Deep South

The Deep South

Robert Lamermayer

Nick Hamus

David Knuth

The Colonies of the Deep South

• There are three major colonial-era governed bodies in the Deep South:

• Georgia

• South Carolina

• Not much of North Carolina

Georgia

Georgia - beginnings

• Founded by James Oglethorpe in 1732

• Originally intended to be a debtor’s colony, but Oglethorpe took men and women at the last moment.

• Savannah founded 1733

• While there was great religious freedom, Catholics were not welcomed

• Georgia was the colonial “melting pot”

Georgia - government

• Governed by a king-appointed Board of Trustees, who did not allow slavery

• Economy was slow to begin because of lack of slaves

• Trustees handed colony over to the king before their 21-year contract ended

• Was the only colony to get direct financial aid from Parliament

• John Reynolds appointed first “royal governor” in 1754

Georgia - society

• The Anglican church was the state church, but religious freedom was granted to all Protestants

• Simple social classes - mostly farmers, very little city life

• Little formal education - few or no schools

• Pirate raids along the coast were common

Georgia - economy

• Major products included:

• Rice

• Indigo

• Lumber

• Trade w/ Indians also contributed

• The mulberry tree (the silkworm’s natural food) grew natively in Georgia, but silk making proved to be unprofitable

South Carolina

South Carolina - beginnings

• Chartered with North Carolina in 1663

• Politically separated in 1729

• Capital=Charleston, founded 1680

• Was one of the only colonies to depend on slave labor from the very beginning

• Government change in 1690 - Sothel took over but was driven out

South Carolina - warfare, etc.

• 1715 - Indian War against Yamassee tribe, lasted ten years

• 400 settlers killed, Indians defeated

• Paper money issued to pay for war, but it hurt the economy more than it helped

• Slave rebellion in 1740

South Carolina becomes an official colony

• By 1719, the assembly wanted to sell vacated Yamassee lands, but wealthy upper-class refused

• People petitioned to the King to make Carolina a royal colony

• Charter forfeited in 1719, the Carolinas split ten years later

South Carolina - economy

• Wild rice was native

• Regular rice brought in late 1600s

• Carolinas became one of Europe’s biggest rice suppliers

• Indigo became another big cash crop, eventually overtook rice

• Grains

• Furs

• Cattle for beef and milk

• Timber

• Paper

South Carolina - government

• The government in S. Carolina was similar to that of earlier colonies (I.E. Jamestown)

• Headed by a Governor appointed by the king

• A small Council of upper-class males was also appointed by the king

• The Assembly was made of up of elected citizens

South Carolina - society

• As in England, “hospitality, refinement, and literary culture” were traits of the upper class

• Many people were tobacco, rice, or indigo farmers, however

• Slave labor became widespread in the early to mid 1700s

North Carolina

North Carolina - beginnings

• Explored by Giovanni da Verrazonoa in 1524 , named after King Charles (Latin Carolus=Charles)

• First ruled by eight “Lord’s Proprietors”

• Chartered in 1663 by King Charles II

• The lost colony of Roanoke was located here

North Carolina - government

• Eight Lord’s Proprietors governed colony from founding until 1729

• Proprietors were corrupt and sold their shares in the colony to the king because of internal unrest

• Afterwards, the standard system of colonial government was used (governor, council, house)

North Carolina - society

• Society was very similar to that of the rest of the south

• Plantation mentality

• Educated wealthy were upper class

• Slave labor was fairly common because of rice, cotton, and tobacco growing plantations

North Carolina - economy

• Plantation economy

• Cotton

• Rice

• Tobacco

• Indigo

posted by Jeffrey @ Monday, October 17, 2005