English Colonization Begins in North America

Summary

This video script delves into the early English colonization of North America, highlighting Queen Elizabeth's efforts to challenge Spain's dominance. It discusses the motivations behind English exploration, including breaking Spain's monopoly and the establishment of the first English colony at Roanoke Island, which mysteriously disappeared. The script also touches on the significance of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, leading to England's rise as a naval power. The narrative continues with James I's interest in colonization, focusing on the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, as the first permanent English colony in the Americas.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Spanish had already begun colonizing parts of North America while the English were preoccupied with civil war and political unrest.
• 👑 Queen Elizabeth I's reign saw England's interest in colonization to break Spain's monopoly and establish a strong presence in the New World.
• 🚢 English explorers like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh were instrumental in English colonization efforts, with Drake being the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
• 🏴‍☠️ Sir Walter Raleigh, known partly as a pirate, plundered Spanish ships for gold and claimed the Eastern Seaboard of the United States for England, naming it Virginia.
• 🌳 Raleigh established the first English settlement on Roanoke Island, which mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree.
• 🇪🇸 The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by England marked a significant shift in naval power, allowing England to take the lead in the Atlantic.
• 👴 After Elizabeth's death, James I of Scotland became the king of England and showed interest in colonizing North America for various strategic and economic reasons.
• ⛪ James I saw colonization as a means to spread Protestantism, secure resources, expand markets for English goods, and provide employment for his subjects.
• 🌳 The abundance of trees in America was a significant attraction for England, as it could help build a larger navy, which equated to more power and security.
• 🏰 The first permanent English colony, Jamestown, Virginia, was established in 1607 under James I, marking a successful and lasting English presence in the Americas.

Q & A

Why did England start to explore and colonize North America in the mid-1500s?

England began to explore and express interest in North America in the mid-1500s to break Spain's monopoly on an overseas empire. Spain was England's main competitor for global dominance, and Queen Elizabeth wanted to challenge Spain's wealth and power, which had been growing since Columbus's voyage in 1492.

Who were some of the English explorers that Queen Elizabeth allowed to voyage to the Americas?

Queen Elizabeth gave permission to several explorers, including Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and others. Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, and Sir Walter Raleigh explored and claimed the Eastern Seaboard of the United States for Elizabeth, naming it Virginia.

What was the significance of Sir Walter Raleigh's voyages to the Americas?

Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with establishing the first English colony in the Americas, albeit short-lived. He created a settlement on an island off the coast of what is now North Carolina, known as Roanoke Island. His explorations were part of England's efforts to challenge Spanish dominance and establish a foothold in the New World.

What happened to the first English colony established by Sir Walter Raleigh on Roanoke Island?

The first English colony on Roanoke Island mysteriously disappeared. When Sir Walter Raleigh returned to the island a few years after its establishment, the settlers were gone without a trace, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree, which is believed to be the name of a nearby Native American tribe.

How did the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 impact England's position in the Atlantic?

The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 led to the destruction of the Spanish Navy, which took years to rebuild. This allowed England, under Queen Elizabeth, to take Spain's role as the leading naval power in the Atlantic, enhancing England's global influence and security.

Why was King James I of England interested in colonizing North America?

King James I was interested in colonizing North America for several reasons: to set up forts for stealing resources from Spanish ships, to spread Protestantism, to expand markets for English exports, to provide employment opportunities during a tough economic period, and to secure timber for building a larger navy, which would increase England's power and security.

What was the first permanent English colony in North America, and when was it established?

The first permanent English colony in North America was Jamestown, Virginia, established in 1607. It was named after King James I and marked a successful and lasting English presence in the New World.

What was the role of the Protestant religion in England's colonization efforts in North America?

The spread of Protestantism was one of the motivations behind England's colonization efforts in North America. King James I saw colonization as an opportunity to expand the influence of Protestantism, contrasting with the Catholicism promoted by Spain.

How did the establishment of Jamestown differ from the earlier attempt at Roanoke Island?

Jamestown differed from the earlier attempt at Roanoke Island in that it was a permanent settlement that lasted and grew, becoming the first successful English colony in North America. In contrast, the Roanoke Island colony mysteriously vanished, with no lasting impact on the region.

What were the economic motivations for England's colonization of North America during King James I's reign?

During King James I's reign, the economic motivations for colonization included setting up forts to plunder Spanish ships for gold, expanding markets for English goods to alleviate unemployment, and acquiring resources like timber to build a larger navy, which would strengthen England's economy and global power.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Dawn of English Colonization in North America

This paragraph delves into the early stages of English colonization in North America, a period when the Spanish had already established a strong presence in the Southwest and Southeast. The English, hindered by internal strife such as the civil war and political unrest, were relatively late to the colonial race. However, under Queen Elizabeth I's reign in the mid-1500s, England began to show interest in exploration to challenge Spain's monopoly on overseas empires. Spain, being England's primary rival, had amassed wealth through gold mining and the encomienda system. Queen Elizabeth granted permission to several explorers, including Sir Francis Drake, who became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, and Sir Walter Raleigh, who claimed the Eastern Seaboard for England, naming it Virginia after the 'Virgin Queen.' Raleigh's first attempt at establishing a colony on Roanoke Island ended in mystery, with the settlers vanishing without a trace, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree as a clue to their fate. Despite this setback, the English continued their efforts, culminating in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, a pivotal moment that shifted naval power in the Atlantic to England.

05:01

🚢 The Rise of English Naval Power and the Founding of Jamestown

Following the destruction of the Spanish Navy, England emerged as the dominant naval power in the Atlantic, a position that was crucial for the country's influence and security. Queen Elizabeth, though not particularly interested in American colonization, was succeeded by James I, who saw significant benefits in establishing English colonies. James I's motivations included setting up forts to plunder Spanish ships, spreading Protestantism as a counter to Spain's Catholic agenda, and expanding markets for English goods to alleviate domestic economic struggles. The abundance of timber in America was also seen as a resource to bolster England's naval strength, which was directly linked to the security of the throne and the nation. It was under James I's support that the first permanent English colony, Jamestown in Virginia, was founded in 1607, marking a new era in English colonization efforts in the Americas.

Keywords

💡English Colonization

English Colonization refers to the establishment of settlements and colonies by England in various parts of the world, including North America. In the video, it is discussed as a strategic move to break Spain's monopoly on overseas empires and to compete for global dominance. The script mentions how England, under Queen Elizabeth, began to explore and establish colonies in the Americas, which were initially dominated by the Spanish.

💡Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of England during a significant period of English exploration and colonization. The script highlights her role in giving permission to explorers like Sir Walter Raleigh to venture into the New World, with the aim of challenging Spain's dominance and establishing an English presence in North America.

💡Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was an English explorer, writer, and soldier, famed for his expeditions to the Americas. In the script, he is noted for establishing the first English colony in the Americas, which he named Virginia after Queen Elizabeth, the 'Virgin Queen.' His efforts, however, faced challenges, as evidenced by the mysterious disappearance of the settlers at Roanoke Island.

💡Roanoke Island

Roanoke Island is significant in the history of English colonization as the site of the first English settlement in the Americas, which was later abandoned. The script recounts the mystery of the 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke, where settlers disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree.

💡Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was the Habsburg Spain's fleet that was sent to invade England in 1588. The script describes the English victory over the Armada as a pivotal moment that weakened Spain's naval power and allowed England to assert its dominance in the Atlantic, setting the stage for further English colonization efforts.

💡Jamestown, Virginia

Jamestown, Virginia, is recognized as the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The script explains that it was established in 1607 under the reign of James I, who saw the potential benefits of colonization for England, including the expansion of trade, religious influence, and the acquisition of resources to bolster England's naval power.

💡Monopoly of Overseas Empire

The term 'Monopoly of Overseas Empire' in the script refers to Spain's control over vast territories and resources in the New World. England's interest in colonization was partly driven by the desire to challenge this monopoly and gain access to the wealth and resources that Spain had been amassing since the time of Columbus.

💡Croatoan

Croatoan is the name of a Native American tribe mentioned in the script in relation to the mystery of Roanoke Island. The word 'Croatoan' was found carved into a tree, suggesting a possible connection between the tribe and the disappearance of the English settlers. It remains one of the enduring mysteries of early American history.

💡Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake was an English sea captain, privateer, and explorer. The script notes him as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, a significant achievement that demonstrated England's growing maritime capabilities and its challenge to Spanish dominance in exploration and trade.

💡James I of England

James I, also known as James VI of Scotland, succeeded Queen Elizabeth and is noted in the script for his interest in colonization. He saw colonization as a means to expand England's influence, spread Protestantism, and improve the English economy by establishing new markets and sources of raw materials.

💡Protestantism

Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emerged during the Reformation. In the context of the script, James I's interest in colonization was partly driven by the desire to spread Protestantism, which was in opposition to the Catholicism promoted by Spain. This religious aspect was a significant factor in the competition between England and Spain for control over the New World.

Highlights

The Spanish had already begun colonization in the Southwest and Florida, while the English had lagged due to civil war and political unrest.

England's exploration in the mid-1500s was largely to break Spain's monopoly on an overseas empire.

Queen Elizabeth I gave permission to explorers like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh to voyage and claim lands.

Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

Sir Walter Raleigh explored and claimed the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, naming it Virginia.

Raleigh established the first English settlement on Roanoke Island, which mysteriously disappeared.

The word 'Croatoan' was the only clue left behind regarding the settlers' fate on Roanoke Island.

England's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 led to the destruction of the Spanish Navy and England's rise as the leading Navy in the Atlantic.

Queen Elizabeth I was not particularly interested in colonizing America and focused on maintaining power over the Atlantic.

After Elizabeth's death, James I of Scotland became the leader of England and showed interest in colonization.

James I saw colonization as an opportunity to spread Protestantism, expand markets, provide employment, and build a bigger Navy.

Jamestown, Virginia, established in 1607, became the first permanent English colony in the Americas.

The establishment of Jamestown marked a significant shift in England's colonial ambitions and the beginning of a lasting presence in the New World.

Transcripts

today folks we are going to talk about

the beginnings of English colonization

North America the Spanish had obviously

already begun to colonize the Southwest

in the area of Florida and the southeast

um the English had really lagged on this

in part because there was civil war

going on in their own country a lot of

political unrest um but as we move into

the mid

1500s under the leadership of Queen

Elizabeth England begins to express

interest and begins to explore now why

does England start to explore at this

time largely it was simply to break

Spain's Monopoly of an overseas Empire

um Spain was at this time England's

biggest Contender for being the

strongest nation in the world in Europe

but also in turn in the world and

because of that England and Spain were

enemies um and they were competitors and

so Elizabeth had been seen really since

Columbus's Voyage in 1492 she had been

seeing Spain become increasingly wealthy

in apart from the mining of gold as well

as of course um the harvesting of

different raw materials through the enom

mienda system etc etc and so Elizabeth

basically wanted to break that Monopoly

remember at this point in time the

Spanish had successfully colonized for

the most part almost all of South

America Central America and the southern

part of North America and so Elizabeth

does give permission um to a couple

different uh explorers to go on

different voyages and you see a list of

them there Sir Francis Drake probably

the most famous he is going to become

the first Englishman to circumnavigate

the globe to sail completely around the

globe and while Ferdinand mellan is

given the um credit of being the first

person to circumnavigate the globe many

of you I'm sure know that mellin

actually died on that journey and when

he arrived um and whereas Sir Francis

Drake actually did complete that entire

Journey from the video we saw Sir Walter

Ry um and we know that Sir Walter Ry was

in part a pirate um and plundered

Spanish ships for gold but Sir Walter

Raleigh as you saw in the video also um

explored and claimed the Eastern

Seaboard of the United States for

Elizabeth naming it Virginia um of

course after the fact that she was well

known as the Virgin Queen because she

remained

unmarried um Sir Walter righ will return

so she does end up granting him

permission to return and he actually

makes four voyages in total to the

Americas and Raleigh is credited with

being the person that will establish

estblished the first English settlement

the first English colony so to say in

the Americas and he creates it just off

of the coast of North Carolina remember

at this time all of this area was known

as Virginia but creates it just off of

the coast of what is today North

Carolina um on an island which becomes

known as Rowan O So Rowan o Island um he

establishes this Colony sets everything

up leaves to go back to England returns

a few years later and when he returns

the colony is gone the people are gone

there is there is no trace of them

there's not even B dead bodies or skulls

or skeletons or anything um the only

thing that was left

was when he arrived Back to the Island

the only thing that he saw maybe some of

you heard this story before um was

something carved into a tree what was

carved in the tree let's see if any of

you can guess before I turn the

slide did you guess the word cro toan so

that was the word that was carved into a

tree that's the only clue as to what

happened to the

settlers um it is most

educatedly believed that cro toen was a

Native American tribe that lived nearby

that either forcefully um took the

settlers or um they willingly went with

them um but the reality of it is we

never know what happened to them and

it's kind of one of those mysteries of

History what happened to the settlers of

Rowan Oak so while that is the first

settlement it obviously does not last

and therefore is not viewed as

successful in 1588 um England defeats a

Spanish Armada that's the name of the

Spanish Navy um in a really unlikely uh

Victory um and what this does is it

actually leads to the destruction of the

Spanish Navy which will take them years

to rebuild and it will never actually um

be the forceful uh the force that it it

was originally in the meantime England

with this Victory will take Spain's role

as the leading Navy in the Atlantic um

and at that time in history the power of

the Seas equated to the power of the

country and so Elizabeth um from that

point on maintains power over the

Atlantic she's not particularly

interested in colonizing America she

dies in 16003 and because she was

childless um the crown went to her

cousin James I of Scotland at the time

so James becomes the leader of England

um and he is actually interested in

colonizing and sees a lot of benefits

for uh English colonization in the

Americas for England so looking at that

list on the right um number one they

could set up forts in North America

where they could continue to steal gold

and other resources from Spanish ships

they can spread the Protestant religion

remember part of the reason that the

Spanish had been interested in

colonization was gold God and glory and

for them their God was Catholicism uh

James the first sees this as an

opportunity to spread

protestantism expand markets for English

exports so at this point in time in

history um England was having uh a

really tough economy where they weren't

selling a lot of goods a lot of people

were out of work and so he's seen a lot

of opportunities there in terms of

colonization such as providing

employment and then most importantly is

that America has lots of trees lots and

lots of trees and this is just going to

help England build a bigger Navy bigger

Navy means of course more power and at

this time in history when we're talking

about monarchs competing against each

other um the more power the more secure

their Throne was the more secure of

course their country was so it's under

James the first that he begins to throw

his support behind people who are

interested in colonizing and that of

course brings us to the first permanent

English colony remember row and Oak did

not last so it's not permanent but the

first permanent English colony the first

one that lasts is of course named after

James I first himself called Jamestown

Virginia many of you I'm sure have heard

of it um established in 16007 and that's

going to be our discussion next