The First English
Colonies
 Late 1500s English government was
envious of wealth Spanish found in
the New World
 English people faced with few job
opportunities at home, hoped to
find riches in America
Early Colonies Fail
 Queen Elizabeth I gives Sir Walter
Raleigh charter to establish
England’s first colony (1585)
 name of colony is Virginia founded
on Roanoke Island
 local tribes and lack of food forced
the colonists return to England
 second attempt at Roanoke, 1587
 no one knows for sure what
happened to the “LOST COLONY”
 possible Croatoan (local tribe) either
killed colonists or took them into tribe
 1607 English tried to start colonies
in Maine it was also failed
Financing a Colony
 Raleigh lost his investment
 merchants tried to finance a colony
through a joint-stock company, a
company funded by investors
 2 joint-stock companies formed to
colonize America
* The Virginia Company of London
* The Virginia Company of Plymouth
 both received permission from King James I
with charters granted in 1606
 colonies were an important part
of the mercantilism
Jamestown is founded
in 1607
1607 – 100 colonists sent by VC of L
sailed into Chesapeake Bay…up the
James River – Jamestown , (first
English Settlement in North America)
Jamestown Struggles to
Survive
 Jamestown had troubles
*diseases carried by insects and water
*searched for treasure instead of
building houses and planting
*harsh climates
 by 1608 only 38 colonists remained
 John Smith took over as governor
 after Smith’s departure… The Starving
Time began
*colonists ate rodents and snakes
 relieve ships came in 1610
 Lord De La Warr imposes discipline
 Pocahontas of the Powhatan reduced
tensions between the tribe and the
colonists after she married John Rolfe
Tobacco transforms the
Colony
 colonists didn’t find gold – discovered
tobacco
*1614 – John Rolfe sent the first
shipment of tobacco to England
*ensures the colonies will survive
 colonists wanted share of profits and
were rewarded with their own land
*settlers work own land
 rivers in the region allowed tobacco to
be shipped directly to England
 to attract settlers: VA company offered
headright
 those who could not afford passage
usually became indentured servant
The House of Burgesses is
Formed
 settlers became frustrated at lack of selfgovernment
 VA Company allowed Burgesses to meet
once a year
 House of Burgesses
*established 1619
*first representative assembly in the
colonies
*power to pass local laws
*power to raise & collect taxes
Representative Government
 1622 Powhatan uprising
*Jamestown survived
* VA Company charter taken away
 King James I took control of colony as a royal
colony
 James opposed idea of elected governments
(banned House of Burgesses)
 outraged colonists petitioned the King James I
to have assembly restored
 1629 King Charles I restores House of
Burgesses
*1639 royal governors required to call
assembly into meeting once a year