Essay Questions
1). The English had a desire of colony in the North America as they wanted to search silver and gold there. However, in 1585, approximately hundred English men arrived in the Roanoke Island, which is near North Carolina (Ayres, Gould, Oshinsky, and Sodarlund). Further, in 1587, majority settlers arrived in Roanoke. However, leader of the English people named John White went back to England in order to buy the supplies. However, in this settlement the Native American did not provide any support. They did not maintained friendly relations with The English coming over to these places, did not provided them the food, so most of the people died in Roanoke and theory settlements also failed due to the hunger and the bad relationship with the Native Americans. Approximately about fifteen men returned to England on a ship, which were killed later on by the Native Americans. Due to the killing of fifteen men by the Native Americans, it was decided to pay Native American back, so Job White ordered to attach the Powhatans as they were considered as responsible killing fifteen men. But, as a matter of fact they attacked Croatoans Native Americans who helped them and were their friends. But, after the attack the Croatoans also became their enemies. This situation, however, compelled John White to move back to England in order to get more food as well as supplied.
But, on his return to Roanoke, there were no colonists, and no one succeeded in finding them. In the year 1606, the English merchants had started Virginia Company, they desired for building a settlement in the North America (McNeese). Additionally, the king provided the charter for colony to the company. The merchant, however, asked people to invest in the organization. If the colonists succeeded in finding the treasure, then the individuals who purchased the stock would be able to make money.
Further, in 1607, above hundred boys and men were sailed to Virginia, and they called their colony as Jamestown. The settlers, however, looked for the gold, they were not aware of farming. Moreover, Jamestown was a hot and damp place, where the insects caused diseases, water was not good for drinking purpose, and the settlers faced the shortage of the food. Most of the settlers died due to disease and hunger. Considering this situation, a new leader, named John Smith ordered men to stop their search for the gold and start plantation of the crops. However, life was very hard in the Jamestown.
Furthermore, in 1609, majority of the colonists died in winter, which is called the starving time. John Rolfe, a settler of Jamestown found in 1612 that tobacco grew very well in the Jamestown. Later on, tobacco also became the cash crop and the settlers had sold the tobacco to England. Further, they also bought the food as well as supplies from the England. The Africans also arrived in the Jamestown in 1619. The Powhatan Indiana, however, also lived in the Jamestown. They saw that the English want to occupy their land, so they fought. The peace was observed when John Rolfe married the daughter of leader of Powhatan. But, the peace was for the short period of the time. The English tried again to occupy the Powhatan land, and for that they fought again. English killed most of the Powhatan and occupied majority of the land in 1646. They are important settlements in North America because they are regarded as the first settlements in the North America, and also considered as the birthplace of America.
Critically, the settlers became deprived of the basic necessities because of the wrong attack on Powhatan. They had also occupied the Powhatan land forcefully after fighting with Powhatans in order to have control on the majority of the land, so that more crops could be cultivated.
2). The formation of the Plymouth Bay Colony In Massachusetts in the year 1620 by the religious immigrants called Pilgrims is considered as the beginning of the immigration on a large scale from the Europe to the region that ultimately became the United States (Pursell). However, the Pilgrims, came from the English rebels against the Church of England, which are called separatists as they consider that they should detach themselves completely from the state Church. For following the separate faith without any involvement from the English authorities, the Separatists’ communities went into the exile in Holland. It was quite difficult for the English refugees to search the work as just the lowest paying and hardest jobs were available, and the economic conditions were also unsatisfactory.
However, the powerful religious exiles were dubious of the Dutch culture, as they became worried that their English culture is losing the identity as their children are not following the English religion, and they are losing the English customs. Further, their leaders arranged to get King James of England for allowing the resetting of people in America, and they also got the support from the financial speculators in London Virginia Company for permitting the company to produce a large portion of crop in the New World.
Further, in September 1620, the Mayflower was sailed from the Plymouth having about 102 emigrants, among them 41 were the separatists. After two months, they reached Cape Cod in the modern Massachusetts but because of the stressed encounter with the Native Americans they preferred to resettle in the Plymouth Bay. They did a lot of struggle in order for establishing themselves and their identity, but ultimately with the new arrivals the colony at the Plymouth became the base for the American population. Further, more contribution and support to the American population started with Puritans, who considered purification of the established church. This thought started a decade after the Mayflower voyage. In the year 1630, about 17 ships left the England for America, among them Arabella was the most prominent because John Wintrop sailed on it. Primarily, stemming from the East Anglia are in England, Archbishop William Laud attempted to eliminate the influence of the Puritan from the Church England, and the King Charles I was trying to rule without calling the President into the session, but Puritans left at that time.
The years from 1630-1640 are called the Great Migration (Kaufman, and Macpherson). Most of the Puritan immigrants from the England, however, settled in the New England,. The main centers of new colony were Massachusetts towns of Salem and Boston. However, during the Great migration, about 200 ships carrying about 20,000 people reached Massachusetts. The migration to the New England, however, decreased considerably after Great migration. The descendants that reached Massachusetts settled in the north-eastern part of the United States, and afterwards spread west-ward all over the country.
Furthermore, the Society of Friends, which is called as Quakers, indicates a religious group of the Christians that has emphasized the inward experience of the faith, and also the equality of people (Lewis, and Knell). However, it was formed during mid 11th century, and the rejection of the social hierarchy by Quakes paved the way to their persecution and harassment in England. But, afterwards, the domination established, as the Quaker immigrants were reaching America. Later on, in the year 1675, the migration started on a large scale when the first ship reached Salem in the West Jersey. Other ships, however, followed docking in the Delaware Bay. Further, the Quakers reaching the Delaware Valley increased in the year 1681, and it was managed to obtain the charter from the King Charles II for about 25,000 square miles. Further, in 1682, under the leadership of the Pen, who arrived on the ship Welcome, the Quaker immigrants were drawn, along with the prosecuted religious groups that were attracted by the religious toleration policy.
References
Ayeres, Edward, Lewis Gould, David Oshinsky, and Jean Soderlund. American Passages: A History in the United States, Volume I: To 1877. Canada: Nelson Education, 2008. Print.
Kaufman, Will, and Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson. Britain and the Americas Culture, Politics, and History : A Multidisciplinary Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print.
Lewis, Cherry. The Making of the Geological Society of London. London: Geological Society, 2009. Print.
McNeese, Tim. Jamestown. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. Print.
Purcell, L. Edward. Immigration. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1995. Print.
