England & The New World

1.5

Spain’s Success

• England, France, Netherlands interested

• 1500’s – Explorers– Fishermen– Pirates– Fur traders

• 1600’s settlements

1500’s Religious Unrest

• 16th Cen. England second rate power– Racked w/ internal conflict

• Henry VIII– Edward VI (1547)

• Mary (1553)

• Elizabeth (1558-1609)

Ireland

• Conquest lasted into 1600’s• Catholic threat• Methods developed later used in America

on Indians – “Wild Irish/ American Indian– Slaughter– Military conquest– Land seizure– English economics– Settlement

Charters

• Right to build colony at own expense

• 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh settlement on Roanoke Island NC– 100 people young military men– Raid Spanish too– 1586 return to Eng.

Lost Colony of Roanoke

• 1587 100 people mostly families permanent settlement

• 1590 supply ship arrives & people are all gone

• “Croaton”

• Raleigh bankrupt

• Colonies will need govt support

English Motivation

• Gold, Glory, God

• Spain bad = anti-Catholicism,

• Black Legend = English freedom– Liberate New World– Indians will welcome us

• England repeats Spanish behaviors

• Empire = Freedom

• England could rival Spain & France if the build empire.

• NA could be source of trade (land & animals) not gold & sugar.

“England grows weary of her inhabitants”

• Population growth– 1550 3M – 1600 4M

• Landowners evict small farmers for sheep

• Cities overcrowded & wages fall

• Unemployed a burden– Whipped, army, forced labor, forced to leave

• America the solution - productive

Masterless Men

• Those who control their own labor are truly free.

• America = unique opportunity– Land = freedom– 1623 J. Smith “every man a master & owner

of own land & labor”– 200 acres impossible in England

• Economic freedom is the gold