Historical Events In The Colonial Period

As far back as the late 1400’s, travel to the New World or Americas was being completed by Christopher Columbus on behalf of Isabella Ferdinand of Spain. The discovery of the new world led to colonization of the land there and eventually the creation of independent countries that are present in the world today such as the United States. The events that transpired to create the United States stems back to the seedlings of the Puritan colony of Massachusetts creating a Colonial identity and the rise of plantations that created the American economy. The actions and treatment of the people around and in these colonies cause important historical events and show themes of treatment that are recurring throughout the colonial period. The Puritans …show more content…
The Pilgrims created their new society as ‘The City on a Hill’,the perfect society that should be an example for all other civilizations. Politically, the Puritans were far right religious fundamentalists. So, when the Puritans arrived in Cape Cod, the local Native people helped them survive. Predictably, just a few years later, the Puritans became self sufficient and no longer had any need for the natives. Due to their beliefs, Puritans felt it was their duty to the Natives to convert them so that they may also find Christ. The Pilgrims offered conversion to Christianity or terrible treatment for being savages. They justify the mistreatment and murder of Native Americans, for example the swamp and the forced conversion by saying that they are not Christians, so they are not actual crimes. The Puritan treatment of Native populations is a seedling for future treatment and respect towards the Natives. Inevitably, if common belief is because they are not Christian, God does not care what happened to them, the treatment will only get worse. An example of which after the Puritans is biological warfare …show more content…
Carolina had wild rice growing naturally, just waiting to be harvested for the first fortunes in the colony. Landowners settled the land with plantations to take advantage of the land. As profits kept on increasing in the New World’s agriculture, the British began to tax these plantations harder and harder with heavier taxes. This lead to the Bacon Revolt as well as separatist feelings that will later contribute to the desire to revolt against the British. Many people started harvesting the rice and needed cheap labour. In search of this cheap labour source, the Carolinian land owners brought in slaves from Africa to produce rice and tobacco. America was built off the backs of these slaves knowing that the workers were not able to run away, as the Africans had no idea where to run to. With the rise of slavery, so came laws for the slaves. In An Act Concerning Negros and Other Slaves by the Maryland Generals assembly laws for the forced labour of captured Africans were set. The act states that: all Negros or other slaves already within the province, and all Negros and other slaves to be hereafter imported into the province, shall serve durante vita. And all children born of any Negros or other slave shall be slaves as their fathers were, for the term of their