Early American Colonization: Society, Politics, and Costs

Foundations of British North American Colonies

Initial Settlement and Land Ownership

When did the English first settle in North America? 1607.

Who owned the newly colonized land? Proprietors.

The English Crown did not want to spend money colonizing new lands, so they offered the opportunity to proprietors to colonize using their own funds.

Defining Salutary Neglect

What is Salutary Neglect? Britain allowing the colonies to govern themselves with minimal interference.

Egalitarianism and Settler Equality

Were all settlers equal in North America? Yes, because it was an egalitarian society. Everybody had the same rights and opportunities, and they earned their own reputation.

What does egalitarian mean? Egalitarian means that people were equal between them, possessing the same opportunities and rights.

Financial Burden on the British Crown

Do you think the British colonies were expensive to run for the British Crown? Why? No. The costs were largely borne by the settlers and proprietors. Reasons include:

• Proprietors and settlers paid the costs for the colonization of America.
• There was no large standing army, reducing military expenditure (food and salary).
• Civic participation was small and voluntary.
• Weak religious establishments meant less money was needed for maintenance.
• Lesser poverty meant fewer funds were required to maintain the poor population.

Societal Comparison: British America vs. The Ancien Régime

Student Response: Differences in Rights

No, the societies were not similar. In the Ancien Régime, people did not have the same rights, whereas in British American society, settlers generally shared the same rights.

Expert Analysis: Political and Economic Differences

British American society, politics, and economy were very different from the Ancien Régime.

Social Structure

The Ancien Régime society was divided into rigid estates. Privileged people could own lands, while the unprivileged could not buy lands and lacked the right to civic participation, which was dominated by the privileged person. In contrast, in British America, people could move up and down the social ladder depending on their professional and personal success.

Politics and Administration

In relation to politics, British America had a relatively small and largely volunteer administrative service where, as mentioned, everybody was free to participate. This differed greatly from the privileged-dominated participation of the Ancien Régime.

Economy

Economically, they were very different, but they shared one thing in common: they were both largely based on agriculture and trade.