MANY AFRICANS COMING TO THIS REGION.
Narrator: IN CAROLINA,
AFRICAN SLAVES FORMED A MAJORITY OF THE COLONY'S POPULATION
ALMOST FROM THE FIRST.
BUT IN THE CHESAPEAKE REGION,
THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY GREW MORE GRADUALLY.
Dan Littlefield: IN THE EARLY PERIOD, CERTAINLY IN VIRGINIA,
THERE WERE BOTH WHITES AND BLACKS IN THE FIELD
AND THEY WERE NORMALLY, PROBABLY IN MOST CASES,
TREATED MORE OR LESS THE SAME IN TERMS OF THE WORKING DAY.
IT WAS WITH THE SHIFT FROM WHITE INDENTURED SERVANTS
TO AFRICAN LABOR,
AND THE SHIFT IN VIRGINIA IN THE 17th CENTURY
FROM WHITE TO BLACK, THAT THERE, IN MANY WAYS,
WAS A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO USE RACE AS A DIVIDING LINE.
Narrator: BACON'S REBELLION SERVED AS A MOMENT OF POLITICAL TRANSITION,
AFTER WHICH SOCIAL DIVISIONS WERE MORE CLEARLY DELINEATED
ALONG RACIAL LINES.
Dan Littlefield: ALTHOUGH WHITE INDENTURED SERVANTS WERE EXPLOITED,
SOMETIMES RUTHLESSLY,
THERE WERE SOME ASPECTS OF SLAVERY THAT THEY WERE SPARED.
THE CENTRAL ASPECTS OF SLAVERY
IS THAT THE PERSON SERVES FOR A LIFETIME
AND THAT THE CONDITION IS INHERITABLE.
SO THAT EVEN IF AN INDENTURED SERVANT
SERVED FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE, IN THE SENSE THAT HE DIED EARLY,
HIS DESCENDANTS, IF HE HAD ANY, WOULD NOT BE ENSLAVED.
Narrator: ONE HALLMARK OF THE SOUTHERN COLONIES
IS THE EARLY CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH AND POWER
IN THE HANDS OF AN ELITE CLASS OF LAND AND SLAVE OWNERS.
STAPLE CROPS, FORCED LABOR,
AND THE EMERGENCE OF A RIGID RACIAL HIERARCHY
CAME TO CHARACTERIZE THE SOUTH
IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ENGLISH SETTLEMENT ON THE CONTINENT.
Karen Kupperman: OWNERSHIP IS VERY IMPORTANT
AND ALL THE COLONIES, ALL THE COLONIES THAT SUCCEED,
OPERATE ON THIS BASIS THAT PEOPLE WHO COME, GET LAND,
AT LEAST IN THE FIRST GENERATION.
BUT OWNERSHIP ALSO IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD
BECAUSE IT'S ALSO THEN EXTENDED TO OWNERSHIP OF LABOR.
IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME PRINCIPLE, I THINK.
IT'S CERTAINLY CLEAR TO ME, AT ANY RATE,
THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY AND LAND
WHICH HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT,
ALSO IS EXTENDED,
IS EXACTLY THE SAME PRINCIPLE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY IN LABOR
SO THAT IT'S NOT --
IT'S VERY MUCH A MIXED TRADITION
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, I THINK.
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