Jamestown The English take their first steps in colonizing America

Fort Caroline and St. Augustine In 1564 French Protestants founded the Fort Caroline colony in Florida. For just over a year, this colony suffered with hunger, Indian attacks, mutiny, and attracted the attention of Spanish authorities who considered it a challenge to their control over the area. Castillo de San Marcos, completed in 1695 The Spanish responded by founding their own settlement, St. Augustine about 35 miles to the south on the Florida coast. They then sent an army which attacked and killed almost all of the French settlers. St. Augustine would thrive as a Spanish settlement and is the oldest European settlement in the United States.

Why did the Spanish attack the French? 1) Spain claimed all of North America as their land 2) The French were Protestant and the Spanish were Catholic

What would this mean for the English if they tried to colonize America?

Roanoke Colony Vanishes Sir Walter Raleigh tried to start an English colony off Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Supplies ran low, they returned to England A 2nd group, led by John White arrived in winter of 1585 and could not thrive White went home for supplies. Came back three years later. (was delayed by the fighting between Spain and England) Upon return --colonists had vanished

What happened to the Roanoke Colony? It’s a mystery!

Letters CRO and Croatoan were carved into a tree but White was not able to locate any of the colonist including his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English person born in the New World.

Jamestown Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the New World In 1607 landed at Chesapeake Bay--swampy, marshy land, and lots of malaria carrying mosquitoes Sent from England and financed by the London Company Goals: Find Gold and river passage to Asia Locate the Roanoke Colonist if possible (At this point they were missing for over 20 years

Why was Chesapeake Bay a good place for a English Colony? The bay protected the colony from storms and it would be harder for the Spanish to find it.

John Smith The settlers were sent with a locked box containing names of 6 leaders. They learned of land instructions and a surprise name was on the list: JOHN SMITH John Smith was locked in chains under the belly of the ship when they arrived---- accused of MUTINY. (rebellion aga`inst the authorities) New World

The Settlers of Jamestown The leaders were “Gentlemen” wealthy men who had no training or farmers experience Poor leaders. All men at first They were lazy fought amongst themselves Lied to the Indians by telling them they wouldn't’t stay Wasted time looking for gold. (They believed they would find gold like the Spanish did but there was none. )

What was the biggest problem with the “Gentlemen” of Jamestown?

Into the Wild…Christopher McCandless in 1992 Into the wild trailer

The “Gentlemen” were not use to hard labor and were ignorant at what it took to survive in the wild

John Smith takes charge John Smith explores Chesapeake Bay looking for the Northwest Passage and gets captured by Powhatan Indians. He meets Pocahontas the Chiefs daughter when she supposedly saves his life. He lives with Natives and gains their trust. When Smith returned to Jamestown he becomes the leader and trades with the Powhatan for food. He also starts the “He that does not work, does not eat” policy and make ALL settlers work. The fictional love story between Smith and Pocahontas is a popular story but in reality he was too old for her, she was around 13 he was 37. "at the minute of my execution, she hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown

Typical punishment for a minor crime

Tensions rise between Powhatan and Settlers John Smith and the settlers did not leave like they had promised but instead planted crops and waited for supplies and more settlers from England. Smith took a Powhatan leader hostage demanding corn all the while continuing to explore looking for the Northwest Passage. By 1609 full scale war broke out and the English almost starved to death in a period of time known as the “Starving Time” where all but 60 of the 500 colonists died. Supplies arrived in 1610 and saved the colony. Smith returned to England after he was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion and never returned to Virginia. Smith captures a Powhatan

Why did the Powhatan Indians have problems with the Jamestown settlers? The settlers at Jamestown took the Indians land The settlers lied about staying The settlers stole from the Indians

Tobacco saves Jamestown John Rolfe arrives with hundreds of settlers at Jamestown in 1610. For the first time English women come to the New World as well. Rolfe used seeds from the Caribbean to mix a better strand of tobacco to grow in Virginia. Changed Jamestown’s economy: Based on tobacco growth. Pocahontas was captured as a prisoner. While in captivity she embraced Christianity, changed her name to Rebecca and married John Rolfe. Rolfe had to go to England on business: took Pocahontas and son Michael Pocahontas was famous and met the King and Queen but died of an illness at age 22 before she could return home.

Just the facts What was the first English Colony in America? 2) Why do you think the colony almost failed? 3) What saved the colony?