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Chapter 7 of American Colonies features Taylor’s description of the development and progression of the Chesapeake Colonies. Colonists in the Chesapeake region sacrificed their quality of life for economic success. Shorter life expectancy, limited opportunity to create a family, and strenuous work permeated the region; a cost many Englishmen willingly accepted to reap the benefits of the tobacco boom during the middle of the 17th century. However, the period of economic prosperity eventually subsided, and political inaptitude resulted in unrest. Essentially, the majority of leaders lacked the experience or qualities to lead, and an imbalanced and corrupt society caused a discontented society. In addition, Governor Berkeley basically controlled trade, policy, and land distribution, and exploited his power with favoritism.
Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 aptly demonstrated the societal issues. Disputes over the distribution of land and the permission to invade native peoples’ lands led to the major conflict. While Bacon and the rebellion died fairly quickly, distinct changes followed, including the removal of Berkeley from office.
Notable differences occurred following the rebellion in an effort to satisfy the commoners. Changes in policies regarding taxes, native peoples, and land distribution all appeased the common planter. Another noteworthy transition occurred in labor. A decline in white indentured servants due to the impact of Bacon’s Rebellion led to planters looking to Africa for laborers. The dramatic influx of African slaves resulted in a fear of revolt among whites. This fear unfortunately caused severe restrictions to be placed on slaves, and a shared identity and mindset among all whites. This shared identity masked the growing economic inequality between the great and common planters.
The Carolina colonies Taylor depicted differed from the other colonies due to its large land grants, Indian relations, and slave quantity. The massive amount of land offered attracted an elite more dignified than its Chesapeake counterpart. The elite men lived luxurious lives and took pride in expressing their fortune with grace and dignity. The achievement of such success directly resulted from mastering the exploitation of other peoples, namely the African slaves and Indians. Carolina planters amassed an unparalleled amount of African slaves and incredibly secured such a dramatic population imbalance by manipulating the surrounding native peoples through trade. Essentially the colonists offered arms to the natives in return for deerskins and slave capturing. When it became apparent that deerskin trade did not provide a stable economic base, planters turned to the cash crops of rice and indigo. These crops relied upon a steady dose of slave labor, which the planters ensured through severe repression.
I found Taylor’s descriptions of the dynamic change of the Chesapeake colonies and the exploitation carried out by Carolina planters very interesting. I think Taylor successfully portrayed the attitudes and desired appearances of the colonists. However, I did notice a lack of attention paid to the sentiments African slaves and native peoples, especially considering the immense roles both played in the Carolinas.