English
Empire
Note in 1707 England and Scotland became
unified and from then on known as Britain
Role of England


England weak, politically and economically in
comparison to Spain.
Henry VII sponsored John Cabot’s voyages to
Canada 1497


lost interest when NW passage not discovered.
Lack of political will, and military capacity to
challenge Spain before later 16thC
Ireland
Ireland conquered by Normans, but
gradually England lost control.
 Tudors show renewed interest.
 Military expeditions during
Elizabethan Age


led by soldiers & adventurers.

Followed up by colonizers

Seeking land holdings and use
of Gaelic Irish as serfs,
frequent atrocities and brutality
towards Irish
 About 200,000 migrants from
GB to Ireland 1600-1670

Ireland as a blueprint





Finance
Promotional literature
Attitudes towards native peoples
Individuals involved
e.g.
 Richard Grenville,
 Humphrey Gilbert,
 Walter Raleigh.
Video Questions 1

1. Shift in seventeenth century Virginia away
from indentured servant labor was
accompanied by
a)
b)
c)
d)
increasing tobacco production.
slowing rates of population growth.
accelerating movement toward democracy.
using race as a dividing line among the poor.
Video Questions 2

2. Professor Karen Kupperman refers to
property ownership in colonial Virginia as a
"double-edged sword" because it
a)
b)
c)
d)
applied to both land and labor.
guaranteed both whites and blacks the right to
vote.
Tended to destroy a sense of community.
Gave women a cause to complain about.
English Imperial Ambitions

Motivation:




English policy:
Break the Iberian monopoly on America



Envy of Spanish Colonial treasure
Wealth helped Spain become most powerful nation;
fear that American wealth, after Henry VIII's split with
Rome (1534), could be used against them.
English sanctioned privateering operations.
Captured Spanish treasure ships bringing gold &
silver from New World.

By 1580 increasingly dangerous
to prey on Spanish shipping



American colonies also ease
English reliance on southern
Europe for citrus fruits, silks,
and vines.
1st patent to settle in America
granted to Sir Humphrey
Gilbert


American base needed.
half brother to Walter Raleigh,
settle anywhere between
Florida and Northern Canada
Early British Attempts


Initially England was
not successful
Martin Frobsier


Searching for gold
and a northwest
passage
3 failed journeys
between 1576-1578

Humphrey Gilbert


Attempted to settle in
Newfoundland – failed,
Gilbert dies at sea
John Hawkins and Francis
Drake

Successful in the Caribbean
But as pirates not settlers

But by 1580 England still
had no permanent
settlement in Americas



3 English voyages to settle North
America in 1580s.
First landed at Roanoke Island,
North Carolina on July 13th,
1584,
short lived military expedition


found that the land was suitable for
both cultivation and defence,
returned home to England with 2
local Indians, Manteo &
Wanchese.
Roanoke
Roanoke
Island


1585-6, 2nd English Voyage
Ralph Lane, discovered Chesapeake Bay



ideal as naval base.
Noted for the oil paintings of John White
and the descriptions of Thomas Hariot.
But, young male adventurers, with
ambitions of land and wealth, not ideal
colonists.


Indian relations
deteriorated, food
supply from Indians
cut off
Drake arrived
summer 1586,
seeking re-supply,
ends up providing
food for colonists,
eventually agrees to
return them to
England




Third voyage 1587: different
from previous ones
Colonists were farmers not
soldiers
came in family groups.
Intended to be a permanent
settlement,



self-sustaining and selfreproducing.
John White Governor, returned
to England for more supplies
Leaving daughter and granddaughter, Virginia Dare, at
Roanoke.

Unable to return until 1590

Due to Spanish Armada
When finally arrives, found
settlement abandoned
 colonists never seen again.

Importance of Roanoke


3 voyages saw evolution of colonising
thought
Roanoke seen as
A base for privateering,
 Then a place where valuable raw materials
could be shipped to England,


Third voyage aimed to settle
permanently.


Lessons of Roanoke were clear:
no colony could exist without full support
from mother country in terms of men and
supplies



for at least the first few years
clear goals needed to give direction and
purpose to the colonisation effort
good relations with the Indians were
necessary

to learn the best survival techniques in the
American wilderness.
Conclusions



Failure of Roanoke great setback for England
imperial ambitions.
1600 still no permanent English settlement in
North America
Yet England had taste for colonization, saw it
was practical, possible and still thought it
worthwhile & potentially profitable.
After Roanoke



20 year wait for colonisation to restart
Nothing possible until succession decided, too much
uncertainty
James I (1603-25) ends war with Spain 1604.



Leads to reconsideration of colonisation
Importance of getting a charter, royal sanction/support



Ends profits from privateering
sets out claims, regardless of other powers
1606 charters given to
Virginia Company of London and Virginia Company of
Plymouth to settle between 34 and 45 degrees N latitude,
(NC to Maine)
Grant to
Virginia
Co.
The Virginia Company



Made up of merchants and gentlemen
charter talks of trade and bringing Christianity to
natives.
Needs colonists as






traders
potential soldiers to defend against Spanish
Offers free land for settlers
144 young men to go on first voyage on board 3
ships (Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant)
Arrives Chesapeake bay April 26 1607
Jamestown May 1607
James Fort
First Building in America by British
VA Problems of Authority


Virginia has crisis of
authority
1st two governors lose
control quickly


only 38 of 144 original
migrants still alive in Nov
1607.
Solved by John Smith




elected Gov in Dec 1608
introduced system of Martial
Law
moved colony inland
learned survival techniques
from Indians
‘The Starving Time’
 New fleet arrives June 1609, brings
900 new settlers.
 Smith ousted, and returns to England
 No effective leadership during harsh
winter of 1609-10
lack of planning – no food stockpiled
 widespread starvation
 some cannibalism.







Spring 1610 only 60 survivors
Decide to return to England
Prevented by arrival of new Governor Lord De
La Warre
Laws Divine, Moral and Martial 1611
Response of Virginia Co
House of Burgesses

First elected body in North America, July 1619

Again before Pilgrims
Migrants




Before 1618 all migrants:
Male
Most under 25
Free land offered



obvious draw to poor, as well as to younger sons of
gentry,
i.e. those with little prospect of riches in England
Main motivation

economic, seeking fortune and status

See Virginia as temporary home
Importance of indentured labour
 Main source of labour in Virginia
before 1680
 People were ‘sold’ for number of
years in return for passage.
 Possibility of land at end of service.

Problems of flight
 seen as form of slavery,


Suggestion religion had role in
colonisation





But little attention paid by
colonists once there.
Authority derived from either
tradition (elders), law (officials)
or charisma (dictators)
First church built in 1639


Mentioned in charter
Used as recruitment tactic
32 years after arrival
Rebuilt in 1907 on original spot
Indians






Problems with Indians major factor in
Virginia development
Powhatan confederacy more powerful than
English
Numbers approx 10,000 in 1620
 1000 English in 1624
Initial antagonism – disputes over property
Smith’s role – situation calms in 1610s
Rolfe marries Pocahontas




Powhatan sees
English as potential
allies vs interior
tribes.
Irrelevant to broader
region of Powhatan
Empire
Never imagines they
would be threat to
him
 Trades for
weapons etc
Powhatan dies 1622

Succeeded by brother
Opechancanough
more hostile to
English
 especially
encroachment on
lands

Role of tobacco in
taking Indian lands
 English authorities
unable to prevent it






Achieves total surprise
Kills 347 whites
 out of population of
1200.
Opechancanough
thought English would
leave
But attack cements
negative image of
Indians among
English
makes their
destruction easier to
live with
Attack on Good Friday (March 22) 1622
Conclusions


Virginia in 1624 in turmoil
Politically unstable





e.g. Virginia Co loss of charter 1624
Endured disease, war, death.
Only about 1000 whites in Virginia after 17yrs
of colonisation
settlement still in balance
could easily still fail.
Economic Development



No economic purpose to early
settlement
1612 planting of Trinidadian
tobacco by John Rolfe.
Rapid growth of production




2,000 lbs in 1615
1.5m lbs 1629
by 1620 meant single farmer
with no extra labour could
make £200/yr profit.
Also cause of instability.

Larger plantation owners were
able to survive through
Expanding length of indenture
 Increasing punishments for
infractions of contract
 Renting land
 Selling other crops and
 From money earned from positions
in the local government
 Wealthy landowners also closed up



Drop in profits led to
a situation whereby
Indentured servants



Still the dominant
labor force
Had little money or
opportunity to set
themselves up as
plantation owners.
Creates a group of
landless freemen
Into this problematic situation stepped
Nathanial Bacon
From Virginia we head west to New
Mexico and the Pueblo Revolt

Bacon

reputed to have been sent to America by
his family in a hope that it would mature
him and make him into a Man.
29 year old Cambridge graduate
 From wealthy English family, related by
marriage to Virginia governor Sir
William Berkley
 Everything looked good
 Bacon given a land grant and a seat on
the council.

Problems mentioned earlier had many
people who were outside the wealthy
group looking for scapegoats for their
situation
 In July 1675 a group was found.
 A group of Doeg Indians raided the
plantation of Thomas Mathews.
 Mathews plantation was on the
outskirts of the area controlled by the
English

Raid was not a random attack by
“wild Indians”
 But an attempt to get paid for
goods that Mathews had obtained
from the tribe.
 Several Indians were killed in the
attack as was the herdsman of
Mathews plantation



In revenge the local colonists went after
the Doeg Indians and killed ten or more
However, they also killed a number of
Susquehannocks


a tribe that were at peace with and regularly
traded with the English.
Governor Berkeley stepped in and
attempted to restore order by ordering an
investigation and set up a negation
meeting between the English and the
Susquehannocks





During this meeting the local militia
killed the chiefs sent to negotiate
The Susquehannocks went on a series of
retaliatory attacks along the James River
Bacon’s overseer was killed.
Governor Berkeley planned a series of
forts to protect the outlying communities
These forts would be paid for out of
taxes,



Outlying planters
financially strapped by
low Tobacco prices and a
stagnant economy
preferred the cheaper
option
An outright war to kill all
Indians and seize their
lands.
They elected Bacon as
their leader
Led 300 men on an attack on local
Indian population on April 1676 – he
found only friendly Indians
 Killed them anyway
 Bacon’s popularity led legislature


under Berkeley
To pass legislation that allowed Indians
to be termed:
 enemies if they left their village without
permission from the English

This allowed their lands and
property to be taken.
 How would you react if 1000
angry men – the size of Bacon’s
following at this time – came
charging towards your village?
 Policy allowed in part as rich
landowners thought they would be
able to expand their wealth from
these acquisitions.

The governor realizing that this
policy was not working ordered the
end of hostilities
 Bacon returned at the head of his
army and rode into Jamestown.
 Chased the governor away and
burnt the capital building
 offered freedom to any of
Berkeley’s supporters, servants or
slaves who joined them.

Just as Bacon and the rebellion
that bore his name was at the
height of its power
 Bacon died


possibly of dysentery
and the rebellion was over.
 Berkeley quickly regained control
and punished Bacon’s supporters
severely.

Aftermath

English government sent to troops to quell
uprising






Virginia at peace long before they arrived.
Berkeley recalled
New governor implemented some reforms and
hit rebels hard
Executed leaders and imprisoned others
Sending a message that rebellion was never
justified, no matter what the provocation.
The long term effect for Indians was that the
frontier was again pushed back
Possible Explanations
Instability on frontier


mixing of freed servants, blacks, Indians; taxes high,
discontent over spending priorities, so rebellion a
symbol of class conflict
lower death rates and immigration of royalists
meant social mobility falling


Establishing First Families of Virginia – even Bacon
excluded
Bacon as popular democratic hero struggling vs
tyranny


failure leads to ‘end of American Independence’
Back to the British
colonies




Not Virginia
Not New England
But the richest place in
the British Empire
Barbados

Barbados


Colonized 1630s
Important for two
reasons
Wealth
 Structure


Both transferred to
mainland






Annual sugar exports
1650 -150,000 pounds
1700 – 50 Million
1680 planter in
Barbados
4 times richer than
tobacco planter in
Chesapeake
Also held 115 slaves


Remember this man?
Virginia and wider
Chesapeake region was:






Growing
Losing attractiveness for
Indentured servants
But still needed
Cheap labor
1650s Africans 3% of
Chesapeake
Majority population on
Barbados

1663 John Collerton





Barbadian planter
Obtained charter to
create colony south
of Chesapeake
Carolina
1670 settled in
Charles Towne
1712 split into two








Campbell / Galenson historical debate over
social status
Were migrants ‘middling people’ or ‘common
sort’ ?
Problem source materials
mainly from 1650s
incompleteness of data
Probably reflected English population
mainly poor (farmers, labourers, artisans), but
not the truly destitute
A few merchants, aristocrats, or wealthy
people