 Sir Walter Raleigh – 1585 – set up a colony of 108 people on Roanoke – an island off the coast of North Carolina  Problems: A. Arrived to late to plant crops B. Colonists upset local Indians C. Went home in 1586

 Tried again in 1587  A. This time women and children came over  Their leader, John White, had to return to England for more supplies and was gone for three years  When he returned, the colony had vanished  Still remains a mystery today

 Jamestown (located in Virginia)  20 years after the Roanoke Colony  Investors raised money to fund a settlement in the New World called it a joint stock company – a company in which a number of people purchase ownership of the company  King James I granted them a charter for land

 – arrived in Virginia with 105 men and boys  2. Built a small post on the James River  3. Did not get off to a good start  A. the men spent most of their time looking for gold  Malaria (disease spread by mosquitoes) infected many  During the first year more than half of the settlers died

 Imposed strict discipline  If you did not work, you did not eat

 In 1609, Smith had to return to England  The winter was very harsh  They ate….

 John Rolfe learned how to grow a better tobacco plant in Jamestown  Tobacco became a cash crop – a product that can be grown in quantity and sold at a profit  They began to grow tobacco everywhere – sold it back to England for a profit

 Made up of elected representatives to make decisions – first one in the New World  Gave the colonists a voice in the government