Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

English Colonial Policy

Good Essays
586 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
English Colonial Policy
Topic Exercise 1.2: England England first set out for the New World as a response to the Spanish example. Spain had been the first European power to explore this new land, and upon their return showed how valuable a venture it was. England’s first objective in exploring the New World was to find a North-West Passage to open up trade with China. They were highly unsuccessful, and shifted their focus south toward New Spain. Their attempts to settle and establish colonies failed on many occasions, until the establishment of Jamestown. The settlers quickly adapted to the Native American process of cultivating tobacco and grew it in massive quantities, much of which was exported back to England. England’s main objective in establishing North American colonies was to seek fortune for the monarchy. They had been witness to the Spanish endeavors that proved highly valuable. They also wished to spread Christianity in the new land. The English monarchy saw many opportunities as Spanish power was declining. The first method employed by England to gain power oversees was privateering, in which gold and slaves were stolen from Spanish trade ships. Tobacco became their most useful tool in developing more and more massive settlements. Tobacco could be exported to England for a very high price, enabling colonists to use profits to expand their towns and inhabit much of the coast. Much of England’s population was in poverty seeking new opportunities. Most could not afford the cost of transportation to the New World. In hopes of creating better lives for themselves, thousands of people signed indentures to go work in the New World. This fueled colonists and tobacco planters to expand and further the spread of English colonialism. The Virginia Company had governance over Virginia in the beginning of its colonization. They formed a House of Burgesses to make laws and govern their inhabitants. In 1624, King James named Virginia a royal colony, in which the laws passed by the Burgesses had to be approved by the King’s bureaucrats rather than the Virginia Company. He appointed the colony’s governor and his council. The government of the colonies strictly enforced social distinction between classes. In the New England colonies Puritans dominated the government, and fought for Puritan values. The free man had much more influence on his government than he would in Spanish or French colonies. The government in the English colonies was in many ways Democratic in the sense that it had much focus on the voice of the governed. The English relationship with the Native Americans was very much back and forth. The English had an entitlement that they were superior to the Native Americans. There were times when the colonists depended on the Natives for food and survival during winter. Some tribes cut off the colonists food supply in hopes that they would leave, but the English instead raided their villages and stole their food. An uprising of Natives on March 22, 1622 ended in the death of 347 colonists, which was “almost one-third” of the population in the settlement (Roark 54). This event may very well have landed the Native Americans on the enemies-list of the English colonists. Works Consulted
Eden, Jason, and Naomi Eden. "Views Of Older Native American Adults In Colonial New England." Journal Of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 25.3 (2010): 285-298. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.
Roark, James L. The American Promise: A Compact History Volume 1: To 1877. 4 ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Liam Davis APUSH Mr. Ettinger Sept. 4, 2014 English Colonies Under Imperialism The thirteen colonies that would eventually develop into the United States of America had originally been colonies of Great Britain. Settled at first by the Puritans, the British colonies became a refuge for those that had been persecuted in Europe. By the 1700s the New England colonies had become a trading center that imported over one million pounds in goods. Due to the commercial potential of these new colonies the Netherlands, England, and France vigorously competed to put a foothold in the colonial economy.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    It consisted of 22 members, including the governor, 6 of his cabinet members, and 15 representatives of the various locales. The House of Burgesses was the first legislative body that had passed in any colony. (“The Virginia House of Burgesses”)…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 1606, King James I re-initiated England's efforts to establish a viable colony in the New World. The 1606 Charter was granted to the Virginia Company for the establishment of a colony in the Chesapeake region of North America. On May 14, 1607, the settlers landed on Jamestown Island and began the establishment of the Virginia English Colony. As political and religious oppression increased in England into the 1620s, the Puritans sought to leave England and establish an additional…

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The main political motivation for English Imperialism was due to the rivalries with its European Counterparts. Initially, European countries were looking for a water passage to China so they would be able to trade for their goods. Spain, who lead the charge, landed in Central and South America, captured gold and silver. From this the Spain were able to grow their army and hence, their political power. Next in line were the France who landed in North America and discovered the land to be ripe with animal pelts which brought great wealth to the French (Norton, 2015). The Dutch had found the same success…

    • 1567 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The colony of Virginia was established for profit. “King James I granted The Virginia Company a royal charter for the colonial pursuit in 1606. The Company had the power to appoint a Council of leaders in the colony, a Governor, and other officials.” In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, English investors searching for places in which to sink their capital and set up the investment companies.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As stated in the book A Narrative History, “by 1620 worsening conditions at home had instilled in some English men and women the mixture of desperation and idealism needed to settle an uninviting, unknown world” (DeLay, Leigh, Stoff & West, 2014, p. 63). England was in a middle of an economic crisis where even the most skilled artisan could be unemployed. This situation was join to a religion crisis headed by Puritans Protestants provoked certain groups of English migrates and look for their fortune in the New World. The Virginia colonization was product of the ambition of England to secure settlements in the New World. The Company of London was full involved in this process and wanted to expand English trade and obtain a wider market for English manufactured goods. They were expecting big financial profit from his investments. Many pilgrims found in Holland freedom of religions but after some years they found themselves losing their English heritance and their children were being corrupted by the liberal Dutch lifestyle. The only possible way the found was start a new journey with a destination to the New…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    England’s colonies were settled largely by emigrants who were discontented or rebellious in spirit- by people who had failed to adjust to their harsh Old World. Most of them had not been able to get along, whether socially, politically, economically, or religiously. Being 3,000 miles away, they knew that the government could not reach them nearly as effective as at home. Distance weakens authority; great distance weakens authority greatly.…

    • 69 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The English strategy for colonies was to create a very tight knit group of people to survive in a place where it would take years for any help to come. They didn't even have anything to get back to England. They all voluntarily came there. They were supposed to treat each other with "kindness and patience" make America seem amazing in every way. Like it just made people nice and productive. That was supposed to make other people want to come there. That strategy was also supposed to make people want to be like the city on the hill. In other words they wanted people to be like the best city. That was just little bit so that the people sending the colonists would make money but it was also to make sure the colonies survived and were easy…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    20. Were the English successful in their first efforts to establish colonies in the Americas? Give an example. 445…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Virginia started off as a chartered colony (self-governed). However, in 1624, King James turned it into a Royal colony.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The House of Burgesses was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in British North America. The Virginia General Assembly was organized by the colonists of Virginia in late 1619 and at the first meeting of assembly the House of Burgesses was created. At the first meeting colonists' land rights and trade was organized, the Church of England was named the established religion of Virginia, laws pertaining to morals about gambling, swearing, and other problems were created, and they settled disputes among the colonists. It was made up of 22 burgesses from varied plantations and villages. King James I of England sent a charter to the colonists that allowed self-government so long as the Virginia Company was able to keep control…

    • 193 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Starting in the early 17th century the English began exploring the New World. Amongst the first groups to colonize included; the English in Virginia, Plymouth, and the Massachusetts Bay. Individually the colonies had their own reasons for inhabitation and exploration. They endured many circumstances that obstructed the beginning of their settlements. Each society evolved, adapted, and faltered in their separate ways.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the colonial period, several factors made contributions to New England’s economy. After the first group of colonists arrived, the primary problem was to try…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the late 1800's Britain was involved in imperialism. This is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Britain has impacted the world through imperialism by its politics, economics, society, and the environment.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mercantilism

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The year 1607 brought England into the "New World" with its first permanent settlement at Jamestown, and the following years would bring more American colonies to the British Empire. When sending people into the new land, the English planned to use a mercantilist policy and fully use the colonies for their resources. The colonist's creation of the proverb "Mother countries exist for the benefit of their colonies" is sufficient because England's original intentions of mercantilism soon disappeared after their entrance into this new world. The reason for the decline in their motives can be traced to many occurrences, most notably benign neglect of the colonies and internal English conflicts. In many cases, the mother country was doing more for the colonies than the colonies were for their homeland. Besides offering them protection and giving them more rights than the Englishmen, England also guaranteed the colonists a market to sell products.…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays