Jamestown

Fort Caroline and St. Augustine
  • In 1564,French Protestants founded the Fort Caroline colony in Florida. For just over a year, this colony was sufferedwith hunger, Indian attacks, mutiny, and attracted the attention of Spanish authorities who considered it a challenge to their control over the area.
  • The Spanish responded by founding a settlement,
St. Augustine about 35 miles to the south on the Florida coast. They then sent an army, which attacked and killed almost all of the French settlers.
  • St. Augustine would thrive as a Spanish settlement and is the OldestEuropean settlement in the United States.
Roanoke Colony Vanishes
  • Sir Walter Raleigh tried to start an Englishcolony off Roanoke Island, North Carolina.
Supplies ran low, they returned to England
A 2nd group, led by John White arrived in winter of 1585 and could not thrive
White went home for supplies. Came back three years later. (was delayed by the fighting between Spain and England)
Upon return --colonists had Vanished
Jamestown
•Jamestown was the First permanent Englishsettlement in the New World
•In 1607 landed at Chesapeake Bay--swampy, marshy land, and lots of malaria carrying mosquitoes
•Sent from England and financed by the London Company
Goals of the Jamestown Colony:
•Find Gold and a River passage to Asia
•Locate the Roanoke Colonist if possible (At this point they were missing for over 20 years
John Smith
  • The settlers were sent with a locked box containing names of 6 leaders.
  • They learned of land instructions and a surprise name was on the list: JOHN SMITH
  • John Smith was locked in chains under the belly of the ship when they arrived---- accused of Mutiny.
The Settlers of Jamestown
  • The leaders were “Gentlemen” wealthy men who had no training or farmers experience
  • Poor leaders.
  • All Men at first
  • They were Lazy and fought amongst themselves
  • Lied to the Indians by telling them they wouldn’t stay
  • Wasted time looking for gold. (They believed they would find gold like the Spanish did but there was none. )
John Smith takes charge
  • John Smith explores Chesapeake Bay looking for the Northwest Passage and gets captured by Powhatan Indians.
  • He meets Pocahontas, the Chiefs daughter when she supposedly saves his life. He lives with Natives and gains their trust. When Smith returned to Jamestown he becomes the leader and trades with the Powhatan for Food. He also starts the “He that does not Work, does not Eat” policy and makes ALL settlers work.
Tensions rise between Powhatan and Settlers
  • John Smith and the settlers did not leave like they had promised but instead planted Crops and waited for supplies and more settlers from England
  • Smith took a Powhatan leader hostage demanding corn all the while continuing to explore looking for the Northwest Passage. By 1609 full scale war broke out and the English almost starved to death in a period of time known as the “Starving Time” where all but 60 of the 500 colonists died.
  • Supplies arrived in 1610 and saved the colony. Smith returned to England after he was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion and never returned to Virginia.
Tobacco saves Jamestown
  • John Rolfe arrives with hundreds of settlers at Jamestown in 1610. For the first time English Women come to the New World as well.
  • Rolfe used seeds from the Caribbean to mix a better strand of Tobacco to grow in Virginia. Changed Jamestown’s economy: Based on Tobacco Growth.
  • Pocahontas was captured as a prisoner. While in captivity she embraced Christianity, changed her name to Rebecca and Married John Rolfe.
  • Rolfe had to go to England on business: took Pocahontas and son Michael
  • Pocahontas was famous and met the King and Queen but died of an illness at age 22 before she could return home.
/ List 2 reasons why the Spanish attacked the French at Fort Caroline?
1)The French were in Spanish territory
2)The French were Protestants
What would this mean for the English if they tried to colonize America?
The Spanish would attack them too
What happened to the Colony at Roanoke?
It is a Mystery
What was the first permanent English Colony?
Jamestown
Why was Chesapeake Bay a good place for a English Colony?
The bay protected the colony from storms and it would be harder for the Spanish to find it.
Define: Mutiny
Rebellion against the authorities
What was the biggest problem with the “Gentlemen” of Jamestown?
They were lazy and had no training or farming experience
Only 12% of the Jamestown settlers lived through what “time?”
Starving Time
Why did the Powhatan Indians have problems with the Jamestown settlers?
1)The settlers at Jamestown took the Indians land.
2)The settlers lied about staying
3)The settlers stole from the Indians
What crop saved the Jamestown Colony?
Tobacco