1. COLONIZATION Day 2 The English: Southern Colonies
American History 1
Mr. Hensley
SRMHS

2. England in the 16th Century
English solution to the Protestant and Catholic conflict – they create the Church of England
Queen Elizabeth leads England to new heights of power and influence
England’s economic success – import raw materials, sell finished goods – requires ships
Under Henry VIII in the early 16th century, England breaks away from the Catholic Church and forms the Church of England, with the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury replacing the Pope. This is largely done to allow Henry to get a divorce but it allows England to avoid the worst of the Reformation conflicts as they can use their new church to enact some of the reforms the Protestants are demanding. The dominant figure in England in the late 16th Century is Queen Elizabeth I who presides over England as it becomes one of the great European powers. England’s economic success drives their ascendancy and their economy is based upon importing in raw materials (like wool) and exporting finished goods, like clothes.

3. Joint-Stock Companies
Companies raise money by selling stock – which gives you a claim to a share of the profits
King grants the company a monopoly on all trade in a certain area
Virginia Company founded in 1606
Joint-stock companies were a British financial invention. They worked like modern companies, in that shareholders could own stock and were paid a share of the profits – but unlike modern companies, the joint-stock companies had their charter granted by the king and they were given a monopoly (or “patent”) on all trade in a certain geographical area. For example, the British East India Company had a monopoly on all trade with India while the Virginia Company (founded in 1600) had a monopoly on all trade with Virginia.

4. The Roanoke Failure Sir Walter Raleigh was a favorite of the Queen
He wanted to establish a colony on Roanoke Island ( now Manteo)
Colony established 1585, struggles to survive
Colony vanishes – only clue was the word “Croatan” carved into a tree
The first attempt by the English to colonize the New World was Walter Raleigh’s Roanoke Colony, established in 1585 near what is now present-day Manteo NC. The colony struggled – English farming techniques and English crops did not thrive in the New World and the colonists were not wiling to take advice or help from the Natives. The colony vanishes by 1590, the only clue is the word “Croatan” (the Indian name for Hatteras Island) carved into a tree. Historians think the colonists went “native” and were absorbed into nearby tribes.

5. Jamestown The next attempt to colonize is at Jamestown (1607)
Malaria kills many colonists; crops fail
John Smith is the English leader
Powhatan is the chief of the powerful Natives
80% mortality rate!
Jamestown is the next attempt by the English to settle the New World. The swampy land of coastal Virginia was both difficult to farm using English techniques and harbored many diseases. During the first winter, only 60 of the colony’s 200 inhabitants survived. The English encounter powerful Native tribes, led by Powhatan and meet them with fear and hostility.

6. Jamestown circa 1608

7. Pocahontas
She is the daughter of Powhatan and is kidnapped by the English during a war with the Natives (1613)
While in captivity, she marries John Rolfe and converts to Christianity
Moves to England, has a child and later, dies there
Did she save John Smith’s life? History or hoax?
There is much about the life of Pocahontas that is legend. Did she really save the life of John Smith? Analysis of the documents seems to indicate that Smith only claimed involvement of the girl after she had become a celebrity in England. His first account of the encounter with Powhatan does not mention Pocahontas at all. Her son, Thomas Rolfe, had children and many Virginians can claim Pocahontas as an ancestor.

8. Primary Source Activity

9. Tobacco John Rolfe learns of tobacco from the Natives
He experiments with milder strains
Tobacco becomes popular in England and Europe
It allows the Jamestown Colony to (finally) turn a profit by 1615

10. Indentured Servitude
Headright law gives free land to anyone who pays passage to Virginia
Rich people pay passage for poor people to get the free land
Poor people work as indentured servants to pay off their passage

11. Self Government
Virginia Company allows the creation of the House of Burgesses
First representative organization in America
Only male landowners are allowed to vote
1624: Virginia taken over by King (becomes a “crown colony”)

12. Proprietary Colonies
Lands were given by English King to his powerful friends
Known as “proprietary colonies”
1632: Maryland given to Lord Baltimore
1670: Carolinas given to the Lords Proprietors
1732: Georgia founded “

13. Society in Southern Colonies
Large gap between the rich and the poor
Large plantations with one owner and hundreds of servants – an aristocracy
Connections to England
Tradition of self-government

14. Review: English Colonies – The South
BIG QUESTIONS: What motivated the English to settle the southern colonies? How were the Southern colonies settled – what kind of people made the trip? How would you describe government and society in the Southern colonies?
The English used the joint-stock company to finance their original colonies in Virginia. They were motivated by a desire for wealth – but were unable to make a profit until tobacco was discovered. Southern colonial lands were usually given by the English king to his friends and powerful supporters. As such, the Southern colonies were dominated by wealthy aristocrats. The headright system gave these aristocrats the incentive to import thousands of poor servants. The Southern colonies had an early tradition of self-government.