Notes: Unit 2: Exploration & Colonization #3 The First British Colonies

Important Information  1588 – Spain intends on going to war with England. They send the Spanish Armada to attack England. The Spanish Armada sails into a hurricane and is almost completely destroyed.  This opened the door for British colonization of North America and established England and France as the two major powers in Europe.

I. The First British Colonies  Made up of the east coast of present U.S.A.

1. Jamestown Colony (1607): First Permanent British Colony:  Located in present day Virginia (Atlantic Coast).

a. Reasons Jamestown Was Developed:  Paid for by the Virginia Company (London)  Investors in the company hoped the settlers would find gold in America.  Results:  Settlers arrived in a Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 (East Coast of N. America)  Became the first permanent British colony.

b. Jamestown is Almost Destroyed:  Original settlers made several poor decisions. 1. Chose swampy/marshy land to settle on. Result = There were lots of mosquitoes that spread malaria. 2. Chose to settle an area on the James River very close to the Atlantic Ocean. Result = Water was too salty to drink. 3. Spent time and energy searching for gold. Result = Settlers did not plant crops and run out of food.  The Harsh Winter of : Colonists eat lizards, rats, and dogs to survive.

c. Jamestown Survives:  Captain John Smith established the work or starve rule.  Jamestown (John Rolfe) began to cultivate (grow) tobacco.  Results:  Tobacco became very popular in Europe.  Tobacco is so profitable it is grown on the streets of Jamestown.  Virginia (Jamestown) became the first British colony.

d. The Virginia Colony Establishes Democracy in America:  The people of Virginia elect representatives to make laws for the colony.  Results:  The House of Burgesses (Representatives) became the 1 st elected assembly in America.  Virginia was divided into 11 districts with 2 Burgesses (Representatives) from each district.  The House of Burgesses formed a Legislature (a group of people elected to make laws).

2. Plymouth Colony (1620): Second Permanent British Colony:  Located in present day Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

a. Reasons Plymouth Was Developed:  Religious Freedom  Pilgrims (aka: Puritans or Separatists) left England to separate from the Church of England (religious freedom).  Results:  Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower.  Pilgrims founded Plymouth for religious freedom.

b. Mayflower Compact (Agreement):  Before making landfall, Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact.  The agreement established the rules and laws for the Plymouth Colony.  Results:  41(men) of the 101 passengers voted and signed the contents of the Compact.  First time common people (men) made their own laws.  Another early example of democracy in America.

c. Pilgrims Established American Traditions:  The North American tradition of Thanksgiving.  The initial belief of religious freedom in America.

3. Birth of Democracy in America:  The House of Burgesses (Virginia) & Mayflower Compact (Plymouth) are considered the earliest forms of American self-government or representative government (democracy).  Actually…The Iroquois were the first to use democracy in America.  The House of Burgesses & Mayflower Compact was the first time Europeans used democracy in America.