Colonial America Notes Pt. 1

Early English Colonies: Roanoke Island  Off the coast of North Carolina.  2 Failed attempts at settlement. One in 1585, and one in  Established by Sir Walter Raleigh.  Known as the “Lost Colony”  The first English child born in North America, Virginia Dare, was born here.

 Sir Walter Raleigh

Jamestown  Founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company, a joint-stock company.  Settlers were to look for gold, and establish fish and fur trading.  The land was swampy, covered with mosquitos, and lacked good farmland.  Almost ¾ of the original settlers died during the first year.

Jamestown Built on a peninsula to protect against attacks

The Starving Time During the winter of , John Smith left for England. Without his leadership, the colony could not feed all of its people.

Jamestown Cont.  Captain John Smith saved the colony by forcing the settlers to work and farm the land. He also befriended the Native American, Chief Powhatan, who helped the settlers raise corn.  John Rolfe, learned to grow tobacco. This made the colony profitable for the first time.  Rolfe married Pocahontas, Daughter of Chief Powhattan.

Jamestown Cont.  House of Burgesses met for the 1 st time on July,  It was first form of Representative government in North America.  Women and Africans arrived also in  William Tucker, was the first African American born in the colonies.  King James cancelled the Virginia Company’s charter in 1624.