HIST 1310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Making Money, Protestantism, Puritans
Document Summary
Most americans wrongly believe that the majority of the trans-atlantic europeans who traveled to the new world" did so in pursuit of religious freedom. However, the vast majority came for economic reasons, as most migrants were unemployed laborers escaping poverty. More than were young 20-somethings who became indentured servants, and ventured across the atlantic alone. Most did not join the familial colonies of new england, but rather the plantations further south in virginia, south carolina, and georgia. Most of these people were illiterate, and a short time after they arrived they died under strenuous working conditions. These people were phased out quickly when, in the 17 th century, millions of africans were transported to work plantations instead. As part of a system that developed, georgia banned slavery (along with liquor), in an effort to prevent slaves that escaped south carolina from reaching florida (which was then under spanish control). Therefore, any slaves found in georgia would be known runaways.
