There are many different legends and stories of the credibility of the brave explorers, long before Columbus visited in North America.Among them were Chinese monks, even around the 5th century landed in California, and the Spanish, Portuguese, Irish missionaries and travelers, allegedly visited the mainland in the 6, 7 and 9 centuries.Area North America is 24.7 million square feet.km.This rich land was naturally coveted prey for many countries.
most reliable data are reported of Norwegian seafarers who visited the mainland in the 10-14 centuries.But Norman settlement fell into disrepair in the 14th century, leaving no visible traces in relation to the cultural ties between the European and American continents.In this sense, North America was rediscovered in the 15th century.Previously, other Europeans did was British.
first expedition of the British
opening of British America have begun sailing John Cabot (otherwise his name sounds like Giovanni Kabboto or Gabotto) and Sebastian, his son, who was, strictly speaking, indigenous British and Italians in the service of England.Having received from the king two caravels, Cabot was required to find a sea route leading to China.Apparently, in 1497 it reached the coast of Labrador (where, incidentally, met Inuit), as well as, possibly, in Newfoundland, where he met the Indians painted with red ocher.
It held its first meeting in the 15th century in Europe with the "redskins" in North America.In 1498 the expedition Cabot again reached the coast of the mainland.
first practical result of this was the discovery of the richest fish shoals off the coast of Newfoundland has said.Whole fleets of fishing boats from England reached here, their number is growing every year.
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colonization colonization of North America began in the 17th century.By this time the British were rivals in the face of the Spanish and the French, who also sought to colonize this continent.British government believed that Canada is a natural possession of the British in America, as the Canadian coast was discovered by the expedition of Cabot long before the French.Attempts foundation holdings were made in the 16th century, but were unsuccessful: the British gold was never found, and agriculture neglected.Only at the beginning of the 17th century were the first English colony.They were agriculturalists.
Thus, the 17 th century was the first step in the colonization of this continent.
first permanent English colony in North America in the 17th century
Capitalism in England developed largely thanks to the success of foreign trade, as well as the creation of monopolistic trading companies in the colonies.For this purpose, established two trading company, has significant resources: London (Varginskaya or South) and Plymouth (North).They were organized by means of subscription for shares.The royal charters of England handed over to the land of these firms, which are between 34 and 41 ° north latitude, as well as unlimited inland.Britain acted as if this territory belonged to the Government, not the Indians.
Virginia
Hemford Sir Gilbert received the first charter authorizing the foundation of the American colonies.Before you begin to stay and work, he has carried out an exploratory expedition to Newfoundland, but on the way back was wrecked.Thus, the rights of Gilbert went to Sir Walter Raleigh, his relative, a favorite of the Queen Elizabeth.He decided in 1584 to found a colony to the south of the Chesapeake Bay and in honor of "the Virgin Queen" called her Virginia (from the Latin. Virgo - woman).English map of America, thus gained another possession.The next year it went to another group of colonists who settled in this North Carolina, on the island of Roanoke.At the end of the year they returned to their home country, as the chosen place was dangerous to health.Among the settlers was John White, a well-known artist.He brought a lot of sketches from life algoikinov - local Indians.The fate of the other group, which arrived in 1587 in Virginia, is unknown.
the Virginia commercial company in the early 17th century, a project of creation of the colony suggested Walter Raleigh.From this entity expects large revenues.At his own expense the company delivers immigrants who are obliged to work for four to five years of duty.
venue for established in 1607 Jamestown colony was selected, but the choice was unfortunate.The place was unhealthy, with a lot of mosquitos, marshy.In addition, the British soon became enemies of the Indians.Clashes with them, and a few months of illness claimed the lives of about two-thirds of the colonists.
Life was organized on a war footing.Colonists twice daily collected and sent to work systems in the field, every evening they came back for lunch and prayer in Jamestown.John Rolfe, who took "princess" Pocahontas, the daughter of the leader of a local tribe povhatanov, as his wife, from 1613 began to grow tobacco.Since then, this product has become an important source of income for a long time the colonists and the Virginia Company.Last, encouraging immigration, gave them plots of land.Spent the cost of the road from England to America, too, we got put on the poor, who are paying for the fixed payments.
Maryland and Virginia
Later, in 1624, when Virginia (North America) was considered a royal colony, and its management was taken over by the governor appointed by the king, this service has become a sort of land tax.Even more increased immigration of the poor.So, if in 1640 the population of the colony was 8000 inhabitants, in 1700, they became already 70 thousand.In Maryland, another British colony, founded in 1634, immediately after the founding of Lord Baltimore gave the colonists, big businessmen and planters ground.The modern map of America has kept the names of these and other colonies of the time as a state.
and Maryland, and Virginia, specialized in the production of tobacco and, therefore, heavily dependent on imported British goods.On large plantations of these colonies were the main labor force poor people brought from England."Indentured servants" as they were called, throughout the 17th century accounted for the bulk of immigrants in Maryland and Virginia.
Settlers
Their work soon, however, has been replaced by the slave labor of blacks, with the first half of the 17th century comes to the southern English colonies in North America.The first large batch of them was taken in 1619 in Virginia.
among the colonists in the 17th century and were free settlers.The Plymouth colony went north "Pilgrim Fathers" - English Puritans, some of which were sectarians who fled religious persecution in England.In November, 1620 a ship with pilgrims approached the Cape Cape Code.Half of them died the first winter since the settlers, mostly city dwellers, could neither cultivate the land, not to hunt or fish.Only with the help of the Indians, who taught arrivals to grow corn, the rest in the end survived and even managed to pay the debts of the fare.Founded sectarians from Plymouth colony called New Plymouth.
Puritans of Massachusetts, which during the reign of the Stuarts were oppressed, in 1628 founded the colony of Massachusetts in North America.Puritan church had enormous power in the colony.Local resident only received the right to vote if he belonged to the church and had good recommendations preacher.Only one-fifth of the male population in this manner had the right to vote.
Later, during the English Revolution, expanded map of the colonies of Great Britain.There are new ownership.In the English colonies in North America began to arrive "gentlemen" - emigrants aristocrats, who did not want to put up with the established revolutionary regime in the country.They settled mostly in Virginia, the southern colonies.
Carolina
Eight of the court of King Charles II in 1663 received a gift of land located south of Virginia, and founded a colony of Carolina (which later was divided into North and South).Enrich the landowners of Virginia tobacco culture spread here.However, in some areas such as the Shenandoah Valley in western Maryland, as well as wetlands of South Carolina south of Virginia, the conditions for the cultivation of this crop was not.There diluted rice, as well as in Georgia.
owned Carolina court wanted to get rich in the breeding of rice, sugar cane, flax and hemp, the production of silk, indigo, ie goods that are scarce in England and imported it from other states.Here in 1696 was imported Madagascar rice variety.Its cultivation has since become the main occupation of the local people for a hundred years.Rice planted on the sea shore and riverine swamps.Hard work shouldered Negro slaves, who made up about half of the population in 1700.In the current state of South Carolina, that is, in the southern part of the colony, even stronger than in Virginia, to establish slavery.Large slaveholders-planters were in Charleston, cultural and administrative center of the colony, rich houses.The heirs of the first of its owners in 1719 sold its rights to the English crown.
North Carolina, where they lived, mostly refugees from Virginia (fled from excessive taxes and debts of small farmers) and the Quakers, was of a different nature.There were very few black slaves and large plantations.In 1726, North Carolina became a British colony.
All possessions replenished population, mostly immigrants from Scotland, England and Ireland.
New York
much more colorful the other colonies had a population of New York (the former Dutch possession of New Netherland) to New Amsterdam (now New York City).After it captured the British, she went to the Duke of York, brother of Charles II, King of England.By that time there were no more than 10 thousand inhabitants, who spoke 18 languages.The Dutch influence was great, although the natives of this country and do not constitute a majority.Traces of it are preserved to this day: in the language of Americans entered the Dutch word and architectural style of the Netherlands has left its mark on the present appearance of American towns and cities that make up the modern North America.Photos of New York in 1851, see below.
Height scale colonization
British colonization of North America was very ambitious.This continent seemed the promised land to the poor European.There they planned to escape from religious persecution, harassment, large landowners and debts.
Persons recruited to America different businesses, even arranged to have these raids.Agents in restaurants solder people.Dispatched drunk recruited onto ships and taken to the English colonies in North America.
One after another British possessions.It is growing rapidly and their populations.The agrarian revolution in Britain, contributed to a mass deprivation of the peasants allotments, ousted from England a lot of poor people who wanted to get a new land in the colonies.
On the mainland in 1625 there were only 1,980 settlers, and in 1641 - already 50 thousand people from England, not to mention other residents.Even after 50 years, the population has increased to 200 thousand.In 1760 it amounted to 1.695 million inhabitants, of which 310 were negros slaves.In five years the number of settlers has increased by almost half.
war with the Indians
For a long time the colonists fought against the Indian war of extermination by taking away their land.Only a few years, from 1706 to 1722 years were exterminated almost all the tribes of Virginia, despite linking their powerful leader with the British "related" bonds.
in New England in the north, the Puritans used other means: they bought the land from the Indians with "commercial transactions".Later, it gave rise to historians assert that the ancestors of the American Indians did not conquer the land and do not infringe on their freedom, and contract with them.The strings of beads, for a handful of gunpowder, and so on. D. You can "buy" a huge piece of land.But the Indians did not know of the existence of private property, generally did not know about the content of the deal.In recognition of the legal correctness of the colonialists were driven from the lands of the former owners, and if they did not agree to leave, exterminating them.Particularly brutal were the religious fanatics from Massachusetts.How to preach the church, beating the Indians was pleasing to God.Since many indigenous people were killed.
Pennsylvania
An exception to this brutal policy of destruction of the native Indians of Pennsylvania was founded in 1682 by a wealthy Quaker William Penn, the son of an English admiral, pursued for its adherents in their home country.It tried to maintain friendly relations with the locals.However, when in 1744-1748 and 1755-1763 were the years of war between the French and British colonies, the Indians, who formed an alliance with the former were involved in it, and were driven out of Pennsylvania (North America).Photo of modern Pittsburgh, located in the former colonies, see below.
colonization in the 19th century
colonization of North America continued into the 19th century.In the first third of its economic and social development of the British possessions in North America have been significant changes.Modern Canada includes in its membership the former British colony.
In the 19th century in Canada, the British possession of the same name, about half a million immigrants entered, and the total population of the colonies exceeded 1 million. People.The economy became a sawmill, agriculture farm type and shipbuilding.There manufactory.But the basis of production in the colonies remained a small craft.Imported products British colony choked local production.So strained and social contradictions.Colonial officials, speculators and dealers appropriated land intended for the local people.These and other contradictions led to a rebellion in Upper and Lower Canada in 1837-1838, respectively.They were suppressed and their leaders were publicly executed.
British colonial authority after the uprising has decided to continue the assimilation of French Canadians, and in 1841 issued the Act of Union, according to which Upper and Lower Canada, the former British colony, joined in a single under the name Canada.This law was an act of colonial violence and brutal tyranny.
British colony in the 19th century
United Kingdom at that time possessed vast overseas possessions.In the mid-19th century the area of North America, owned by England, the colonies consisted of the following: Nova Scotia, Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and is separated from the rest of the holdings by thousands of kilometers.
In the 60 years England has set its sights on unification of their colonies.In 1867, "Dominion of Canada", which united in one state the former colonies of Great Britain.It consists in an English-speaking provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, as well as French-speaking Quebec.Canada's Constitution was adopted in the same year.
countries - former colonies of Great Britain, were thus united under one flag.
