HY 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Headright, Cash Crop
Document Summary
Goal was to develop a colony and make money. Started in the southeast virginia, first colony/outpost is jamestown. Tobacco craze within europe, and was a large cash crop. 1624 virginia company bankrupts, jamestown becomes a royal colony under king. Force indians deeper into countryside to grow tobacco. 80-90% of colonists came over as indentured servants. Wealthy landowners offered a thing called headrights- 50 acres per head. 1619 first slaves brought to america by dutch traders. Race wasn"t main issue, mainly was the fact was that they weren"t christian. Some slaves had owners willing to negotiate, could buy themselves out. 1650- africans only 3 percent of the population. Slavery wasn"t very popular due to high death rates- poor return on investment. Racial hierarchy was not developed so slaves + servants socialized and such. Free and not free was the system at the time. Class tensions eased but the africans paid the price.
