1. English Empire
Note in 1707 England and Scotland became unified and from then on known as Britain

2. Role of England
England weak, politically and economically in comparison to Spain.
Henry VII sponsored John Cabot’s voyages to Canada 1497
lost interest when NW passage not discovered.
Lack of political will, and military capacity to challenge Spain before later 16thC

3. Ireland
Ireland conquered by Normans, but gradually England lost control.
Tudors show renewed interest.
Military expeditions during Elizabethan Age
led by soldiers & adventurers.

4. Followed up by colonizers
Seeking land holdings and use of Gaelic Irish as serfs,
frequent atrocities and brutality towards Irish
About 200,000 migrants from GB to Ireland

5. Ireland as a blueprint Finance Promotional literature
Attitudes towards native peoples
Individuals involved
e.g.
Richard Grenville,
Humphrey Gilbert,
Walter Raleigh.

6. Video Questions 1
1. Shift in seventeenth century Virginia away from indentured servant labor was accompanied by
increasing tobacco production.
slowing rates of population growth.
accelerating movement toward democracy.
using race as a dividing line among the poor.

7. Video Questions 2
2. Professor Karen Kupperman refers to property ownership in colonial Virginia as a "double-edged sword" because it
applied to both land and labor.
guaranteed both whites and blacks the right to vote.
Tended to destroy a sense of community.
Gave women a cause to complain about.

8. English Imperial Ambitions
Motivation:
Envy of Spanish Colonial treasure
Wealth helped Spain become most powerful nation;
English policy:
Break the Iberian monopoly on America
fear that American wealth, after Henry VIII's split with Rome (1534), could be used against them.
English sanctioned privateering operations.
Captured Spanish treasure ships bringing gold & silver from New World.

9. By 1580 increasingly dangerous to prey on Spanish shipping
American base needed.
American colonies also ease English reliance on southern Europe for citrus fruits, silks, and vines.
1st patent to settle in America granted to Sir Humphrey Gilbert
half brother to Walter Raleigh,
settle anywhere between Florida and Northern Canada

11. Early British Attempts
Initially England was not successful
Martin Frobsier
Searching for gold and a northwest passage
3 failed journeys between

12. John Hawkins and Francis Drake
Humphrey Gilbert
Attempted to settle in Newfoundland – failed, Gilbert dies at sea
John Hawkins and Francis Drake
Successful in the Caribbean
But as pirates not settlers
But by 1580 England still had no permanent settlement in Americas

13. Roanoke 3 English voyages to settle North America in 1580s.
First landed at Roanoke Island, North Carolina on July 13th, 1584,
short lived military expedition
found that the land was suitable for both cultivation and defence,
returned home to England with 2 local Indians, Manteo & Wanchese.

14. Roanoke Island

15. Ralph Lane, discovered Chesapeake Bay
1585-6, 2nd English Voyage
Ralph Lane, discovered Chesapeake Bay
ideal as naval base.
Noted for the oil paintings of John White and the descriptions of Thomas Hariot.
But, young male adventurers, with ambitions of land and wealth, not ideal colonists.

16. Indian relations deteriorated, food supply from Indians cut off
Drake arrived summer 1586, seeking re-supply, ends up providing food for colonists, eventually agrees to return them to England

17. Third voyage 1587: different from previous ones
Colonists were farmers not soldiers
came in family groups.
Intended to be a permanent settlement,
self-sustaining and self-reproducing.
John White Governor, returned to England for more supplies
Leaving daughter and grand-daughter, Virginia Dare, at Roanoke.

18. When finally arrives, found settlement abandoned
Unable to return until 1590
Due to Spanish Armada
When finally arrives, found settlement abandoned
colonists never seen again.

19. Importance of Roanoke 3 voyages saw evolution of colonising thought
Roanoke seen as
A base for privateering,
Then a place where valuable raw materials could be shipped to England,
Third voyage aimed to settle permanently.

20. Lessons of Roanoke were clear:
no colony could exist without full support from mother country in terms of men and supplies
for at least the first few years
clear goals needed to give direction and purpose to the colonisation effort
good relations with the Indians were necessary
to learn the best survival techniques in the American wilderness.

21. Conclusions
Failure of Roanoke great setback for England imperial ambitions.
1600 still no permanent English settlement in North America
Yet England had taste for colonization, saw it was practical, possible and still thought it worthwhile & potentially profitable.

22. After Roanoke 20 year wait for colonisation to restart
Nothing possible until succession decided, too much uncertainty
James I ( ) ends war with Spain 1604.
Ends profits from privateering
Leads to reconsideration of colonisation
Importance of getting a charter, royal sanction/support
sets out claims, regardless of other powers
1606 charters given to
Virginia Company of London and Virginia Company of Plymouth to settle between 34 and 45 degrees N latitude, (NC to Maine)

23. Grant to Virginia Co.

25. The Virginia Company Made up of merchants and gentlemen
charter talks of trade and bringing Christianity to natives.
Needs colonists as
traders
potential soldiers to defend against Spanish
Offers free land for settlers
144 young men to go on first voyage on board 3 ships (Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant)
Arrives Chesapeake bay April
Jamestown May 1607

26. James Fort First Building in America by British

27. VA Problems of Authority
Virginia has crisis of authority
1st two governors lose control quickly
only 38 of 144 original migrants still alive in Nov 1607.
Solved by John Smith
elected Gov in Dec 1608
introduced system of Martial Law
moved colony inland
learned survival techniques from Indians

28. New fleet arrives June 1609, brings 900 new settlers.
‘The Starving Time’
New fleet arrives June 1609, brings 900 new settlers.
Smith ousted, and returns to England
No effective leadership during harsh winter of
lack of planning – no food stockpiled
widespread starvation
some cannibalism.

29. Decide to return to England
Spring 1610 only 60 survivors
Decide to return to England
Prevented by arrival of new Governor Lord De La Warre
Laws Divine, Moral and Martial 1611
Response of Virginia Co
House of Burgesses
First elected body in North America, July 1619
Again before Pilgrims

30. Migrants Before 1618 all migrants: Male Most under 25
Free land offered
obvious draw to poor, as well as to younger sons of gentry,
i.e. those with little prospect of riches in England
Main motivation
economic, seeking fortune and status
See Virginia as temporary home

31. Importance of indentured labour
Main source of labour in Virginia before 1680
People were ‘sold’ for number of years in return for passage.
Possibility of land at end of service.
Problems of flight
seen as form of slavery,

32. Suggestion religion had role in colonisation
Mentioned in charter
Used as recruitment tactic
But little attention paid by colonists once there.
Authority derived from either tradition (elders), law (officials) or charisma (dictators)
First church built in 1639
32 years after arrival
Rebuilt in 1907 on original spot

33. Indians Problems with Indians major factor in Virginia development
Powhatan confederacy more powerful than English
Numbers approx 10,000 in 1620
1000 English in 1624
Initial antagonism – disputes over property
Smith’s role – situation calms in 1610s
Rolfe marries Pocahontas

34. Powhatan sees English as potential allies vs interior tribes.
Irrelevant to broader region of Powhatan Empire
Never imagines they would be threat to him
Trades for weapons etc
Powhatan dies 1622

35. Succeeded by brother Opechancanough
more hostile to English
especially encroachment on lands
Role of tobacco in taking Indian lands
English authorities unable to prevent it

36. Achieves total surprise
Kills 347 whites
out of population of 1200.
Opechancanough thought English would leave
But attack cements negative image of Indians among English
makes their destruction easier to live with

37. Attack on Good Friday (March 22) 1622

38. Conclusions Virginia in 1624 in turmoil Politically unstable
e.g. Virginia Co loss of charter 1624
Endured disease, war, death.
Only about 1000 whites in Virginia after 17yrs of colonisation
settlement still in balance
could easily still fail.

39. Economic Development No economic purpose to early settlement
1612 planting of Trinidadian tobacco by John Rolfe.
Rapid growth of production
2,000 lbs in 1615
1.5m lbs 1629
by 1620 meant single farmer with no extra labour could make £200/yr profit.
Also cause of instability.

41. Larger plantation owners were able to survive through
Expanding length of indenture
Increasing punishments for infractions of contract
Renting land
Selling other crops and
From money earned from positions in the local government
Wealthy landowners also closed up

42. Drop in profits led to a situation whereby Indentured servants
Still the dominant labor force
Had little money or opportunity to set themselves up as plantation owners.
Creates a group of landless freemen

43. Into this problematic situation stepped Nathanial Bacon

44. From Virginia we head west to New Mexico and the Pueblo Revolt

46. 29 year old Cambridge graduate
Bacon
reputed to have been sent to America by his family in a hope that it would mature him and make him into a Man.
29 year old Cambridge graduate
From wealthy English family, related by marriage to Virginia governor Sir William Berkley
Everything looked good
Bacon given a land grant and a seat on the council.

47. Problems mentioned earlier had many people who were outside the wealthy group looking for scapegoats for their situation
In July 1675 a group was found.
A group of Doeg Indians raided the plantation of Thomas Mathews.
Mathews plantation was on the outskirts of the area controlled by the English

48. Raid was not a random attack by “wild Indians”
But an attempt to get paid for goods that Mathews had obtained from the tribe.
Several Indians were killed in the attack as was the herdsman of Mathews plantation

49. However, they also killed a number of Susquehannocks
In revenge the local colonists went after the Doeg Indians and killed ten or more
However, they also killed a number of Susquehannocks
a tribe that were at peace with and regularly traded with the English.
Governor Berkeley stepped in and attempted to restore order by ordering an investigation and set up a negation meeting between the English and the Susquehannocks

50. During this meeting the local militia killed the chiefs sent to negotiate
The Susquehannocks went on a series of retaliatory attacks along the James River
Bacon’s overseer was killed.
Governor Berkeley planned a series of forts to protect the outlying communities
These forts would be paid for out of taxes,

51. Outlying planters financially strapped by low Tobacco prices and a stagnant economy preferred the cheaper option
An outright war to kill all Indians and seize their lands.
They elected Bacon as their leader

52. Bacon’s popularity led legislature
Led 300 men on an attack on local Indian population on April 1676 – he found only friendly Indians
Killed them anyway
Bacon’s popularity led legislature
under Berkeley
To pass legislation that allowed Indians to be termed:
enemies if they left their village without permission from the English

53. This allowed their lands and property to be taken.
How would you react if 1000 angry men – the size of Bacon’s following at this time – came charging towards your village?
Policy allowed in part as rich landowners thought they would be able to expand their wealth from these acquisitions.

54. The governor realizing that this policy was not working ordered the end of hostilities
Bacon returned at the head of his army and rode into Jamestown.
Chased the governor away and burnt the capital building
offered freedom to any of Berkeley’s supporters, servants or slaves who joined them.

56. and the rebellion was over.
Just as Bacon and the rebellion that bore his name was at the height of its power
Bacon died
possibly of dysentery
and the rebellion was over.
Berkeley quickly regained control and punished Bacon’s supporters severely.

57. Aftermath English government sent to troops to quell uprising
Virginia at peace long before they arrived.
Berkeley recalled
New governor implemented some reforms and hit rebels hard
Executed leaders and imprisoned others
Sending a message that rebellion was never justified, no matter what the provocation.
The long term effect for Indians was that the frontier was again pushed back

58. Possible Explanations
Instability on frontier
mixing of freed servants, blacks, Indians; taxes high, discontent over spending priorities, so rebellion a symbol of class conflict
lower death rates and immigration of royalists meant social mobility falling
Establishing First Families of Virginia – even Bacon excluded
Bacon as popular democratic hero struggling vs tyranny
failure leads to ‘end of American Independence’

59. Back to the British colonies
Not Virginia
Not New England
But the richest place in the British Empire
Barbados

60. Important for two reasons
Barbados
Colonized 1630s
Important for two reasons
Wealth
Structure
Both transferred to mainland

61. Annual sugar exports
,000 pounds
1700 – 50 Million
1680 planter in Barbados
4 times richer than tobacco planter in Chesapeake
Also held 115 slaves

62. Virginia and wider Chesapeake region was:
Remember this man?
Virginia and wider Chesapeake region was:
Growing
Losing attractiveness for Indentured servants
But still needed
Cheap labor
1650s Africans 3% of Chesapeake
Majority population on Barbados

63. Obtained charter to create colony south of Chesapeake
1663 John Collerton
Barbadian planter
Obtained charter to create colony south of Chesapeake
Carolina
1670 settled in Charles Towne
1712 split into two

64. Campbell / Galenson historical debate over social status
Were migrants ‘middling people’ or ‘common sort’ ?
Problem source materials
mainly from 1650s
incompleteness of data
Probably reflected English population
mainly poor (farmers, labourers, artisans), but not the truly destitute
A few merchants, aristocrats, or wealthy people