England in the Age of Exploration

Summary

This video explores why England, despite being a powerful imperial nation, was late to colonialism compared to Spain. It discusses England's internal religious conflicts, particularly the establishment of the Protestant Church of England by Henry VIII and the subsequent struggles between Catholics and Protestants. The video also highlights England's focus on subduing Ireland, economic depression, and the strategic use of privateers like Sir Francis Drake to plunder Spanish ships, which provided an alternative to establishing colonies. The instructor sets the stage for the next video, which will delve into the factors that eventually led England to join the colonization of the New World.

Takeaways

• 🏰 England was a latecomer to imperialism, with its first successful colony in the New World, Jamestown, established over a century after Spain's initial ventures.
• 👑 The religious upheaval following Henry VIII's establishment of the Church of England and the subsequent conflicts between Catholics and Protestants consumed England's attention.
• 🤝 England's focus was divided by internal colonial issues, particularly the subjugation of Ireland, which was seen as a more immediate concern than overseas expansion.
• 💰 Economic depression in the 1500s left the English Crown with limited funds, impacting their ability to sponsor colonial expeditions like those of Spain.
• 🛡️ England's strategic approach involved using privateers, like Sir Francis Drake, to plunder Spanish ships rather than investing in costly colonial infrastructure.
• 🚢 The English navy's strength was a strategic asset, enabling them to intercept and capture wealth from Spanish ships without the need for extensive colonization.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The Irish conflict showcased England's willingness to use force to assert control, a tactic that would later be mirrored in their approach to colonization in North America.
• 👥 The English viewed the Irish population as 'barbarians' in need of English rule and Protestantism, reflecting a colonial mindset that would influence their interactions with indigenous populations in the New World.
• 🌐 England's late entry into colonization was influenced by a combination of internal religious strife, colonial distractions, and economic constraints.
• 🔮 The video suggests that future discussions will explore the factors that eventually led England to join the race for New World colonies, hinting at a shift in priorities and strategies.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video script about England's imperial history?

The main argument is that despite England being one of the most powerful and successful imperial nations of all time, it was quite late in starting its colonial ventures compared to other European nations like Spain.

When did Christopher Columbus, backed by Spain, establish a colony in the New World?

Christopher Columbus established a colony in Hispaniola in the New World in 1492.

When did England have its first successful colonial venture in the New World?

England had its first successful colonial venture in the New World with the establishment of Jamestown in 1607.

What significant internal conflict in England during the 1500s is mentioned as a reason for its late start in colonization?

The ongoing conflict between Catholics and Protestants in England, which started with Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England, is mentioned as a reason for England's late start in colonization.

Why did England's religious conflicts impact its ability to engage in colonial ventures?

England's religious conflicts impacted its ability to engage in colonial ventures because it was dealing with a crisis of succession and internal strife, which diverted its attention and resources away from overseas expansion.

What was England's colonial issue closer to home that it was dealing with during the 1500s?

England was dealing with colonial issues in Ireland, where it was undertaking a bloody and costly war to subdue the island and impose English rule and Protestantism.

How did England's view of the Irish population influence its approach to colonization?

England viewed the Catholic Irish population as barbarian savages who needed English rule and Protestantism for their own good, which influenced its approach to colonization by using brutal tactics and prioritizing control over self-determination.

What economic issue was England facing during the 1500s that affected its colonial ambitions?

England was facing economic depression during the 1500s, characterized by a lack of funds for the Crown, widespread crime, and poverty, which limited its ability to sponsor colonial exploits.

How did England benefit from the New World without establishing colonies there?

England benefited from the New World by issuing licenses to ship captains, known as privateers, to plunder Spanish ships returning with riches, thus acquiring wealth without the need to establish and maintain colonies.

Who was the most famous privateer that England used to acquire wealth from the New World?

Sir Francis Drake was the most famous privateer that England used to acquire wealth from the New World by plundering Spanish ships.

What was the strategy behind England's use of privateers instead of establishing colonies?

The strategy was to avoid the labor and risks associated with establishing and maintaining colonies by instead relying on the Spanish to do the work and then using England's growing navy to steal the riches from Spanish ships.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 England's Late Start in Colonialism

The video discusses why England was a latecomer to the Age of Exploration and colonization. Despite Spain's early colonization in 1492 with Christopher Columbus's arrival in Hispaniola, England did not establish a successful colony until 1607 with Jamestown. The video attributes England's delay to several internal issues: religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, which began with Henry VIII's establishment of the Church of England and continued through the reigns of his daughters, Elizabeth I (Protestant) and Mary (Catholic); colonial problems in Ireland, where England was engaged in a brutal war to subdue the Irish; and economic depression, which limited the Crown's ability to fund colonial ventures. Instead of establishing colonies, England resorted to privateering, allowing ship captains like Sir Francis Drake to plunder Spanish ships returning from the New World, capitalizing on England's growing naval strength.

05:01

🚢 England's Reluctance to Colonize and the Role of Privateering

This paragraph further elaborates on England's hesitance to colonize and its preference for privateering. The video explains that England did not have a strong incentive to engage in the labor-intensive process of colonization when they could simply steal from Spanish ships. The strategy was to let Spain do the work of extracting wealth from the New World and then use England's formidable navy to intercept and plunder these riches. The video concludes by setting the stage for the next installment, which will explore the factors that eventually led England to join the race for New World colonies.

Keywords

💡Imperial Nation

An imperial nation refers to a country that has colonies or territories under its control, often extending its influence and power through conquest or settlement. In the context of the video, England is discussed as a powerful imperial nation, highlighting its eventual dominance in colonial expansion despite being late to the imperial game compared to other European powers like Spain.

💡Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, was a period from the 15th to the 17th century when Europeans explored the world by sea, leading to the discovery of new trade routes and continents. The video mentions this era to emphasize that England was late in establishing colonies in the New World compared to other nations like Spain, which had already begun in the 15th century.

💡Jamestown

Jamestown is the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, established in 1607. It is a significant historical site as it marks the beginning of England's successful colonial ventures in the New World, which is a key point in the video's discussion about England's late entry into colonialism.

💡Religious Conflict

Religious conflict refers to the ongoing struggle between different religious groups, often leading to social, political, and military tensions. In the video, the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in England, initiated by Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church to form the Church of England, is highlighted as a reason for England's delayed colonial expansion.

💡Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is one of the largest Christian denominations, with the Pope as its leader. The video discusses how Henry VIII's break from the Catholic Church to establish the Church of England, a Protestant denomination, contributed to internal religious conflicts that distracted England from colonial pursuits.

💡Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I was the queen of England from 1558 to 1603 and is known for her role in the establishment of the Protestant Church of England. The video mentions her as a key figure in solidifying England's Protestant identity, which was part of the religious conflicts that delayed England's colonial ambitions.

💡Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe, and in the video, it is mentioned as a location where England was trying to subdue as a colony. The ongoing conflict and war in Ireland served as a distraction and resource drain for England, contributing to the delay in their colonization of the New World.

💡Economic Depression

Economic depression refers to a severe and prolonged downturn in economic activity. The video explains that England was dealing with economic challenges, including a lack of funds and widespread poverty, which limited their ability to finance colonial ventures like other European nations.

💡Privateers

Privateers were privately owned ships that were licensed by a government to attack foreign vessels during wartime. The video describes how England used privateers, such as Sir Francis Drake, to plunder Spanish ships carrying riches from the New World, as an alternative to establishing colonies and a more direct way to acquire wealth.

💡Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake was an English sea captain, privateer, and explorer who played a significant role in England's naval power. The video mentions him as a famous privateer who, with the support of the English Crown, engaged in piracy to seize Spanish ships' wealth, illustrating England's strategy of acquiring New World riches without the effort of colonization.

Highlights

England was not the first to colonize the New World, with Spain's colonization predating England's by over 100 years.

Christopher Columbus, backed by Spain, established a colony in Hispaniola in 1492.

England's first successful colonial venture in the New World was Jamestown in 1607.

England's late entry into colonization can be attributed to internal and external challenges.

Religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in England were a significant distraction.

Henry VIII's establishment of the Church of England marked a shift from Catholicism to Protestantism.

The struggle for power between Elizabeth I, a Protestant, and Mary, a Catholic, influenced England's focus.

England was preoccupied with subduing Ireland, viewing the Irish as 'barbarian savages'.

England faced economic depression, limiting the Crown's ability to fund colonial ventures.

The English Crown couldn't afford colonial exploits like Spain's sponsorship of Columbus.

England turned to privateering, allowing ship captains to plunder Spanish ships returning from the New World.

Sir Francis Drake was a famous privateer, essentially a pirate sanctioned by the English Crown.

England's developing navy was used to intercept and steal from Spanish ships, reducing the need for direct colonization.

The video will explore in the next part the factors that eventually led England to establish colonies in the New World.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] I think there's a strong argument

to be made that England was the most

powerful and successful imperial nation

of all time, but when you look back to the

Age of Exploration, it becomes clear that England

was actually pretty late to the imperial game.

As we know, Christopher Columbus,

backed by Spain, had arrived in

Hispaniola in the New World in 1492.

He was the first European to start

a colony in the New World.

England, by contrast, didn't actually have

a successful colonial venture in the

New World until 1607 with Jamestown.

Now from this distance it doesn't look

that far behind, but this is more than 100 years

later than Spain's first colonial ventures.

So what was England up to?

Why were they so late in the colonial game?

That's what I'd like to take a closer look at

in this video, and I'll also talk

a little bit more about what conditions

in England led that nation to start New World colonies.

Now I think the biggest reason why England

waited another 100 years to have a

New World colony is that England had

its own problems, and it had a number

of problems in this time period,

and we're talking about the 1500s here.

And the first of these was ongoing conflict

between Catholics and Protestants in England.

Now this is a very long story.

I don't have time to do justice to it here,

but suffice it to say that the trouble started

with Henry VIII, who we know from his

many wives and many beheadings,

and Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church

in Rome to start his own church,

the Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church.

Now this is a Protestant religion.

I'm gonna put P here for Protestant.

Now Henry had two daughters, Elizabeth

who like him was a Protestant,

and Mary, who was a Catholic, and Mary occupied

the throne for a number of years,

but Elizabeth managed to wrest it away from her

and once Elizabeth was on the throne

as Elizabeth I, England became a Protestant nation.

So it's hard to be involved in world affairs

when you've got kind of a crisis of succession

going on, so one factor here is religious conflict.

Another reason why England is not headed

over to the New World is that they have

colonial problems closer to home in Ireland.

England is trying to, and will succeed at,

subduing Ireland as one of its colonies,

and they're undertaking a very bloody

and costly war, and they think of this

Catholic Irish population almost as

barbarian savages who don't know

what's good for them and in the opinion of the English,

what's good for them is English rule

and Protestantism, when of course

what the Irish really want is self rule

and to be left alone, but they use

very brutal tactics against the Irish,

and we'll kind of see that again

when they're met with another hostile

colonial population in North America.

Another issue England is dealing with

is economic depression.

The Crown doesn't have a lot of money

and there's a great deal of crime

and poverty throughout the nation,

so while the Crown can't actually afford

to sponsor colonial exploits the way

that Spain sponsored Columbus, they still

managed to get some riches out

of the New World by giving ship captains

license to plunder Spanish ships

coming back with New World riches,

and these were called privateers,

the most famous of them here is this man,

Sir Francis Drake, and really, privateers are

just pirates with a fancy name,

but the logic here was, why bother

trying to set up a colony here in Mexico

or South America, the West Indies,

and do all the work of setting up housing

and trying to tame laborers and mining,

when instead you could just let the

Spanish do all of that and then put that

gold on a ship and then use your awesome navy,

'cause England is growing a very awesome navy,

to steal those riches.

So England doesn't have a strong incentive

to do all the labor when they can

just steal it from the ships along the way.

Alright, those are some of the reasons

why it took England so long to start

colonization in North America.

In the next video I'll talk about

the factors that led England to finally

join the race for New World colonies.