Chapter 7 of American Colonies<\/em>\u00a0features Taylor’s description of the development and progression of the Chesapeake Colonies. \u00a0Colonists in the Chesapeake region sacrificed their quality of life for economic success. \u00a0Shorter 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. \u00a0However, the period of economic prosperity eventually subsided, and political inaptitude resulted in unrest. \u00a0Essentially, the majority of leaders lacked the experience or qualities to lead, and an imbalanced and corrupt society caused a discontented society. \u00a0In addition, Governor Berkeley basically controlled trade, policy, and land distribution, and exploited his power with favoritism.<\/p>\n Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 aptly demonstrated the societal issues. \u00a0Disputes over the distribution of land and the permission to invade native peoples’ lands led to the major conflict. \u00a0While Bacon and the rebellion died fairly quickly, distinct changes followed, including the removal of Berkeley from office.<\/p>\n Notable differences occurred following the rebellion in an effort to satisfy the commoners. \u00a0Changes in policies regarding taxes, native peoples, and land distribution all appeased the common planter. \u00a0Another noteworthy transition occurred in labor. \u00a0A decline in white indentured servants due to the impact of Bacon’s Rebellion led to planters looking to Africa for laborers. \u00a0The dramatic influx of African slaves resulted in a fear of revolt among whites. \u00a0This fear unfortunately caused severe restrictions to be placed on slaves, and a shared identity and mindset among all whites. \u00a0This shared identity masked the growing economic inequality between the great and common planters.<\/p>\n 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. \u00a0The elite men lived luxurious lives and took pride in expressing their fortune with grace and dignity. \u00a0The achievement of such success directly resulted from mastering the exploitation of other peoples, namely the African slaves and Indians. \u00a0Carolina 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. \u00a0When 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.<\/p>\n I found Taylor’s descriptions of the dynamic change of the Chesapeake colonies and the exploitation carried out by Carolina planters very interesting. \u00a0I 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chapter 7 of American Colonies\u00a0features Taylor’s description of the development and progression of the Chesapeake Colonies. \u00a0Colonists in the Chesapeake region sacrificed their quality of life for economic success. \u00a0Shorter 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 … <\/p>\n