Ch 3, Sec 1-2: Early English Settlements and the New England

Colonies

Colony of Roanoke

• Sir Walter Raleigh led an expedition to Roanoke Island (Present day N.C.)• 1st expedition– harsh winter-colony failed

• 2nd expedition– John White with 117 people landed in 1857– White left for supplies/gone for 3 years

• Nobody knows what happened to the colony

Jamestown

• In 1606, the Virginia Company (joint-stock company) got a charter from King James to start a colony

• 144 settlers were to look for gold, fish, and furs

• Founded Jamestown in 1607– In modern day Virginia

Problems with Jamestown• Swampy land• Diseases spread by mosquitoes• Not a lot of good farm land• Settlers not used to hard work• Only 38 settlers survived by 1608

Captain John Smith

• Soldier/explorer• Forced the settlers to work• Got corn from the natives• Had to leave for England in 1609– Colony almost collapsed-only 60 people in 1610

Making Money in Jamestown

• No gold/silver• Tobacco was the new cash crop• Settlers given plots of land to grow crops– Anything they grew was theirs to sell– Encouraged settlers to work harder

• 100 acres of land given to those who already paid their own way to the colony

• Headright-50 acres given to new people– 50 acres given to for anyone over 15 yrs old and for

each servant brought over

New Gov’t in Jamestown

• Colonists wanted a say in laws• 10 towns got to send 2 people to an assembly• House of Burgesses made laws for the colony

Africans come to Jamestown

• A Dutch ship brought 20 Africans to the colony in 1619– They were servants for a time/not slaves

• By the 1660s, Africans were slaves by law• Worked in the tobacco fields

Women come to Jamestown

• 1619-90 women sent to Jamestown• Anyone who wanted to marry a woman had

to pay 120 pounds of tobacco

Change of Control in Jamestown in the 1620s

• The Virginia Company lost profits in the colony• Native Americans attacked the colony• 1624-King James took control and Jamestown

became a Royal Colony

Religion-A New Reason To Colonize• England was not tolerant towards change in

religion• 2 Protestants groups wanted to leave as well– Puritans-people who wanted to reform the

Anglican Church– Separatists-people who set up new Anglican

Churches but keep the faith

Pilgrims path to the New World

• Separatists left England for the Netherlands– Could not find work and believed the kids were

losing their faith

• Made an agreement with the Virginia Co.• Left for Virginia on the Mayflower and

became known as Pilgrims

Mayflower Compact• Pilgrims were supposed to land in the Virginia

colony but landed north• They were not protected under the law• Signed the Mayflower Compact • promised to follow the law and pledged

loyalty to England• Created the Colony of Plymouth

Pilgrim Problems and Solutions at Plymouth

• Problem:– Landed before winter-could not farm– ½ died during the first winter

• Solution:– Squanto and Samoset befriended the colonists– Taught them how to grown crops and how to

hunt/fish– Signed a treaty with the Wampanoag tribe

Massachusetts Bay Company

• Given a royal charter north of Plymouth• Puritans settled in Boston in the

Massachusetts colony• Governed by John Winthrop• Known as the Great Migration• Only allowed Puritans to practice their faith– Caused others to leave the colony

Gov’t in Massachusetts

• Originally-John Winthrop and assistants made the laws

• 1634-A General Court was elected to make the laws– Adult males who went to church and owned land

could vote

The Colony of Connecticut

• South of Massachusetts• Good farming• Thomas Hooker led his church to Connecticut• Founded Hartford in 1636• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut– 1st constitution in America– Representative gov’t

The Colony of Rhode Island

• Created by people kicked out of Massachusetts• Roger Williams-banished– Thought people should pray however they wanted– Didn’t believe colonists should steal native lands

• Settled Providence in 1644• 1st place where people can worship freely

The Colony of New Hampshire

• Inspired by Rhode Island• John Wheelwright left Massachusetts in 1638• Founded Exeter• Was a free colony in 1679

Problems with the Natives in the

Colonies

• Settlers refused to stay on their land• Stole native lands without paying for it• Natives fought back and led to King Philip’s

War– Colonists won– Destroyed native power in the New England

colonies– Colonists expanded where ever they wanted to