Chapter 01: European Settlement of North America
1.1 The First Europeans
(18 Note Cards Required)
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The student will describe European settlement in North
America during the 17th century.
The student will trace the ways that the economy and
society of British North America developed.
The student will explain the primary causes of the
American Revolution.
Colonies
Territories established by the government of a
nation in a foreign land.
Spain
The Spanish were the first to arrive and establish
strong settlements.
They dominated much of South America, modernday Mexico, and what eventually became the US
Southwest, Florida, and parts of Georgia.
Columbian Exchange
Widespread transfer of agricultural goods between the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres that occurred after
1492.
The French Settlements
France
The French took advantage of rivers and inland
waterways to control parts of the interior.
France made great amounts of money from the
fur trade.
Why the French Explored North America
I. Reasons why France explored North America:
A. To Christianize the Native Americans.
B. To deal in furs, not gold
II. Unlike the Spanish, the French were friendly toward the Indians.
Where is New France Located?
Located in Middle America from the St. Lawrence to the
Mississippi River.
Quebec
France's first successful colony in North America
which rested along the shores of the St. Lawrence
River.
Established in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain.
American History
The English Colonies
Unit 02:
Joint-Stock Company
A company owned by a group of investors.
Indentured Servants
People who agreed to work for a landowner for
up to seven years in exchange for that landowner
paying for their trip to North America.
After seven years they were suppose to become
landowners themselves.
Roanoke
I. Roanoke
A. The English first attempt to settle the New world.
II. Became the first American history mystery???????
A. Called the "Lost Colony."
B. Only one clue left behind to tell of the settlement's disappearance.
1. Cro and the Croatoans.
C. What happened?
1. Pirates, Indians, Spaniards, perhaps a hurricane? Nobody knows.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Roanoke Map
History Fun Fact:
Virginia Dare, born in 1587 on Roanoke
Island, was the first child born of English
parents in the New World.
Virginia Company
Sponsored the Jamestown colony and hoped to
make money off of the products and raw materials
it produced.
Jamestown
First successful English colony in North America
founded in Virginia in 1607.
Three small ships sailed from England to establish a colony in Virginia, arriving in
May 1607. Jamestown became America's first permanent English settlement.
Jamestown Mistakes
I. Mistakes of Jamestown:
1. Didn't follow advice.
a. Jamestown’s location was wrong
1a. Settled in swampy area & many died from malaria.
2. Treated the Indians poorly.
a. Fought them whenever they could.
3. Settlers wanted to be rich quick and didn’t plant crops.
a. Too many “Gentlemen;” not accustomed to manual labor.
b. Wanted to look for gold instead of planting crops.
John Smith
I. John Smith- Leader of Jamestown colonists
A. "Don't work, you don't eat."
B. Made men plant crops and trade with Indians.
Brought to Jamestown as a captive,
Captain John Smith became part of
the governing council of Jamestown
and an iconic historical figure due to
his skillful leadership of the
threatened colony and strong
relationships with the Native
Americans.
Captain John Smith
John Rolfe
Saved the colony when he discovered a new
crop called tobacco.
Tobacco
The crop proved very profitable for growers,
produced large revenues for the British government in
taxes, and created a class of wealthy, large land
owners in Virginia.
Led to many more colonists coming to Virginia.
Slavery
A system in which people are owned like property.
The first African Americans in the English colonies
arrived in 1619 at Jamestown.
Africans, who arrived against their will in
1619 had no choice other than to adapt to
the conditions in which they found
themselves. This included learning new
English customs and language and having
their own
traditions
ignored
or
discouraged by those around them.
Plantation System
Economic system that relies on the production
of cash crops by huge farms owned by wealthy
landowners.
It made the South very dependent on slavery.
Although slavery was not a prominent component of the early Jamestown settlement, the
institution took root in Virginia with the growth of the tobacco industry and became a
prototype for the other colonies.
Headright System
This system promised 50 acres of land to those
who would settle in the colony.
Religion
Religion, notably Protestantism, played a central role in the life of the colonists,
illustrated by the famous cross-planting at Cape Henry and the early construction of
several churches within the Jamestown colony.
 Arrival of Woman
Women

Men worked very hard to support their family.
 Women sent to colonies (sold for 120 lbs. of tobacco.)
 Ratio of 1 woman for every four men.
Starting in 1608, women began arriving in Jamestown, where many could achieve a status
and freedom unheard of in England.
Chief Powhatan
Chief who led a confederation of Native Americans in Virginia.
After initially going to war with the colonists he eventually
negotiated an uneasy peace with them.
Powhatan was the paramount chief of some 30 Powhatan Indian tribes when English settlers arrived at
Jamestown in 1607. His daughter Pocahontas befriended the English and at times served as intermediary
between the two cultural groups.
Powhatans and Trade
Trade between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians became increasingly
important. The English relied on the Indians for food and information, while the Powhatan
found English copper and metal tools desirable.
Bacon’s Rebellion
Rebellion of small farmers, indentured servants,
and some slaves in western Virginia led by an
aristocrat named Nathaniel Bacon.
Representative Governments
Governments in which the people elect their
own officials and have a voice.
Shareholder discontent with martial law in the new colony prompted the creation of the
"New Charter" which directly led to the first legislative assembly in the New World.
House of Burgesses (1619)
In 1619, Virginians established the colonies' first elected legislative
body.
The Burgesses were selected directly by the people and, along with
the governor and his appointed council, comprised Virginia's
government.
Affects of European Diseases
I. Affects of European diseases on Native Americans
A. Indians had no resistance.
1. Many succumbed to smallpox, whooping cough, and measles.
B. Diseases wiped out 75% of the Native American population.