By 1700 the French established settlements in what it called New France in Detroit, St. Louis, Memphis, Natchez, and Mobile. The largest colonies were in the lower Mississippi Valley where the fertile soil and warm climate enabled the settlers to establish successful farms and plantations. New Orleans, founded in 1718, became a busy seaport and trading centre.
French immigration to Louisiana was restricted to Roman Catholics and so French Protestants (Huguenots) who wanted to live in America tended to settle in English colonies. As a result of the work of French missionaries and priests, the Catholic Church became well established in the Mississippi Valley.
By the middle of the 18th century the population of New France was 80,000. This was scattered over a wide area whereas the English population of 1,500,000 was concentrated in thirteen colonies along the Atlantic seaboard.
In 1754 war broke out between the French and English settlers. General Edward Braddock was sent to America to command the English forces. In his first campaign he led an army of English regulars and colonial militia against the French controlled Fort Duquesne. However, they were defeated by a combination of French and Native American forces.
When William Pitt became prime minister in 1757 he sent reinforcements to America. This enabled the English to capture Fort Duquesne and Fort Niagara. The following year he appointed General James Wolfe as commander of the English forces and in 1759 he defeated the French led by by Louis Joseph Montcalm at Quebec. In 1760 the English took Montreal and France's empire in North America was at an end.
The early arrivals in America were known as colonists or settlers. The term immigrant was first used in 1787. However, it was argued at the time that there was a difference between the colonists who "established a new new society, and those foreigners who arrive only when the country's laws, customs and language are fixed."
In 1798 Thomas Malthus published his Essay on the Principles of Population. In his book, Malthus claimed the population of Britain was growing faster than food production. Malthus predicted that unless something was done about this, large numbers of people in Britain would starve. His book created panic and for the first time in history, the government agreed to count the number of people living in Britain. The 1801 census revealled that Britain had a population of 10,501,000. It was estimated that the population of Britain had doubled since 1750.
The move towards large-scale scientific farming greatly increased output but made many agricultural workers redundant. Some moved to the fast-growing industrial areas in search of work, whereas others decided to emigrate to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United States.
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Migration to the Americas / New World began in the 16th century. Early attempts at colonisation were made by the English at Roanoke. Though this colony failed, it paved the way for colonies at Jamestown in the early 17th century. English migration to America continued throughout the 17th century. People migrated for a number of reasons. Some, like the Pilgrim Fathers, for religious reasons. Others saw the opportunity for riches in a new world. Explorers and prospectors sought a passage to the far east which also fuelled colonisation.
Early colonisation was often due to economic pressures in England. Push factors led to the decision to migrate. As the English took hold of the Eastern seaboard of North America the English moving there were not all rich, expectant prospectors. Many were escaping a wretched life.
English migrants in Virginia had good reason not to feel grateful. Most came unfree, pushed out of England by economic forces that privatized shared pastures and farmlands and pushed up the prices of basic necessities. By the 17th century, more than half of the English peasantry was landless. The price of food shot up 600 percent, and firewood by 1,500 percent. Read more: //www.smithsonianmag.com/history/17th-century-english-who-settled-southern-us-had-very-little-be-thankful-180953466/#H5Rigw7dg2cfY5XU.99 Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! //bit.ly/1cGUiGv
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To escape from the economic conditions in England many opted to sign up to Indenture agreements. This was a contract that gave free passage to America in return for a fixed period of time working for the master or company paying for the transportation. Roughly 80% of English migrants to America before 1700 were transported under such a contract. They were usually tied to the master for 5 to 7 years.
Headright System
After the Glorious Revolution there was a change in migration patterns. The Headright System was introduced by the Virginia Company. This system promised 50 acres of land to anybody who paid for their transport or for that of another person. In England it was virtually impossible for ordinary people to own any land. This presented a huge opportunity to farm and prosper. It led to an increase in migration to the Americas.
Migrants return to England to fight in the Civil Wars
Some migrants returned to England as the Civil Wars broke out. There was a lot of support for the Parliamentarians from Puritans in the colonies. The support was such that there was actually some fighting of the English Civil Wars in Colonial America.
Following the Glorious Revolution and failure of Jacobite Rebellions Irish and Scots began to migrate to North America in greater numbers. The migration was in part in hope of religious tolerance in the colonies; partly in hope of better prospects and partly because of the plantation of Ireland and clearances of the Highlands. Schemes such as the Darien Scheme were established to encourage migration from both areas. Migration also continued to take place from England. In the colonial period and up to 1900, the majority of people living in the colonies and later United States self identified as English.
Expansion of Northern American Migration
The 1700’s saw migration continue as colonisation expanded into America. Victories in the wars against Native American’s paved the way two much more land being available. Exploration in the north had led to additional trading options. Hudson Bay was taken from the French for the British. Towns and colonies had become established and the stability that this created plus the proximity of new lands increased the lure of migrating to America.
Migration to the US Data
The first census of the United States was of 12 colonies in 1790. It counted just over 3.9 million people. 66% of these were of English origin. 5.6% Scottish. 4.5% German. 2% Dutch. Roughly 20% ‘Other’ which included some 697624 slaves.
Recommended Links on Migration to America and the New World
National Archives – Emigration and Emigrants
Liverpool Museums – Child Migrants
Migration Museum – Departures podcast: 400 years of emigration from Britain
Further Reading on the British Empire
Making of the United Kingdom
Making of the United Kingdom unit homepage – Glorious Revolution – The British in Ireland, 1688-1691 – Settlement of Ireland – Jacobite Opposition – Glencoe Massacre – Darien Scheme – Act of Union – Migration to the Americas
Economic Consequences of Empire
Economic Consequences of Empire – Unit homepage – Royal African Company – Triangular Trade – Lifting of the RAC monopoly – Plantations – The Slave Economy – Opposition to the Slave Trade in North America – Slave Resistance – East India Company – Expansion of trade in East India – Bank of England – South Sea Bubble Bursts
How did the Empire affect working lives and consumer habits in Britain?
Empire and consumerism – Involvement of the British population in the slave trade and the ‘slave ports’ – Emergence of consumerism
How did the Empire affect British politics and changing ideas?
Politics and changing ideas – Coffee houses and developing political activism – growth of ideas of a racial hierarchy and the impact on settled minority communities
Common questions about the British Empire
Questions about the British Empire – When did the British Empire start? – When did the British Empire end? – What countries were in the British Empire? – Why did Britain want an empire? – What was life like in the British Empire? – Was the British Empire a force for good or bad? – What is Is perfidious Albion? – How was the British Empire controlled?
The British Empire – Making of the United Kingdom – Economic Consequences of the British Empire– How did the Empire affect Great Britain? – Society changes: Political Thought and the British Empire – Questions about the British Empire – British Empire Teaching Resources