Jamestown and the First Economic Settlers (pg 22)

Economic Reasons why English came to America (Opportunity)

At the same time the Protestant Reformation was changing the English Church, a revolution in trade and agriculture was changing English society.

Other than religious freedom English settlers wanted to establish new trade markets and harvest natural resources to make money in the new world.

Enclosure Movement (Opportunity)

English land owners removed tenant farmers (who rented land) from their land.

Enclosure Movement: “Closed” their land to tenants for sheep farming to sell wool.

This displaced thousands of unemployed people and America became appealing for a chance at a better life.

Joint-Stock Companies (Travel)

Surplus wool was produced for England so the sheep farmers needed new markets to sell wool.

Join-stock companies were formed to find new markets to sell goods.

Joint-stock companies pooled the money of many investors. These companies then had a large amount of money to explore, trade and colonize new areas without the help of the government.

Roanoke

Sir Walter Raleigh colonizes Roanoke and names Virginia after the “virgin queen” Queen Elizabeth I.

Roanoke became known as the “lost colony”. 100 settlers are sent to live in the colony. They live

through a harsh winter. Some go back to England for supplies. When they return the colony was gone.

No bodies Only empty houses Letters “CRO” carved on a post possibly referring to Coratoan

Indians.

Jamestown

Virginia Company sent 105 settlers to set up trade between New World and England.

Settlers led by John Smith

Problems: The fort was built on a swamp which contained

mosquitoes carrying a deadly malaria virus. Powhatan Indians lived near and traded with the

settlers. (Pocahontas tribe) Settlers did not work, grow food, and they were not

good hunters. Many English died from disease and starvation.

A joint-stock company: based in Virginia in 1607: founded to find gold and a water way to the Indies: confirmed all Englishmen that they would have the same life in the New World. as they had in England, with the same rights: 3 of their ships transported the people that would found Jamestown in 1607.

Jamestown

The 1609-1610 winter was the “starving time”. In order to survive the settlers ate: Shoe leather Rats and snakes Dead bodies and dead horses

Growing tobacco and selling it in Europe saved the colony by helping to make money. Tobacco is a natural resource and was the most lucrative cash crop in the colonies.

Other natural resource from America are cotton, timber and fish.

Jamestown

The first government in Jamestown was the House of Burgesses which allowed settlers to elect its own representatives and propose its own laws.

To entice new settlers headrights were given which was 50 acres of land in exchange for an investment in the joint-stock company.

Maryland

Maryland was a colony created for the refuge of Catholics from England.

Started by Lord Baltimore. Maryland was a Proprietary Colony where the

owner could run the colony in anyway they chose. Impose taxes Appoint officials Coin money Create courts Grant lands

English Settlement of the American Colonies

• English settlers created colonies in America for 2 main reasons:

1. Religious freedom

2. New opportunities to make money