British Colonisation Flashcards
Why did Britain want to Colonise?
- They wanted to compete with Spain.
- They wanted to make profits.
- They wanted access to new raw materials.
- Impress the monarch(s)
Who was Walter Raleigh?
He was an explorer who was favoured by Queen Elizabeth I.
He wanted to explore the Americas to find new land to claim for Elizabeth and England as well as compete with the Spanish.
When and where did Raleigh establish his first settlement in America?
He (unsuccessfully) established a settlement in Virginia in 1584.
- He named it after the Virgin Queen Elizabeth.
Who did he send to Virginia and why?
He sent a group of English settlers to Virginia to create a settlement called Roanoke but the settlement disappeared mysteriously and when the English travelled over a few years later, there was no sign of Roanoke.
What was The Virginia Company?
It was a joint stock company (a group of people who came together to invest in something) that hoped to establish the first successful English settlement in America to grow tobacco for huge profits.
When was The Virginia Company set up?
1606.
What was the company made up of?
- Investors
- Planters (indentured servents)
What settlement did The Virginia Company set up and when?
They set up their settlement at Jamestown, in Virginia, in 1607.
Who inhabited the Americas before British Colonisation?
Native Americans.
What were the Native Americans?
- Nomadic people (the moved around according to where they found hospitable conditions)
- They lived by hunting and fishing
- They had no knowledge of new technology, like guns
- They were divided into different tribes, and each tribe had a chief who led the tribe.
What was the initial contact between the British and the Native Americans?
The settlers at Jamestown quickly realised that the area was part of a Native American territory known as the Powhatan Confederacy, which was made up of dozens of villages; Chief Powhatan was their leader.
What did the Native Americans assume when they came into contact with the English.
They did not expect the English to want to control them; Chief Powhatan assumed that he would be their chief too.
How did relations with the Native Americans begin?
The English began by trading copper pots and iron fish hooks for food and Native American acceptance.
This started a good relationship with the Natives.
What did John Smith do?
He worsened the relations with the Natives by:
- Taking over more land than allowed by the Powhatans.
- He competed with the Powhatans over the production of food.
Between which years were Britain and the Natives at war?
1609 to 1614.