Chapter 2: English Immigrants in America- Virginia, Maryland, and New England
Colonial period: 1607-adoption of constitution.
600,000 Europeans and 300,000 Africans were emigrating to U.S.
With all of these immigrants coming here to the U.S…this is how America has an English/British culture
As a historian puts it “central theme of Southern history” was due to blacks presence.
Jamestown- high death rate caused by diseases.
Virginia immigrants- who and why did they go there?
One was because they were victims of propaganda since Virginia was painted as a land of milk and honey! This is how a particular state/country attracts immigrants to go there by painting it as a land of wealth and opportunity, and of course people want the best for themselves and go there immediately.
Virginia was settled by Cavaliers, younger sons of gentry
Majority of those who came were male, young, single, and destitute.
English people were migrating everywhere but particularly London—although it was an unhealthy place at the time.
Economic dislocation
England—economic growth yet there continues to be poverty and economic misery for the lower class. People whom immigrate are usually in the lower class, minorities—escaping something in their home country, seeking a better life for themselves.
Indentured Immigrants—
Migrating to America was expensive. Some had no choice but to do that and indenture themselves to labor for some planter or company, (4-7 years)
They paid the owner cost of passage plus some profit.
Those who completed their term, got freedom dues.
Some were convicts, instead of being put to death they would sell them and make money.
Some servants after serving their terms…somehow found a way to manage to buy land and begin upward social mobility.
Although this was something promised to them, some just couldn’t rise out of the servant class; which many people continue to suffer nowadays in being in the lower class and not having the opportunity to move up and find a better life for themselves.
When I had read this statistic…I was quite shocked because “four out of five immigrants in this group who went to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia were indentured servants.
Overtime these servants had become highly skilled and trained and somewhat educated about certain technique. They had no bargaining power and were put for public sale!!
One in thirty ran away though. I was surprised that this number was low because I would assume that their owners weren’t treating them right and they were unhappy to leave the situation. But then again, there were various tactics to frighten them and threaten to kill close family or friends and plus they were willing to do whatever it took to arrive to the United States eventually, very risky and dangerous!
Another threat that would prevent them from running away was to increase the amount of years they served. If they were pregnant that would also increase their term by two years because owners would think that their losing time served by a female servant who was pregnant because she wouldn’t perform her tasks as successfully.
British government encouraged them to immigrate because it was profitable.
Production of Tobacco, and it was also not taxed lightly-Virginia
Parents and sons came to profit from tobacco trade.
Virginia planters built together a pretty good life.
When Virginia immigrants were overpopulating the state, many immigrated to Maryland.
Maryland—“good poor man’s country”
Those who settled was due to the fact of politics and even religion.
New England migrants were organized into family groups and had agricultural and craft skills.
Many educated men were amongst them.
Most of the servants worked in households or for small enterprises, and even for industry.
When completing their term, they had been considered members of the community.
Minister in New England was telling them to bring everything with them while immigrating to the U.S.
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