The Origins of Empire
Early American Social History
Term 1 Week 2
Introduction
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An Imperial mentality
Era of the nation state
Why America?
New ideas, new understanding of the world
Age of Empires
• Commercial imperatives
drive 15thC voyages of
discovery by Portugal
into Atlantic, on to Africa
and India.
• Columbus
• Rapid development of Sp
empire, conquest of
Mexico 1519, Peru 1533,
consolidation of
European territories
under Charles V.
Empire gives Sp
power / influence
in Europe, and
wealth from
Americas
supports
European
ambitions.
Enables Sp to
become most
powerful nation
Position of England
• England weak,
politically and
economically in
comparison to Spain.
• Cabot’s voyages to
Canada 1497/8,
Ireland
English settlement in
Ireland
Ireland as a blueprint
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Finance
promotional literature
Attitudes towards natives
individuals
English Imperial Ambitions
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Motivations
Methods: Privateers
Bases
Economic motivations
Imp of Propaganda
Sir Humphrey
Gilbert
1st patent to settle in
America granted to Sir
Humphrey Gilbert, half
brother to Walter Raleigh,
permitted him to settle
anywhere between Florida
and Northern Canada
Sir Walter Raleigh
Roanoke
• 1st Roanoke voyage lands
July 13, 1584,
• 2nd voyage 1585-6,
• Indian problems
• Drake
John White’s map
of Virginia and a
modern map
Village of
Pomeiooc
The Flyer
The Lost Colony
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Third voyage 1587: very diff from previous ones
John White = Governor
Disappearance
Roanoke originally seen as a base for privateering, then a
place where valuable raw materials could be shipped to
England, only third voyage aimed to settle permanently.
• Lessons
Conclusions
• Failure of Roanoke great setback for Eng
imperial ambitions.
• 1600 still no permanent Eng settlement in
N. America
• Yet Eng had taste for colonisation, saw it
was practical, possible and still thought it
worthwhile & potentially profitable.