Colonial America Chapter 3 Lesson 1 Roanoke and Jamestown

Settlement at the time France and Spain had successful settlements in the Americas. In particular, Spain was very successful in generating large sums of gold in the form of mining and farming. What effect will this success have on other nations who are thinking about colonizing the New World?

Spanish Territory

Pirates and Sir Francis Drake What is a Pirate? Pirates want gold or “booty” What ships might be carrying a lot of gold?

Pirates, England and Spain What ships might have been carrying a lot of gold? Spanish ships Have Spain and England been getting along lately? NO. England hires pirates (such as Sir Francis Drake) to raid Spanish ships bringing gold back from Mexico This is state-sponsored piracy

Sir Francis Drake: Pirate/ Swashbuckler Swashbuckler: a swaggering or daring soldier or adventurer (definition) Swashbuckler (a.k.a. swasher) is a term that emerged in the 16th century[1] and has been used as a term for pirates and swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler".[2

Facts about Sir Francis Drake Pirate that worked for England Plundered and pillaged Spanish settlements throughout the Caribbean.  Raided Spanish ships bringing gold back from Mexico. First Englishman to circumnavigate the world Knighted by Queen Elizabeth I, declared national hero, elected mayor of Plymouth, and made a member of Parliament

Facts about Sir Francis Drake Drake served as Assistant Admiral of the Royal Navy during England’s war with Spain in 1587. The most famous anecdote about Drake relates that, prior to the battle against the Spanish Armada, he was playing a game of bocce ball. On being warned of the approach of the Spanish fleet, Drake is said to have remarked “First we finish the game, and then we’ll deal with the Armada.”

Facts about Sir Francis Drake Set fire to several of his own ships and sailed them into the Spanish Armada to break their formation. He then boarded enemy admiral’s ship and personally captured their leader So feared by the Spanish he became known as “the Dragon” During all of his adventures, Drake carried with him a custom-made drum that bore his coat of arms.  Legend has it that when Mother England is in times of great peril, the drum starts beating.. 

England and the Quest for Gold Piracy was an effective way of getting gold, but England wanted to get into the colonies game. Queen Elizabeth gave Sir Walter Raleigh the right claim land in North America. He claimed an area called Roanoke near Virginia.

Settlement of Roanoke Founded 1587 led by John White White’s daughter gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in North America. White returned for supplies but was delayed since the fighting between England and Spain made it impossible for White to sail back to Roanoke for nearly 3 years. (Anglo-Spanish War, 1585-1604)

Roanoke: “The Lost Colony” First English settlement Colony disappeared. No one knows what happened to the colonies or the colonists. It’s sort of a mystery- Video

Jamestown 20 years after Roanoke, England tried again England had a new King, King James I Merchants pressed him for a charter- a document which grants the right to form a colony King James I granted their charter. In return, they named their settlement and the river it was on, Jamestown and the James River

Who were the merchants that founded Jamestown? They were part of “The Virginia Company” This was a Joint Stock Company- people could buy ownership and paid back with interest when they made money (like stocks) What was their plan to make money? Find gold (like the Spanish did) Establish trade in fish and fur (like the French did)

What did they find? They set out for gold and riches They found hardship instead (video) Extreme levels of starvation Called it “Starving time” Captain John Smith Helped forge relationship with local Native tribes (Powhatan) Powhatan provided food for a time but later stopped

How they made money Somehow, Jamestown survived the starvation They didn’t find gold, but they found a valuable crop called tobacco which they farmed and sent back to England and received a lot of money for. Most at Jamestown made their money by farming this tobacco.

More Settlers Come to Virginia After the tobacco success, others began to come to the colony to make money growing this crop Relations with the Powhatan became better when John Rolfe (a leading colonist at Jamestown) married the Powhatan Chief’s daughter, Pocahontas. Video- Pocahontas/ myth

Encouraging people to come to Jamestown Jamestown offered headright- a promise of 50 acres of land if the individual paid their own way to the colony. Why did Jamestown do this? What was the benefit for both?

Why go to Jamestown? Headright- Gave the chance to own land.- Video This lured many settlers to the colony and made it more successful and stable. The Virginia Company also gave the opportunity to participate in local government. Settlers could vote for burgesses (representatives). The Virginia House of Burgesses Made laws for the colony The first elected legislature in North America

The King seizes the colony King James seizes the colony in 1624 as the colony was not making enough money. He revoked the Virginia Company’s charter and placed the colony under direct control of the government of England. No more self governance (House of Burgesses) after this.

Closure: Write a journal entry reflecting on the experience of one of the following: Attend the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas Starvation at Jamestown Participation in the House of Burgesses and the English government seizing the colony