History of the American People to 1877

In this lecture, Professor Totten argues the expansion of colonial Virginia led to further conflicts with native tribes, which culminated in English dominance of Southeast Virginia after 1642. Due to Virginia's rural plantations, it was highly decentralized, lacked any formal education system, and was dominated by the wealthy planters. Their abuse of indentured servants, the corruption of the courts, and the actions of royal governors, led to Bacon's Rebellion. After the rebellion, the Virginia gentry learned a valuable lesson. To slowly switch from indentured servants to African slaves, and divide the lower classes with white supremacist ideologies to prevent biracial alliances against elite power. The result, was the rise of African slavery in the colony.

In this lecture, Professor Totten argues English colonization experienced several setbacks before finally flourishing in the mid-seventeenth century. Conditions in England, such as surging populations and oppressive economic policies, led to the rise of the study beggars, which worried middle and upper-class Englishmen. These men desired fame and wealth associated with colonization and used cooperative ventures, like joint stock companies, to fund their efforts. The English used the experiences of cultural oppression, torture, and warfare against the Irish in their relations with various native tribes. After the inglorious failure at Roanoke, Jamestown was founded, though suffered from its poor location and the intransigence of the settlers. John Smith instituted new policies that tied work to rations, but these were abandoned after he left the colony due to an injury. The result was the "starving times" where most of Jamestown population died. It was only the timely arrival of reinforcements that saved the English venture from failure. Jamestown survived only because of the headright system and the use of indetured servants, who died in large numbers. Tobacco, a cash crop, fueled further immigration into colony of Virginia and allowed it to thrive.

In this lecture, Professor Totten argues France's experience in the "New World" differed from the Spanish and English in their relatively positive relationships with various Native tribes. New France was less populous than other European possessions, though it was territorial expansive. However, France did not effectively control the territory they claimed, as they relied on Native Americans to trade and project power from the St. Lawrence River Valley, down the Mississippi River, into the Gulf of Mexico. French efforts at conversion were tepid and largely unsuccessful. Competition with other Europeans, like the Dutch, and competition between native tribes, created coalitions of support and led to endemic warfare. The Iroquois, with access to Dutch guns, were the most successful, and carved a swath of control from Upstate New York and Pennsylvania, into the modern Midwest. France's peace with the Iroquois in 1701, illustrates a missed opportunity for a more inclusive and mutually beneficial relationship. This example at cooperation and toleration, as we will see, would not be followed by the English settlers along the Atlantic coast.

In this lecture, Professor Totten describes the Spanish Empire in the western hemisphere and native resistance to colonial oppression. He argues that New Spain's labor relations led to further suffering on the part of surviving Native Americans, which was exposed by reformers like Bartolome de las Casas. He details how New Spain responded to such debates with increased centralization and the introduction of new labor systems that led to the rise of African slavery in the empire. He argues Native revolts in New Mexico constituted the single greatest challenge to European colonialism and necessitated concessions on the Spaniards part in order to reestablish control. He concludes the Spanish Empire declined due to inflation, increased importation of manufactured goods, and the massive security expenses of foreign wars and military installations abroad.

In this lecture, Professor Totten describes the conquest of Central, North, and South America by Spanish conquistadors. He argues the Spanish were aided less by "Guns, Germs, and Steel" and more by Native American allies that helped destroy the Aztec and Inca Empire. He details the massive death in the Americas that resulted from Spanish misrule, disease, and famine that led the Native survivors to form new tribal identities through the process of ethnogenesis.

In this lecture, Professor Totten argues European societies after the late Middle Ages were violent, intolerant, and oppressive towards women. The high minded ideals of chivalric warfare were only applied to elites, while poor conscripts, mercenaries, and perceived "heathens" were not accorded such privileges. Economic motivations led Europeans to seek water-based routes to East Asia in order to avoid Muslim traders and middlemen in favor of direct access to these desired markets. Combined with European conceptions of property inheritance, many second and third sons would strike out to earn glory and plunder wealth that led to the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

In this lecture, Dr. Totten describes West and Central African civilizations from the 1300s to 1600s. He argues that African societies were diverse and powerful, rather than the monolithic poor rural villages that dominate popular media. He contends that African and Islamic slaveries differed from the European plantation slavery that developed in the late 1400s. He details how African conceptions of religion, slavery, and warfare were misinterpreted by Europeans, and led to the creation of racial stereotypes that reinforced white supremacist ideology that survive to this day.

In this lecture, Dr. Totten describes Native American Societies prior to European contact. He argues Native societies were incredibly diverse, with large sedentary civilizations in Meso-America and semi-sedentary communities along North America's Atlantic coast. He argues Native understandings of private property, religion, gender, and warfare were misunderstood by Europeans, which led to numerous conflicts.