Unit 3: British Unit 3: British ColonizationColonizationLesson 1: Roanoke & JamestownLesson 1: Roanoke & Jamestown

England’s 1England’s 1stst attempt at attempt at American colonization:American colonization:

RoanokeRoanoke Why did they come?Why did they come? It was an attempt, It was an attempt,

thought up by thought up by Englishman Sir Englishman Sir Walter Raleigh,Walter Raleigh,

to expand the to expand the British EmpireBritish Empire

(empire expanding)(empire expanding)

Raleigh’s older half-Raleigh’s older half-brother, Humphrey brother, Humphrey Gilbert, had Gilbert, had previously claimed previously claimed Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada for the Canada for the BritishBritish

So Sir Walter Raleigh So Sir Walter Raleigh wanted to continue wanted to continue that jobthat job

By the way…By the way…

where have you where have you heard the name heard the name Raleigh before?Raleigh before?

Roanoke Island is Roanoke Island is located in modern-located in modern-day North Carolina, day North Carolina, but back then this but back then this was considered part was considered part of Virginiaof Virginia

Attempts to Settle Attempts to Settle VirginiaVirginia

Attempts were made Attempts were made between 1585 & between 1585 & 1590, the most 1590, the most famous of which took famous of which took place in 1587place in 1587 150 colonists, 150 colonists,

including women & including women & children, settled at children, settled at Roanoke, along Roanoke, along the outer banks ofthe outer banks of North CarolinaNorth Carolina

Not to depress Not to depress you, but…you, but…

Despite the fact that Despite the fact that the original colony the original colony was a miserable was a miserable failure and (we think) failure and (we think) all the settlers died, all the settlers died, Roanoke Island Roanoke Island today is a popular today is a popular tourist destinationtourist destination

Though Roanoke was to Though Roanoke was to be an English colony, be an English colony, the colonists expected to the colonists expected to have limited contact with have limited contact with England, so right away England, so right away they started to make they started to make friends withfriends with

the local Native the local Native Americans Americans (Algonquians)(Algonquians)

The relationship The relationship between the Natives between the Natives & colonists then went & colonists then went back & forthback & forth Sometimes they Sometimes they

helped each other, helped each other, other times both other times both groups became groups became confrontationalconfrontational

In 1587, settler John White In 1587, settler John White left Roanoke & went to left Roanoke & went to England to get goods to England to get goods to bring back to the colonybring back to the colony

But when he got back to But when he got back to Roanoke in 1590, the Roanoke in 1590, the people he’d left behind people he’d left behind

were gone, leaving few were gone, leaving few clues as to what had clues as to what had happened to themhappened to them

Did extreme weather Did extreme weather conditions destroy conditions destroy the colony?the colony?

Did pirates get them?Did pirates get them? Did they assimilate Did they assimilate

with the Natives?with the Natives? Nobody knowsNobody knows

So England’s So England’s Roanoke colony was Roanoke colony was a failure, but the a failure, but the British still wanted to British still wanted to claim territory in the claim territory in the new worldnew world

Their next attempt to Their next attempt to do so resulted in do so resulted in the the settlement of settlement of JamestownJamestown

Roanoke v. JamestownRoanoke v. Jamestown

The settlement of Roanoke The settlement of Roanoke was an attempt to increase the was an attempt to increase the amount of land under the amount of land under the British EmpireBritish Empire

The settlement of The settlement of Jamestown in 1607, Jamestown in 1607, however, was led by a however, was led by a group of businessmen, group of businessmen, called the Virginia called the Virginia Company of London, who Company of London, who hoped tohoped to

make money by make money by discovering gold & discovering gold & silver in the new worldsilver in the new world

The 1The 1stst Jamestown Jamestown colonists included colonists included 104 males of various 104 males of various agesages Their purpose was Their purpose was

not to establish a new not to establish a new life in the colony, but life in the colony, but

to make money to make money from what they from what they found therefound there

Problems in JamestownProblems in Jamestown

Built on swampy Built on swampy land that spread land that spread diseasedisease

Half of the settlers Half of the settlers were nobles (elite) were nobles (elite) who didn’t want to who didn’t want to farm, just search farm, just search for goldfor gold

Did they find gold?Did they find gold?

Nope. And soon Nope. And soon all of their supplies all of their supplies were gonewere gone

Eventually about Eventually about half of the half of the colonists colonists died from died from starvation or starvation or sicknesssickness

How did they save the How did they save the colony?colony?

Captain John Captain John Smith, an Smith, an English soldier, English soldier, sailor, & sailor, & Jamestown Jamestown colonist, took colonist, took charge & made charge & made several changesseveral changes

John SmithJohn Smith

Most prominently, he:Most prominently, he: Made friends with Made friends with the the

local Powhatan local Powhatan IndiansIndians

Set up working parties Set up working parties

to to build houses, build houses, plant crops, & bring plant crops, & bring fresh waterfresh water

Jamestown grew under Jamestown grew under his leadership, but in his leadership, but in 1609, when war broke out 1609, when war broke out between the Powhatan between the Powhatan Indians & the colonists,Indians & the colonists, John Smith was John Smith was injured injured

by a gunpowder by a gunpowder burnburn

He returned to England for He returned to England for treatment and never went treatment and never went back to Virginiaback to Virginia

Without Smith Without Smith around, things started around, things started to fall apart againto fall apart again

The winter of 1609-The winter of 1609-1610 became known 1610 became known as as “the“the starving time,”starving time,” & the population of & the population of colonists dropped colonists dropped from about 500 to 60from about 500 to 60

Saving Jamestown, AgainSaving Jamestown, Again

In the spring of 1610, a In the spring of 1610, a new governor came over new governor came over from England with 3 from England with 3 ships full of supplies & ships full of supplies & new settlersnew settlers It was great that they got It was great that they got

more supplies, but more supplies, but supplies eventually run supplies eventually run outout

What would the colonists What would the colonists need to do to make life need to do to make life better for the long-run?better for the long-run?

Jamestown’s Next “Hero”Jamestown’s Next “Hero”

One new settler, John Rolfe, One new settler, John Rolfe,

found that found that tobacco could tobacco could grow well in Virginiagrow well in Virginia

Tobacco was very popular in Tobacco was very popular in England, so he knew that if England, so he knew that if they grew tobacco in they grew tobacco in Jamestown, they could make Jamestown, they could make a lot of money selling it to the a lot of money selling it to the BritishBritish

Thus, tobacco was planted in Thus, tobacco was planted in every possible place, the every possible place, the settlers made money, & the settlers made money, & the settlement survivedsettlement survived

Slavery in the ColoniesSlavery in the Colonies

As Jamestown As Jamestown grew, tobacco grew, tobacco farmers farmers needed more needed more workers for workers for their farmstheir farms

At first, they usedAt first, they used indentured servantsindentured servants::

People who agreed People who agreed to work for free for to work for free for a set # of years, in a set # of years, in exchange for a free exchange for a free trip to the coloniestrip to the colonies

When there weren’t When there weren’t enough indentured enough indentured servants to work the servants to work the farms, & the Native farms, & the Native Americans refused Americans refused to work for the to work for the settlers, settlers,

they turned to they turned to Africans for laborAfricans for labor

In 1619, a Dutch ship brought In 1619, a Dutch ship brought 20 Africans to Virginia20 Africans to Virginia

These people were These people were indentured servants, but all indentured servants, but all those who came after them those who came after them were brought as slaveswere brought as slaves

SlaveSlave::

A person who is A person who is the property of the property of anotheranother

What was Jamestown’s What was Jamestown’s government like?government like?

Kind of like England’s Kind of like England’s gov’t, in which gov’t, in which ParliamentParliament

is the lawmaking bodyis the lawmaking body Look kids! The settlers wanted as The settlers wanted as

much independence as much independence as possible from Englandpossible from England

So in 1619 they formed So in 1619 they formed the Virginia House of the Virginia House of BurgessesBurgesses

How did the House of How did the House of Burgesses work?Burgesses work?

Free white men in each Free white men in each town elected town elected representatives to be representatives to be the members of the the members of the H.O.B.H.O.B.

Members would meet at Members would meet at least once a year with least once a year with their royal governor to their royal governor to decide decide

local laws and local laws and determine local determine local taxationtaxation