The british colonial experienc
When Christopher Columbus first landed on the island of Hispaniola, he had no concept of what his voyage had discovered. A New World; with boundless land and new frontiers for exploration. Political issues and the powerful Spain prevented England from any ventures into New World colonization. In 1584, Sir Walter Ralegh founded the first English settlement. Roanoke, Virginia, named for the country's queen, was a disaster from the start. Poor land choice and much difficulty with the Indians led to a failed community. By 1586, when Sir Francis Drake visited Roanoke, the town was dead. No one reason for the disappearance of Roanoke can be found; some believe that the colonists may have been attacked by Indians, or suffered simply from the weather. Theorists believe that several of the occupants left to join native communities. The failure of Roanoke discouraged many Englishmen. No aristocrats were willing to subject themselves or families to famine and disease. Horror stories flooded England, and people did not want to leave. Richard Hakluyt and several others saw the New World as a chance for English advancement. Hakluyt wrote on the many positives colonization could bring to England. Hakluyt cited
Jamestown, Virginia was named for King James who gave the London Company a charter to settle there. In 1806, Sir Thomas Smith sailed for the New World. Only men came to Jamestown in 1806. The settlers picked a plot of land that they decided would be a perfect spot to protect against Spanish invasion. The men promptly built a fort to secure the colony. They didn't build schoolhouses or churches. The lack of religion should reflect the values of the men that came to Jamestown. The settlers were not the glorious, honorable men that history has sometimes portrayed them as. Jamestown was filled with England's debtors and filth. Most men were poor and single, in their early 20's. Life in Jamestown was not fun. Most of the colonists died in the first year. Mortality rates in many of the first years neared ninety percent. The poor men were brought under contracts of indenture; most of them didn't live to fulfill the contract. The Leaders of the colony were in a bind, desperately needing capital. The Virginia Company started selling stock in the colony to the public. These stocks promised big earnings in, but never lived up to expectations. The colony eventually became royal and left many Englishmen with shares of a company they did not want. Jamestown did eventually reap profits from the high volume trade of tobacco. This led to large plantations that were rented to wealthy men who paid their way to the New World. Jamestown didn't even stand up to its own name. The colonists were too absorbed with finding wealth, they didn't build houses they were accustomed to in England, the churches took a very long time and they never officially made a town. Jamestown, even with its problems, was the first permanent colony. New England, the Massachusetts Bay Colony in particular brought a new culture to the New World. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by a group of Puritans for religious freedom. Many of them were much weal
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Approximate Word count = 1298
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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