HIS 315K Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fur Trade, Chesapeake Colonies, Indentured Servant
Document Summary
Chesapeake bay area colonies = virginia (1607) and maryland (1634) For the first -3/4 of 17th century, virginia and maryland faced difficulties. Peculiarly dismal demographic history. : very high mortality rate. Only a 50% chance of surviving first year: typhus, malaria, typhoid, dysentery, 17th century, southern colonists had shorter lifetime than people in. England and new england: most men didn"t live past 40"s; most women didn"t live past 30"s, colonists in new england were first to live long enough to know grandchildren. In 1700, 100,000 people migrated to chesapeake bay. Unbalanced sex ratio: many more men than women; virginia company recruited men to grow tobacco, 1 woman for every 6 men. Men who marry die: not a lot of growth by natural increase. Infant/child mortality rate was very high: small families w/ 2 or 3 children. Of children born did not live to see first birthday. Period of seasoning first summer in chesapeake bay.
