The Start of Colonization in North America

Spain Dominated Colonization

►Why? Superior navy Wealthy from riches

gained in America

Spanish Armada Defeated

►Once England defeated the Spanish Armada, the seas opened up for other countries to colonize and explore

The French begin to Colonize

► France began to explore and colonize North America in 1534.

►Samuel de Champlain founded the town of Quebec in 1608.

New France► France had no desire

to build towns and raise families in their colonies.

►The main purpose for colonization was: Fur trade Convert Native

Americans to the Catholic faith

►They also developed friendly relations with the Native Americans Relied on them for

trade

England begins to Colonize

►What are some benefits of colonization?

►England in particular was becoming over populated and many suffered from poverty. Sending people to new land would help

solve this problem Gain wealth

How England establishes a Colony

►Spain – monarchy supported a colony►England – Established a colony

through joint-stock companies. Business in which investors pull their

wealth for a common purpose Their goal was to support a colony in

hopes to yield a profit.

Virginia Company

►This joint-stock company wanted to establish a colony on the eastern shore of North America

► First, however, they must receive a charter and permit in order to establish a colony. 1606 King James I

granted them a charter

King James I

The Journey Begins

►3 ships sent – Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed

►150 passengers and crewmen. 104 of them settled. All men. (Women and children would come later)

►Their goal: earn a profit by finding gold and other recourses

►It took them six weeks to cross the Atlantic. They had to stop and replenish in the West Indies. Then as they went north there was a huge storm that kept them from landing for 4 days. Finally they were able to sail into the Chesapeake Bay in April 1606

Jamestown and Roanoke

Problems from the start1. The first settlers were mostly made

up of upper-class Englishmen. These men believed it was below them to do hard labor.

► Lacked sufficient laborers and skilled farmers. This makes the establishment of ANYTHING extremely difficult.

Water2. Lack of fresh water► The people would drink from the James River

which gave them dysentery, typhoid, and salt poisoning.

►They were too close to the ocean and were drinking brackish water.

Food3. There was a major drought during this time, so gardening and farming were difficult. - The colonists would trade things for food with the Natives, but they were low on food themselves and could no longer make a trade. - Colonists eventually had to eat cats, dogs, vermin, and even corpses (cannibalism).

http://humsa.com/enews/scientists-find-evidence-of-cannibalism-at-jamestown-settlement----5885#.U63b80CN7fM

Native Americans► Leaders of Jamestown demanded tributes of

corn and labor from the Native Americans. With limited food themselves, they refused.

► Result, the colonists put Powhatan villages to fire and kidnapped hostages, even Pocahontas.

►This is when she met John Rolfe and eventually married him in 1614.

Through this marriage, tension eased between the Powhatan and colonists.

Small Population

►There were few people living in Jamestown, and with even more people dying of starvation, their numbers were dwindling.

► Less people = less workers = smaller profit. Also the more workers you have the more food and supplies you can get to survive.

► Because life was so harsh and difficult, some settlers ran off to live with the Native Americans.

► In 1609, 600 new colonists arrived. Of the 600 only 60 survived.

Result to solve these Problems

► The Virginia Company sent more people and new leaders to Jamestown, who put them under strict martial law.

► For Example: the penalties of running away included; shooting, hanging, burning, and being broken on the wheel.

Some new laws►No man shall do anything to disgrace

another person in the colony. Head and feet tied together for 1 month and be

publicly disgraced Forever be unable to possess any place or hold

any office.

►No man shall steal from any Indian coming to trade or in any other situation, on pain of death.

►No man shall take, lose, or willfully break a spade, shovel, hatchet, axe, or other tool upon pain of whipping.

Life turns Around

►With the increase of population and harsh punishments for those neglecting their work, life started improving for those in Jamestown.

►Tobacco becomes a cash crop

Tobacco

►In 1612 John Rolfe created a new kind of tobacco. He combined tobacco from Brazil with a local weed Native Americans had been growing for years. It was very popular.

►Jamestown finally started making a profit.

►However you need a large number of field laborers to grow tobacco.

►With such a profitable crop, the Virginia Company needed more people to move to Jamestown.

Bring in the PeopleVirginia Company’s Response -

►Headright System – Anyone who paid for their own or another’s passage to Virginia received 50 acres of land. This encouraged immigration to the colony. (Only for the Head of Household)

Indentured Servants

► Indentured Servants – in exchange for passage to North America, and food and shelter upon arrival, one would agree to a limited term of servitude. Generally 4-7 years.

First African Laborers

►They were brought over from Angola on a merchant ship in 1619.

► In the beginning Africans were treated much differently than they would be later on. After a few years of servitude they could earn land and freedom.

►Over time, however, the number of indentured servants declined while the wealth of colonists increased; thus enabling them to easily afford slaves. Eventually laws were created that made a slave, a slave for life. Then the children of slaves would immediately become slaves themselves. – How slavery evolved in the Americas.

Virginia House of Burgesses

►1618 the Virginia Company created a general assembly to advise the governor. The assembly was elected by white property owners.

►This would grow into the House of Burgesses – Virginia’s first legislature and the first in the New World

►Consisted of two citizens (Burgesses) from each 11 districts. (Sound familiar?)

►The house claimed authority to raise taxes and make laws.

Problems with Natives cont…

► With the growth of Jamestown the Powhatan became alarmed. No longer was Jamestown a simple trading post, but a growing community with permanent farms and plantations pushing further into their land.

►By 1622 the Powhatan were done with the English. The new Powhatan chief launched raids on 28 plantations and settlements, killing 347 colonists. 1/4th of Jamestown’s population.

Colonists’ response was an all out war.

►Virginia Company was forced to send more armed forces and supplies, leaving the company close to bankruptcy

►By 1624, King James was disgusted by the turmoil in Virginia. So he revoked the charter and made it a royal colony. The king was in charge and

appointed governors

About 10,000 people live in Virginia at this time.