Roanoke 9/21/2017. The First English Colonies in North America. Roanoke & Jamestown. Established by Sir Walter Raleigh in North Carolina in 1585

Transcription

1 The First English Colonies in North America Roanoke & Roanoke Established by Sir Walter Raleigh in North Carolina in 1585 Newcomers are more interested in looking for gold than fishing or growing food Shipment of supplies was delayed to the colony because of England s war with Spain When the supplies finally arrive 3 years after the last time supplies arrived, no colonists were found All that was found on a tree was the word CROATOAN carved on a tree To this day, no one knows what happened to the missing colonists 1

2 The Virginia Company named their settlement, in 1607, after their King, James I, who gave it a charter A charter is a formal document that outlined a colony s geographic boundaries and specified how it would be governed 4 The Virginia Company named their settlement, in 1607, after their King, James I, who gave it a charter A charter is a formal document that outlined a colony s geographic boundaries and specified how it would be governed They built their settlement in a swampy area with lots of mosquitos 5 Colonist built the fort in only 19 days It was strategically located and protected the colony against passing Spanish ships 6 2

3 Settlers were a mix of gentlemen & craftsmen None new very much about farming They cared more about looking for gold then food. Many died from starvation To attract more people to move to, the Virginia Company set up a different type of government. The new government made a point to consult the settlers on every important decision made in the colony. This marked the beginning of a representative government in America. In a representative government, voters elect representatives to make laws for them. 8 English Traditions The idea that people had political rights was deeply rooted in English history. In 1215 English nobles forced the King John to sign the Magna Carta, or Great Charter. This document said the King could not raise taxes without first consulting the great nobles and church leaders. In time these rights were extended to other people and this council grew into a representative assembly, called the Parliament, which passed laws. 3

4 Women in Virginia The colony s first women arrived in The Living in the colonies was a hardship. Settlers had to make everything from scratch: clothing, shelter, food, medicines, etc. John Smith steps up as the leader If any would not work, neither should he eat. Smith meets Pocahontas, who helps the settlers by empathizing with them & giving them food and supplies Native American Influences Native Americans introduced Europeans to: crops such as corn, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, squash, and peanuts snowshoes survival skills, including traps and hunting techniques 12 4

5 The following winter becomes known as the Starving Time (the American Indians would not trade with the settlers during this time) The next spring Three ships arrived with 150 new colonists, and 100 soldiers Pocahontas marries John Rolfe Rolfe introduces tobacco, a cash crop, which saves the colony The first documented arrival of 20+ Africans to the American colonies was recorded by Rolfe in 1619 in Rolfe reported them being delivered by a Dutch warship, but in reality an English warship captured them from a Portuguese slave ship (clever trick by Rolfe to blame the piracy on the Dutch) In the early years, Africans worked at the colony as indentured servants alongside white indentured servants In 1642, Massachusetts became the first colony to legally recognize slavery Virginia followed in 1662 Before then, African Americans could earn their freedom and own land 5

6 Primary Source Activity In this activity you are going to decode a primary source document written in an older form of English. The document is a letter written by John Rolfe to Sir Edwin Sandys, one of the founders of the Virginia company. Sandys wants a report from Rolfe to see how his investment in the colony is doing Work with your partner to decode Rolfe s report. Write your translation on a separate sheet of paper. The first one is done for you. Note: possible interpretations are on the back of your decoding notes, but try not to peak unless you get really stuck! 2D 6