Introduction to Colonization
When we tell the story of “Colonial America,” we are talking about the English colonies along the Eastern seaboard. By the time Englishmen had begun to establish colonies in the New World, there were plenty of French, Spanish, Dutch and even Russian colonial outposts on the American continent.
The time period of British colonial expansion in the Americas lasted from 1585 to 1776. The first attempt by the British to colonize North America began with the Roanoke Colony in 1585. The Roanoke Colony failed, but was followed up by Jamestown in 1607. Jamestown, Virginia became the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The English presence continued to expand along the east coast of North America, eventually developing into thirteen distinct colonies. As the colonies grew in population and wealth, they became increasingly independent from England. When England began to tax the colonies in the mid-1700s, the colonies protested saying they would not stand for "taxation without representation." In 1775, the Revolutionary War broke out between England and the colonies. The colonies officially declared their independence in 1776 forming the United States of America.
When we tell the story of “Colonial America,” we are talking about the English colonies along the Eastern seaboard. By the time Englishmen had begun to establish colonies in the New World, there were plenty of French, Spanish, Dutch and even Russian colonial outposts on the American continent.
The time period of British colonial expansion in the Americas lasted from 1585 to 1776. The first attempt by the British to colonize North America began with the Roanoke Colony in 1585. The Roanoke Colony failed, but was followed up by Jamestown in 1607. Jamestown, Virginia became the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The English presence continued to expand along the east coast of North America, eventually developing into thirteen distinct colonies. As the colonies grew in population and wealth, they became increasingly independent from England. When England began to tax the colonies in the mid-1700s, the colonies protested saying they would not stand for "taxation without representation." In 1775, the Revolutionary War broke out between England and the colonies. The colonies officially declared their independence in 1776 forming the United States of America.
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English Colonial Expansion to the New World
Sixteenth-century England was a crazy place. Because they could make more money from selling wool than from selling food, many of England's landowners were changing farmers’ fields into pastures for sheep. This led to a food shortage; at the same time, many a farm workers lost their jobs.
The 16th century was also the age of mercantilism (where trade in goods can make lots of profit). Mercantilism made many European nations want as many colonies as they could find. As a result, for the most part, the English colonies in North America were business ventures
The English colonies grew because they started as business ventures; they provided religious freedom, and they provided a location for people to leave England.
Sixteenth-century England was a crazy place. Because they could make more money from selling wool than from selling food, many of England's landowners were changing farmers’ fields into pastures for sheep. This led to a food shortage; at the same time, many a farm workers lost their jobs.
The 16th century was also the age of mercantilism (where trade in goods can make lots of profit). Mercantilism made many European nations want as many colonies as they could find. As a result, for the most part, the English colonies in North America were business ventures
The English colonies grew because they started as business ventures; they provided religious freedom, and they provided a location for people to leave England.
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The Tobacco Colonies
In 1606, King James I divided the Atlantic seaboard in two, giving the southern half to the London Company (later the Virginia Company) and the northern half to the Plymouth Company. The first English settlement in North America had actually been established some 20 years before, in 1587, when a group of colonists (91 men, 17 women and nine children) led by Sir Walter Raleigh settled on the island of Roanoke. Mysteriously, by 1590 the Roanoke colony had vanished entirely. Historians still do not know what became of its inhabitants.
In 1606, King James I divided the Atlantic seaboard in two, giving the southern half to the London Company (later the Virginia Company) and the northern half to the Plymouth Company. The first English settlement in North America had actually been established some 20 years before, in 1587, when a group of colonists (91 men, 17 women and nine children) led by Sir Walter Raleigh settled on the island of Roanoke. Mysteriously, by 1590 the Roanoke colony had vanished entirely. Historians still do not know what became of its inhabitants.
Mystery at Roanoke
The origins of one of the America’s oldest unsolved mysteries can be traced to August 1587, when a group of about 115 English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. Later that year, it was decided that John White, governor of the new colony, would sail back to England in order to gather a fresh load of supplies. But just as he arrived, a major naval war broke out between England and Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I called on every available ship to confront the mighty Spanish Armada. In August 1590, White finally returned to Roanoke, where he had left his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter (Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas) and the other settlers three long years before. He found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants, and few clues to what might have happened, apart from a single word—“Croatoan”—carved into a wooden post.
Investigations into the fate of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke have continued over the centuries, but no one has come up with a satisfactory answer. “Croatoan” was the name of an island south of Roanoke that was home to a Native American tribe of the same name. Perhaps, then, the colonists were killed or abducted by Native Americans. Other hypotheses hold that they tried to sail back to England on their own and got lost at sea, that they met a bloody end at the hands of Spaniards who had marched up from Florida or that they moved further inland and were absorbed into a friendly tribe. In 2007, efforts began to collect and analyze DNA from local families to figure out if they’re related to the Roanoke settlers, local Native American tribes or both. Despite the lingering mystery, it seems there’s one thing to be thankful for: The lessons learned at Roanoke may have helped the next group of English settlers, who would found their own colony 17 years later just a short distance to the north, at Jamestown.
The origins of one of the America’s oldest unsolved mysteries can be traced to August 1587, when a group of about 115 English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. Later that year, it was decided that John White, governor of the new colony, would sail back to England in order to gather a fresh load of supplies. But just as he arrived, a major naval war broke out between England and Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I called on every available ship to confront the mighty Spanish Armada. In August 1590, White finally returned to Roanoke, where he had left his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter (Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas) and the other settlers three long years before. He found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants, and few clues to what might have happened, apart from a single word—“Croatoan”—carved into a wooden post.
Investigations into the fate of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke have continued over the centuries, but no one has come up with a satisfactory answer. “Croatoan” was the name of an island south of Roanoke that was home to a Native American tribe of the same name. Perhaps, then, the colonists were killed or abducted by Native Americans. Other hypotheses hold that they tried to sail back to England on their own and got lost at sea, that they met a bloody end at the hands of Spaniards who had marched up from Florida or that they moved further inland and were absorbed into a friendly tribe. In 2007, efforts began to collect and analyze DNA from local families to figure out if they’re related to the Roanoke settlers, local Native American tribes or both. Despite the lingering mystery, it seems there’s one thing to be thankful for: The lessons learned at Roanoke may have helped the next group of English settlers, who would found their own colony 17 years later just a short distance to the north, at Jamestown.
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Jamestown
In 1606, King James I granted a charter to a new venture, the Virginia Company, to form a settlement in North America. At the time, Virginia was the English name for the entire eastern coast of North America north of Florida; they had named it for Elizabeth I, Queen of England. The Virginia Company planned to search for gold and silver deposits in the New World, as well as a river route to the Pacific Ocean that would allow them to establish trade with the Orient.
Roughly 100 colonists left England in late December 1606 on three ships (the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery) and reached Chesapeake Bay late the next April. The group searched for a good settlement site. On May 14, 1607, they landed on a narrow peninsula–virtually an island–in the James River, where they would begin their lives in the New World.
Sometimes known as James Forte, James Towne and James Cittie, the new settlement consisted of a wooden fort built in a triangle around a storehouse for weapons and other supplies, a church and a number of houses. By the summer of 1607, Christopher Newport, the leader of the colony, went back to England with two ships and 40 crewmembers to give a report to the king and to gather more supplies and colonists. The settlers who were left behind suffered from hunger and illness, as well as the threat of attack by members of local Algonquian tribe and their chief Powhatan.
An understanding reached between Powhatan and a leader of the colony John Smith led the settlers to establish much-needed trade with Powhatan’s tribe by early 1608. Though skirmishes still broke out between the two groups, the Native Americans traded corn for beads, metal tools and other objects (including some weapons) from the English, who would depend on this trade for help in the colony’s early years.
Smith got seriously hurt at Jamestown and had to return to England in 1609. The colony started to fail without John Smith's leadership. In the winter of 1609, over 500 colonists died in what historians call the "Starving Time."
In 1606, King James I granted a charter to a new venture, the Virginia Company, to form a settlement in North America. At the time, Virginia was the English name for the entire eastern coast of North America north of Florida; they had named it for Elizabeth I, Queen of England. The Virginia Company planned to search for gold and silver deposits in the New World, as well as a river route to the Pacific Ocean that would allow them to establish trade with the Orient.
Roughly 100 colonists left England in late December 1606 on three ships (the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery) and reached Chesapeake Bay late the next April. The group searched for a good settlement site. On May 14, 1607, they landed on a narrow peninsula–virtually an island–in the James River, where they would begin their lives in the New World.
Sometimes known as James Forte, James Towne and James Cittie, the new settlement consisted of a wooden fort built in a triangle around a storehouse for weapons and other supplies, a church and a number of houses. By the summer of 1607, Christopher Newport, the leader of the colony, went back to England with two ships and 40 crewmembers to give a report to the king and to gather more supplies and colonists. The settlers who were left behind suffered from hunger and illness, as well as the threat of attack by members of local Algonquian tribe and their chief Powhatan.
An understanding reached between Powhatan and a leader of the colony John Smith led the settlers to establish much-needed trade with Powhatan’s tribe by early 1608. Though skirmishes still broke out between the two groups, the Native Americans traded corn for beads, metal tools and other objects (including some weapons) from the English, who would depend on this trade for help in the colony’s early years.
Smith got seriously hurt at Jamestown and had to return to England in 1609. The colony started to fail without John Smith's leadership. In the winter of 1609, over 500 colonists died in what historians call the "Starving Time."
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John Smith
John Smith was the most successful leader of the Jamestown Colony. His leadership is credited with saving the colony.
As a leader, Smith was tough and egotistical. Few of the settlers liked him. However, they did recognize that he was a strong leader and would keep them alive. Smith demanded that everyone at the settlement work. His rule was "if you don't work, you don't eat." Smith also knew that the colony needed to establish better relations with the Powhatan people, the local Native American tribe. He bravely went to meet with their leader and was captured. He likely would have been killed had it not been for the Powhatan chief's daughter, Pocahontas. Pocahontas pled for John Smith's life and the Powhatan chief decided to release him. After this encounter, the relationship between the colonists and the local tribes improved. Smith's leadership helped to turn things around for the Jamestown colony. Unfortunately, his leg was injured in a gunpowder accident in 1609 and he was forced to return to England to recover.
Exploring New England
After recovering from his injury, Smith was ready for more adventure. He led an expedition to explore the northern coast of America. He named the land "New England" and mapped the northeastern coastline.
On the Trail With Captain John Smith
John Smith was the most successful leader of the Jamestown Colony. His leadership is credited with saving the colony.
As a leader, Smith was tough and egotistical. Few of the settlers liked him. However, they did recognize that he was a strong leader and would keep them alive. Smith demanded that everyone at the settlement work. His rule was "if you don't work, you don't eat." Smith also knew that the colony needed to establish better relations with the Powhatan people, the local Native American tribe. He bravely went to meet with their leader and was captured. He likely would have been killed had it not been for the Powhatan chief's daughter, Pocahontas. Pocahontas pled for John Smith's life and the Powhatan chief decided to release him. After this encounter, the relationship between the colonists and the local tribes improved. Smith's leadership helped to turn things around for the Jamestown colony. Unfortunately, his leg was injured in a gunpowder accident in 1609 and he was forced to return to England to recover.
Exploring New England
After recovering from his injury, Smith was ready for more adventure. He led an expedition to explore the northern coast of America. He named the land "New England" and mapped the northeastern coastline.
On the Trail With Captain John Smith
John Rolfe
John Rolfe (c. 1585 - 1622) was one of the early English colonists and farmers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia. John Rolfe is also famous as the husband of Pocahontas (1580-1631), the daughter of Chief Powhatan (his Native Indian name Wahunsonacock) of the Powhatan Confederacy.
John Rolfe (c. 1585 - 1622) was one of the early English colonists and farmers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia. John Rolfe is also famous as the husband of Pocahontas (1580-1631), the daughter of Chief Powhatan (his Native Indian name Wahunsonacock) of the Powhatan Confederacy.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was born in 1595 in Werowocomoco (Eastern Virginia) to the powerful tribal leader Powhatan. She was one of as many as one hundred children. Pocahontas, however, was said to be Powhatan’s favorite. Powhatan was the chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Virginia area. Pocahontas’s real name was Matoaka.
In April of 1607 the first group of English settlers arrived in Virginia and founded the colony of Jamestown. Life was difficult for the settlers. Pocahontas watched as the settlers struggled to find food, build shelter, and survive. As winter set in Pocahontas made several visits to Jamestown bringing the colonists much needed supplies.
During her visits to Jamestown she met Captain John Smith whom she taught the Powhatan’s language and tradition. Pocahontas took an immediate liking to Captain Smith, and some accounts claim that she saved him from execution. Other accounts assert that Smith was captured by the Algonquian Indians and was to be executed, or, that a false execution was a ceremony to adopt him into the tribe. The Powhatans admired John Smith and believed him to be a powerful magician. Pocahontas went back and forth delivering messages from her father and keeping trade between the Indians and the settlers open. Powhatan, however, eventually demanded that the settlers bring him guns in exchange for food and supplies, but John Smith refused. Slowly, relations between the two groups broke down. The Jamestown settlement continued to suffer from corruption, laziness, disease, and poor management. In October of 1609, John Smith was badly injured by a gunpowder explosion. After his injury, and repeated attempts by the Indians and the settlers to kill him, John Smith returned to England. After his departure, and several changes in leadership, the Powahatan Indians moved in on the settlers.
Powhatan ordered several settlers to be killed and Pocahontas was sent to live with the Patawomeke tribe. In response, Captain Samuel Argall devised a scheme to kidnap Pocahontas. With the help of Japizaws and his wife, and two Patawomeke Indians, Argall lured Pocahontas onto a ship headed for Jamestown. The ship promptly set sail and Pocahontas was a captive. During her capture she was treated well and learned of Christianity. She was baptized in 1614, at which time she renounced her previous Gods. While in captivity, Pocahontas met colonist and tobacco developer John Rolfe. They were married in 1615. Soon after, Pocahontas gave birth to a son, Thomas.
Pocahontas traveled to London in 1616 with her husband and son, where she soon became the center of attention. She met with the king and queen and went to banquets and dances all over England. While in England she was reunited with John Smith whom she believed was dead.
While in England Pocahontas contracted small pox and died in March of 1617 at the age of 21. She was buried in the chapel of the parish church in Gravesend, England. John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was “the instrument to pursurve this colonie from death, famine, and utter confusion.
Pocahontas was born in 1595 in Werowocomoco (Eastern Virginia) to the powerful tribal leader Powhatan. She was one of as many as one hundred children. Pocahontas, however, was said to be Powhatan’s favorite. Powhatan was the chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Virginia area. Pocahontas’s real name was Matoaka.
In April of 1607 the first group of English settlers arrived in Virginia and founded the colony of Jamestown. Life was difficult for the settlers. Pocahontas watched as the settlers struggled to find food, build shelter, and survive. As winter set in Pocahontas made several visits to Jamestown bringing the colonists much needed supplies.
During her visits to Jamestown she met Captain John Smith whom she taught the Powhatan’s language and tradition. Pocahontas took an immediate liking to Captain Smith, and some accounts claim that she saved him from execution. Other accounts assert that Smith was captured by the Algonquian Indians and was to be executed, or, that a false execution was a ceremony to adopt him into the tribe. The Powhatans admired John Smith and believed him to be a powerful magician. Pocahontas went back and forth delivering messages from her father and keeping trade between the Indians and the settlers open. Powhatan, however, eventually demanded that the settlers bring him guns in exchange for food and supplies, but John Smith refused. Slowly, relations between the two groups broke down. The Jamestown settlement continued to suffer from corruption, laziness, disease, and poor management. In October of 1609, John Smith was badly injured by a gunpowder explosion. After his injury, and repeated attempts by the Indians and the settlers to kill him, John Smith returned to England. After his departure, and several changes in leadership, the Powahatan Indians moved in on the settlers.
Powhatan ordered several settlers to be killed and Pocahontas was sent to live with the Patawomeke tribe. In response, Captain Samuel Argall devised a scheme to kidnap Pocahontas. With the help of Japizaws and his wife, and two Patawomeke Indians, Argall lured Pocahontas onto a ship headed for Jamestown. The ship promptly set sail and Pocahontas was a captive. During her capture she was treated well and learned of Christianity. She was baptized in 1614, at which time she renounced her previous Gods. While in captivity, Pocahontas met colonist and tobacco developer John Rolfe. They were married in 1615. Soon after, Pocahontas gave birth to a son, Thomas.
Pocahontas traveled to London in 1616 with her husband and son, where she soon became the center of attention. She met with the king and queen and went to banquets and dances all over England. While in England she was reunited with John Smith whom she believed was dead.
While in England Pocahontas contracted small pox and died in March of 1617 at the age of 21. She was buried in the chapel of the parish church in Gravesend, England. John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was “the instrument to pursurve this colonie from death, famine, and utter confusion.
Virginia House of Burgesses
The first legislature anywhere in the English colonies in America was in Virginia. This was the House of Burgesses, and it first met on July 30, 1619, at a church in Jamestown. Its first order of business was to set a minimum price for the sale of tobacco.
Although the first session was cut short because of an outbreak of malaria, the House of Burgesses soon became a symbol of representative government. The 22 members of the House of Burgesses were elected by the colony as a whole, or actually men over 17 who also owned land. Royally appointed councillors (of which there were usually six) and governor rounded out the legislature. The governor was originally appointed by the Virginia Colony and later by the Crown.
The House of Burgesses, which met at first only once a year, could make laws, which could be vetoed by the governor or the directors of the Virginia Company. This continued to be the standard until 1624, when Virginia became a royal colony. At this time, England took much more control of things in Virginia, restricting the powers of the House of Burgesses.
Through the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, many leaders of the move toward independence made their names in the House of Burgesses. Patrick Henry introduced seven resolutions against the Stamp Act there in 1765.
The fact that the burgesses could make their own laws was very much on the mind of many people in the American colonies, especially when Great Britain continued to pass harsh laws that the colonists viewed as "taxation without representation."
Famous burgesses also included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The first legislature anywhere in the English colonies in America was in Virginia. This was the House of Burgesses, and it first met on July 30, 1619, at a church in Jamestown. Its first order of business was to set a minimum price for the sale of tobacco.
Although the first session was cut short because of an outbreak of malaria, the House of Burgesses soon became a symbol of representative government. The 22 members of the House of Burgesses were elected by the colony as a whole, or actually men over 17 who also owned land. Royally appointed councillors (of which there were usually six) and governor rounded out the legislature. The governor was originally appointed by the Virginia Colony and later by the Crown.
The House of Burgesses, which met at first only once a year, could make laws, which could be vetoed by the governor or the directors of the Virginia Company. This continued to be the standard until 1624, when Virginia became a royal colony. At this time, England took much more control of things in Virginia, restricting the powers of the House of Burgesses.
Through the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, many leaders of the move toward independence made their names in the House of Burgesses. Patrick Henry introduced seven resolutions against the Stamp Act there in 1765.
The fact that the burgesses could make their own laws was very much on the mind of many people in the American colonies, especially when Great Britain continued to pass harsh laws that the colonists viewed as "taxation without representation."
Famous burgesses also included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was established in November 1620 and located on the Atlantic coast of North America in, what would become, Massachusetts New England. The Plymouth Colony is not included as one of the original 13 colonies as it was de-established 1691. The Scrooby Puritans made the decision to move to America after reading about the travels and experiences of John Smith in Jamestown in the Generall Historie of Virginia and The True Travels…of Captain John Smith.
On the voyage to the new colony the "Saints" and the "Strangers" realised that if they did not work together, they could all die in the wilderness so they came to an agreement on how they would live in Plymouth Colony - the document was signed by the men and was called the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact served as the basis for the government of the colony by electing a governor, enacting laws and ensuring that there would be law and order in the colony.
Their landing place was unsuitable so some of the colonists explored the surrounding area for a better site for their settlement - they are attacked by the Nauset tribe of Indians but no one is hurt
The Plymouth colonists locate present day Plymouth Bay on land that had been previously cleared by Native Indians. They later discovered that it was the Pokanoket Indian village of Patuxet that had been wiped out by an epidemic. The colonists moved to the site of the settlement and started to build the first house on Christmas Day, 1620.
A terrible epidemic kills half of the Plymouth Colony. 45 of the 102 Pilgrims died that first winter and were buried on Cole's Hill.
The Pokanoket Indians were a leading tribe of the Wampanoag Nation. Their territory was extensive, and known to the Pilgrims before they arrived in the Plymouth Colony. Other tribes such as the Massachusett and the Narragansett also ventured into these territories
March 16, 1621: The colonists had a meeting with the Indians and pledged peace with the Pokanoket, Wampanoag Native American Indians led by Chief Massasoit. One of the Indians, Tisquantum aka Squanto, was able to speak English.
The Pokanoket Native American Indians feel sympathy for the people in the Plymouth Colony and teach them farming techniques and help the colonists to survive
In 1621: The first Thanksgiving was a solemn affair. Only 53 pilgrims were alive to give thanks. The Pokanoket was the tribe of the Wampanoag Nation that had the "first Thanksgiving" with the Pilgrims.
In November 1621, a second ship, the Fortune, is sent by the Merchant Adventurers. The ship arrived with 37 new settlers who were mostly friends and relatives of the colonists.
On the voyage to the new colony the "Saints" and the "Strangers" realised that if they did not work together, they could all die in the wilderness so they came to an agreement on how they would live in Plymouth Colony - the document was signed by the men and was called the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact served as the basis for the government of the colony by electing a governor, enacting laws and ensuring that there would be law and order in the colony.
Their landing place was unsuitable so some of the colonists explored the surrounding area for a better site for their settlement - they are attacked by the Nauset tribe of Indians but no one is hurt
The Plymouth colonists locate present day Plymouth Bay on land that had been previously cleared by Native Indians. They later discovered that it was the Pokanoket Indian village of Patuxet that had been wiped out by an epidemic. The colonists moved to the site of the settlement and started to build the first house on Christmas Day, 1620.
A terrible epidemic kills half of the Plymouth Colony. 45 of the 102 Pilgrims died that first winter and were buried on Cole's Hill.
The Pokanoket Indians were a leading tribe of the Wampanoag Nation. Their territory was extensive, and known to the Pilgrims before they arrived in the Plymouth Colony. Other tribes such as the Massachusett and the Narragansett also ventured into these territories
March 16, 1621: The colonists had a meeting with the Indians and pledged peace with the Pokanoket, Wampanoag Native American Indians led by Chief Massasoit. One of the Indians, Tisquantum aka Squanto, was able to speak English.
The Pokanoket Native American Indians feel sympathy for the people in the Plymouth Colony and teach them farming techniques and help the colonists to survive
In 1621: The first Thanksgiving was a solemn affair. Only 53 pilgrims were alive to give thanks. The Pokanoket was the tribe of the Wampanoag Nation that had the "first Thanksgiving" with the Pilgrims.
In November 1621, a second ship, the Fortune, is sent by the Merchant Adventurers. The ship arrived with 37 new settlers who were mostly friends and relatives of the colonists.