The Quakers, the Dutch, and the Ladies: Crash Course US History #4

Summary

In this Crash Course US History episode, John Green explores 150 years of American colonial history, highlighting key events and themes. The video covers the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam, the religious tolerance in Pennsylvania, and the brutal realities of slavery in South Carolina. It also discusses Bacon's Rebellion, the Dominion of New England, the Salem Witch Trials, and the economic and social structures of colonial society. Green emphasizes the everyday struggles of ordinary people, setting the stage for the American Revolution. The episode is packed with historical insights and engaging commentary.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script discusses the often-overlooked colonial period in American history classes due to its limited representation on major tests.
• 🏰 It highlights that Colonial America was diverse, including places like New Amsterdam (later New York), which was primarily a commercial venture.
• 💼 The Dutch in New Amsterdam were open to various groups for profit, but their rule was less economically free for women and free black people after the English took over.
• 🌳 Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn, was known for religious tolerance and respect for indigenous communities, though it later engaged in land fraud against them.
• 🌞 The script humorously points out that the economic and social conditions in the colonies were starkly different from those in England.
• 🗳️ In the southern colonies, like South Carolina, the economy was heavily based on slavery, which was brought over from the Caribbean.
• 🔥 Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion in Virginia against Governor Berkeley, which resulted in a shift towards slavery and increased English control over the colonies.
• 👑 The Dominion of New England was an attempt by King James II to consolidate power, but it was overturned by the Glorious Revolution.
• 📜 The English Toleration Act of 1690 allowed for more religious freedom, though it still fell short of full tolerance.
• 🧙‍♀️ The Salem Witch Trials are mentioned as a reflection of the social and religious tensions of the time, occurring after the failure of the Puritan Experiment.
• 🌾 Most colonists were farmers, and the idea of owning a small farm was closely tied to the concept of freedom in early American history.
• 🏭 Despite British policies against local manufacturing, artisans thrived in the colonies due to the growing population and demand for goods.
• 🏛️ Colonial society was not classless, with a clear elite ruling class, especially in the South, and a growing number of poor people who still had better conditions than in Europe.
• 👩‍🌾 The role and rights of women in colonial America were limited, with most land and property rights going to men, reflecting a patriarchal society.

Q & A

Why does John Green suggest that understanding the colonial period is important even though it's often overlooked in American history classes?

John Green suggests that understanding the colonial period is important because it provides a richer, more productive life by offering a better understanding of the complex factors that led to the creation of the United States.

What was the significance of New Amsterdam in the context of colonial America?

New Amsterdam, later renamed New York, was significant as it was a commercial venture founded by Dutch traders. It was known for its economic openness, allowing entry to various groups including Jews and Quakers, which contributed to its prosperity.

How did the English takeover of New Amsterdam in 1664 affect the economic freedom of women and free black people?

The English takeover led to less economic freedom for women, who under Dutch rule could inherit property and conduct business independently. Free black people also lost many of the jobs they had under Dutch rule.

What was unique about Pennsylvania under William Penn's leadership?

Under William Penn's leadership, Pennsylvania was known for its remarkable religious tolerance and respect for Indian communities. It was also a haven for Quakers and attracted many German-speaking immigrants due to its promise of religious freedom and cheap land.

What was the 'Walking Purchase' and how did it reflect on the Quakers' approach to land acquisition?

The 'Walking Purchase' was a fraudulent land deal in 1737 where Pennsylvania colonists tricked Native Americans into ceding land based on the distance a man could walk in 36 hours. This incident reflects the Quakers' need to resort to deceitful tactics due to their pacifist beliefs.

How did the establishment of South Carolina relate to the institution of slavery?

South Carolina was established as a buffer colony north of Spanish-controlled Florida. Its original settlers from Barbados brought with them expertise in sugar plantations and slavery, leading to the importation of African slaves when enslaving Native Americans failed.

What was the significance of Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion in Virginia in 1676?

Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion was significant as it represented a conflict between lower-class colonists and the elite, and it led to a shift from indentured servitude to slavery, as well as a desire by the English crown to exert more control over the colonies.

What was the purpose of the Dominion of New England and how was it ultimately dismantled?

The Dominion of New England was created by King James II to consolidate several colonies into one mega-colony under a near-dictatorial ruler, Edmund Andros. It was dismantled after the Glorious Revolution in Britain, which led to uprisings in the colonies and the re-assertion of their independence.

What impact did the English Toleration Act of 1690 have on the religious landscape of the colonies?

The English Toleration Act of 1690 allowed all Protestants to worship freely, marking the end of the Puritan Experiment and the requirement for church membership to vote in general-court elections. It also led to property ownership becoming the determining factor for voting rights.

What were the economic and social conditions like for women in 18th-century colonial America?

In 18th-century colonial America, married women generally couldn't own property, and their work was mostly confined to the home. Lower-class women faced a lot of hard labor and drudgery, as reflected in the diary of Mary Cooper.

How does John Green describe the typical economic activity of most colonists in Colonial America?

Most colonists in Colonial America were farmers or worked on farms. The population growth led to a shortage of land, pushing second and third sons to seek opportunities in coastal cities. This farming lifestyle was closely intertwined with the idea of freedom in early American history.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Crash Course US History

John Green introduces the Crash Course US History series with a humorous approach, highlighting the tendency to overlook the colonial period in American history due to its minimal presence on major tests. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex factors that led to the creation of the United States, beyond just the test material. The script also humorously references the lack of focus on New Jersey due to Green's personal bias and sets the stage for a broader discussion of colonial America's diversity, including the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York.

05:01

🏛 Colonial America's Diversity and Economic Foundations

This paragraph delves into the economic and social aspects of colonial America, focusing on the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now New York, and its commercial nature. It discusses the Dutch policy of inclusivity for profit, the English takeover, and the resulting changes in economic freedom for women and free black people. The paragraph also touches on Pennsylvania's establishment by William Penn as a haven for Quakers and its reputation as a 'best poor man's country,' despite the later Walking Purchase fraud. The summary also mentions the shift in Pennsylvania's governance and societal structure post-Penn's leadership.

10:02

🌾 Southern Colonies and the Shift to Slavery

The script shifts focus to the southern colonies, starting with South Carolina, which was established as a buffer against Spanish Florida. It discusses the transition from attempting to enslave Native Americans to the importation of African slaves, setting the stage for future discussions on slavery. The paragraph also covers the crises in the British colonies in the Americas during the 17th century, introduces Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion against Virginia's Governor Berkeley, and outlines the effects of the rebellion, including a move towards slavery and increased English control over the colonies.

🏛️ The Dominion of New England and the Salem Witch Trials

This section discusses King James II's attempt to consolidate several colonies into the Dominion of New England, led by Edmund Andros. It describes the near dictatorial rule and the backlash that led to the Glorious Revolution's impact on the colonies, including the English Toleration Act of 1690. The Salem Witch Trials are also mentioned, providing context for the social and religious tensions of the time, and the shift in societal structures, such as property ownership and voting rights.

🌾 Colonial American Economy and Society

The final paragraph explores the economic and social structures of colonial America, highlighting the predominance of farming and the growth of coastal cities as populations increased. It discusses the role of artisans and the impact of British colonial policy on local manufacturing. The paragraph also addresses the class structure of colonial society, from the elite ruling class to the growing number of poor people, and the particular challenges faced by women, including the legal and societal limitations on their roles and property ownership.

📚 Conclusion and Acknowledgment of the Crew

In conclusion, John Green emphasizes the importance of understanding the everyday struggles and small-scale dramas of regular people in history, beyond the focus on major figures and events. He humorously looks forward to returning to discussions of 'great men and dramatic events' in the context of the American Revolution. The paragraph ends with acknowledgments of the Crash Course production team and an invitation for viewers to engage with the content through comments.

Keywords

💡Colonial America

Colonial America refers to the period and region of the Americas under European colonial rule prior to the establishment of the United States. In the video, it sets the stage for discussing the diverse and complex history of early settlements, including the economic, social, and political aspects that shaped the colonies, such as the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam and the English takeover leading to New York.

💡New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam was the Dutch colonial settlement that later became New York City. The script mentions it as a commercial venture, highlighting the Dutch traders' open policy to various groups, including Jews and Quakers, to increase profit. The transition from New Amsterdam to New York signifies a change in governance and societal structure, affecting economic freedoms for women and job opportunities for free black people.

💡Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was a British colony founded by William Penn in 1681, intended as a haven for Quakers and known for its religious tolerance and respect for indigenous communities. The script uses Pennsylvania as an example of a colony with a more tolerant approach to both religious diversity and land dealings with Native Americans, in contrast to other colonies.

💡Quakers

Quakers, or members of the Religious Society of Friends, are a Christian group known for their belief in the 'Inner Light' and pacifism. In the video, they are depicted as influential in Pennsylvania's early history, advocating for religious freedom and opposing slavery, although the script also points out their eventual involvement in land fraud during the Walking Purchase.

💡Walking Purchase

The Walking Purchase was a fraudulent land deal in 1737 where Pennsylvania colonists, led by James Logan, exploited a treaty with Native Americans to claim a much larger territory than intended. The script uses this event to illustrate the contradictions in Quaker pacifist beliefs and their actual actions towards indigenous people.

💡South Carolina

South Carolina was a British colony established as a buffer zone from Spanish Florida. The script describes its early settlers' transition from attempting to enslave Native Americans to importing African slaves, emphasizing the colony's significant role in the development of slavery in America.

💡Bacon's Rebellion

Bacon's Rebellion was an armed uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley in 1676. The script highlights the rebellion as a conflict driven by land and power, resulting in a shift towards slavery and a stronger English crown control over the colonies.

💡The Dominion of New England

The Dominion of New England was a short-lived political union formed by King James II in 1686, aiming to consolidate several New England colonies under a single, near-dictatorial rule. The script discusses it as an example of British attempts to exert more control over the colonies, which was ultimately reversed by the Glorious Revolution.

💡Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings in 1692 that led to the execution of 14 women and men accused of witchcraft. The script contextualizes the trials within the broader failure of New England's religious mission and the social unrest following the English Toleration Act of 1690.

💡Indentured Servants

Indentured servants were individuals who agreed to work for a set period in exchange for passage to the colonies or to repay a debt. The script mentions a shift from indentured servants to slaves as one of the significant effects of Bacon's Rebellion, indicating a darker turn in labor practices in the colonies.

💡Colonial Society

Colonial society in the video refers to the social structure and class system of the American colonies. The script discusses the existence of an elite ruling class, the role of women, and the growing number of poor people, emphasizing that despite the myth of a classless society, there were clear social hierarchies and gender inequalities.

Highlights

Many American history classes don't cover the colonial period because major history tests have few questions on it.

Colonial America was more than just Jamestown and Massachusetts; New Amsterdam was a significant colony founded by Dutch traders.

The Dutch traders bought Manhattan from Lenape Indians for $24 in 1624, emphasizing New Amsterdam's commercial nature.

New Amsterdam, later New York, had a diverse population including Jews and Quakers, but the English takeover reduced economic freedom for women and free black people.

Pennsylvania, known as the 'best poor man's country,' was a haven for Quakers and demonstrated religious toleration and respect for Indian communities.

In 1737, the Walking Purchase fraud by Pennsylvania colonists resulted in the ceding of more land than the Indians anticipated.

South Carolina's original settlers from Barbados helped explain the colony's proficiency in slavery.

Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 was led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley, highlighting tensions between colonists and Native Americans.

The rebellion led to a shift away from indentured servants to slaves and increased English crown control over the colonies.

The Dominion of New England, created by King James II in 1686, consolidated several colonies under near-dictatorial rule, later reversed by the Glorious Revolution.

The English Toleration Act of 1690 allowed all Protestants to worship freely, ending the Puritan Experiment in Massachusetts.

The Salem Witch Trials of 1691 occurred in the context of New England's failed religious mission and societal tensions.

Colonial society was diverse, with most people working as farmers, artisans, or in local manufacturing despite British colonial policy.

Colonial America had an elite ruling class, especially in the South, and a growing number of poor people seeking better opportunities.

Married women in colonial America generally couldn't own property, with most landowners being male, reflecting gender dominance in society.

Transcripts

Hi, I'm John Green, this is Crash Course US History, and today we're going to cram 150 years of American history into one video.

Why? Well, many American history classes don't cover the colonial period at all, because most major American history tests have, like, one question about it.

Mr. Green, Mr. Green, so this isn't going to be on the test?

That's awesome because I have some flirtatious notes to exchange with Jessica Alvarez.

Yeah, me from the past.

So listen, would you rather do well on one test or lead a richer, more productive life as a result of having a better understanding of the complicated factors that led to the creation of the greatest nation in history?

Stan, can I get a Libertage? [Patriotic Rock Music]

So listen up me from the past!

It's time to bask in our own greatness, and by greatness I mean morally dubious dominance over people who would have been just fine without us.

[Theme Music]

So, contrary to popular mythology Colonial America was more than just Jamestown and Massachusetts.

There was, for instance, New Amsterdam.

The tale goes, the Dutch traders bought the island of Manhattan from Lenape Indians for $24 in 1624 – that isn't quite true, but it contains a truth.

The Dutch traders who founded their colony were businessmen and New Amsterdam was, above everything else, a commercial venture.

This is still true in New York, actually.

I mean, Manhattan is all about Wall Street.

In fact, Crash Course writer and history teacher Raoul Meyer is believed to be the last person living on the island of Manhattan who does not work for an investment bank.

So the Dutch let anyone into New Amsterdam who could help them turn a profit, including Jews and even Quakers.

But they didn't like Indians very much, in fact they drove them out of the colony.

But anyway the $24 the Lenapes supposedly got for New England was $24 more than the Dutch got when the English took over the colony in 1664, by sailing four frigates into the harbor and asking for the colony in a threatening voice.

So New Amsterdam became New York which was a mixed blessing.

The population doubled in the decade after the English takeover, but English rule meant less economic freedom for women who, under the Dutch were able to inherit property and conduct business for themselves.

And under the English, free black people lost a lot of the jobs they had been able to hold under the Dutch.

Things were better in Pennsylvania.

So much so that it was known as the "best poor man's country," which admittedly in the 17th century was a low bar to jump over.

Given by Charles II to this guy William Penn in 1681, Pennsylvania was a huge tract of land round about here.

The land included contemporary Pennsylvania and Delaware and New Jersey.

But we've made an editorial decision NOT to talk about New Jersey here on Crash Course, due to my long-standing anti-New Jersey bias.

So Penn wanted his colony to be a haven for Quakers because he was a Quaker, as you know if you have ever seen a container of Quaker Oats.

Quakers were a pretty tolerant bunch, except when it came to slavery which they opposed vehemently.

And under Penn's leadership, the colony showed remarkable religious toleration and also an amazing respect for Indian communities but then, after Penn was gone – yeah the usual.

In 1737, Pennsylvania colonists perpetrated one of the most famous frauds of colonial America: the Walking Purchase.

Indians agreed to cede a tract of land bound by the distance a man could walk in 36 hours.

But the clever governor James Logan hired a bunch of fast runners who marked out territory much larger than the Indians anticipated.

Quakers had to resort to such tricks because they were pacifists.

I should also mention that they weren't particularly fond of loose living.

The government prevented swearing and drunkenness for instance but, you know, it was still pretty great compared to the other colonies.

More than half of the male population was eligible to vote and Pennsylvania's dual promise of religious freedom and cheap land attracted a lot of German immigrants.

Well I should say German-speaking immigrants.

There was of course not a Germany at the time, as many viewers of Crash Course World History have pointed out to me.

And now let us venture south, where we will find many mosquito-borne illnesses and somewhat less abolitionist sentiment.

In 1663 English King Charles II gave eight English proprietors the right to set up a colony just North of the Spanish-controlled Florida to serve as a buffer.

This became South Carolina and its original settlers came from the sugar colony of Barbados, which helps to explain why they were so awesome at slavery.

They tried to enslave the Indians and ship them to the Caribbean but when that didn't work out they began to import African slaves.

We're going to talk a lot more about slavery in future episodes but for now just bear in mind: it sucked.

OK, so in the last quarter of the 17th century the British colonies and the Americas experienced this series of crises.

Oh it's time for the mystery document?

The rules here are simple: I guess the author of the document. I get it right no shock, I get it wrong shock. OK.

"We accuse Sir William Berkeley as guilty of each and every one of the same, and as one who hath traitorously attempted, violated and injured His Majesties interest here, by a loss of a great part of his colony and many of his faithful loyal subjects,

by him betrayed and in a barbarous and shameful manner exposed to the incursions and murther of the heathen,

and we do further declare these ensuing persons in this list, to have been his wicked and pernicious counselors."

Both wicked and pernicious – those are some terrible counselors.

OK so this guy clearly hated William Berkeley, who I happen to know as governor of Virginia.

Particularly upset about the colonists being incurred upon and murdered by the heathen (that is the Native Americans).

Uhhh I mean I have a guess but I'm not brimming with confidence.

Ah, the one person I know who hated William Berkeley was Nathaniel Bacon?

Yes!!! Yes! Yes!

No shock for me and no pleasure for you, you schadenfreudic Crash Course viewers.

So Nathaniel Bacon arrived in Virginia in 1673 and led an armed uprising against Governor Berkeley just three years later.

And just to be clear, he was mad not because Berkeley did a poor job protecting colonists from Indians, but because Berkeley wouldn't allow them to kill more Indians and take more land.

Berkeley had already given all the really good land to his cronies, those aforementioned "wicked and pernicious counsellors," leaving men like Bacon with serious beef.

I hate myself.

Before the rebellion was quelled by the arrival of English warships, Bacon burned Jamestown and made himself ruler of Virginia and looted Berkeley's supporters' land.

23 of the rebels were hanged, but not Bacon, who died shortly after taking control from – you guessed it – dysentery!

Dang it, dysentery, it's called "history" not "dysentery-story!"

Bacon's rebellion is sometimes portrayed as an early example of lower-class artisans and would-be farmers rising up against the corrupt British elite, which I guess kind of.

But the biggest effects of the rebellion were:

1. A shift away from indentured servants to slaves, and

2. A general desire by the English crown to control the colonies more.

OK, so in 1686 King James II really tried to put the hammer down by consolidating Connecticut,

Plymouth, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and East and West Jersey

into one big mega-colony called The Dominion of New England.

It's near dictatorial ruler was former New York governor Edmund Andros, who proceeded to appoint his own officials and lay his own taxes without even consulting any of the elected assemblies.

Luckily – or unluckily, depending on your perspective – a major event in British history reversed this policy: the Glorious Revolution.

Now thankfully, this isn't Crash Course: British History or it would quickly turn into Crash Course: John is Bored History.

But the upshot is that Britain got a fancy new royal family from Holland, which sparked uprisings in the colonies, and Andros was thrown into a Boston jail as the colonies re-asserted their independence.

And these new guys imposed the English Toleration Act of 1690, which decreed that all Protestants could worship freely.

As Toleration Acts go, this one wasn't that tolerant – I mean, it still discriminated against Jews – but it did mark the end of the Puritan Experiment.

No longer would membership at a Congregationalist church be a requirement for voting in general-court elections, property ownership would now be the determining factor.

And Massachusetts would now have a governor from England, not from a company board residing inside the colony itself.

This was the context for one of the most talked-about events of colonial history: the Salem Witch Trials.

A lot of ink has been expended on this incident, and the interpretations of it are numerous and controversial, so I'm just gonna point out that when the Witch Trials

– which claimed the lives of fourteen of the nearly 150 women and men accused of witchcraft –

happened in 1691, New England as a colony had basically just failed in its religious mission.

The Tolerance Act meant that people in Massachusetts would have to accept even Quakers as virtual equals! Quakers!

So it's not surprising that colonists would look for scapegoats, or that their male leaders would seek to re-assert their gender dominance.

OK, to talk about Colonial American economics, let's go to the Thought Bubble.

Most colonists were farmers, or worked on farms, and they were mostly small, unlike the giant plantations that predominated in the Caribbean.

Since New England contains relatively little in the way of tropical diseases, and was increasingly free of Native Americans, the colonial population there skyrocketed

– so fast that families began to run out of land, so second and third sons increasingly had to go make their way in growing coastal cities.

We'll talk about this more in future episodes, but for now let's just note the idea of a person owning a small farm and the idea of freedom are pretty closely intertwined in the early part of American history.

It's more of an "amber waves of grain" place than a "behold this metropolis" place.

In fact, they were richer than any other colonial elites.

Were they rich enough to dominate the Constitutional Convention? Time will tell.

Now not everyone was a farmer or slave.

There were growing numbers of artisans in the colonies.

Although British colonial policy discouraged local manufacturing, the growing population in America meant that there was certain to be a market for locally produced goods, especially clothing and metalwork.

Remember, one of the heroes of the American Revolution – Paul Revere – was a silversmith.

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

So that variety of jobs leads us nicely to our last topic today: colonial society.

Although Americans like to think of themselves as class-less, pun intended, that's not really the case.

I mean, the colonies definitely had an elite ruling class, especially in the South, that did what it could to perpetuate itself.

George Washington's father and grandfather were both justices of the peace, an important role in colonial times, meaning that George Washington had deeply elite roots.

So that was the top of colonial society and at the bottom was a growing number of poor people.

While it's never good to be poor, it was much better to be poor in the colonies than it was in England or much of the rest of Europe, which is why people kept indenturing themselves to get here.

America had lots of food, and there was the possibility of maybe, someday, getting some land – provided you didn't die of dysentery.

OH, and also provided you weren't a woman.

Married women in 18th-century colonial America generally couldn't own property, and husbands usually willed their land to their sons and their personal items to their daughters, meaning that almost all landowners were male.

In the earliest days of colonization, when everyone was needed to ensure their survival of the colonies, women had a greater role in the economy, although they were still expected to be wives and mothers above all else.

Male dominance was written into law and solidified in practice.

Women's work was mostly confined to the home, and especially for lower-class women, it involved a lot of drudgery.

As one woman, Mary Cooper, wrote in her diary in 1769,

"I am dirty and distressed, almost wearied to death.

This day is forty years since I left my father's house and come here, and here have I seen little else but hard labor and sorrow."

Aaand that's actually a good place to end, because it reminds us that history is about much more than the lives of kings like James II and rebels like Nathaniel Bacon.

And while history classes – and exams – tend to focus on those kinds of men – and they were mostly men – the real story of history is about regular people trying to take care of their families and not die.

The colonial era often gets skipped for its lack of large-scale drama, but those small scale dramas can be found in abundance.

Next week we'll go back to all that great men and dramatic events crap, when we start talking about the American Revolution.

I'll see you then. Thanks for watching.

Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan Muller; our script supervisor is Meredith Danko; the associate producer is Danica Johnson.

The show is written by my high school history teacher, Raoul Meyer, and myself, and our graphics team is Thought Bubble.

Last week's phrase of the week – oh wait, we don't do phrase of the week anymore.

If you have questions about today's video, you can ask them in comments where they will be answered by our team of crack historians.

Thanks for watching Crash Course, and as they say in my hometown: Don't Forget to Be Awesome.

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