HIST 1103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Puritans, Cash Crop, Calvinism
Document Summary
In the 1300"s: 1/3rd of all children died before the age of 5, those who lived struggled against frequent waves of famine and crop failure. Vast majority of people: between 1347 and 1353. Quality of life increases, then decreases again. Those who had felt that increase don"t want to let go again. Pressure on resources: new peasant class looks for opportunities. Land found on the other side of the world: opportunity, new markets with natives, new markets on exploration. Adopt closure: big business landlords drive peasants off of land to turn a profit in factories, top down business makes more money, these people go to cities, looking for a chance. Masterless class of peasants move to cities. Virginia company: joint stock company, group of investors put up money to go to virginia and set up shop, sanctioned by the king. He isn"t in charge, he just allows them to do their thing: these virginians need to make money.
