#english_history 

Unlike [[Pre-17th Century settlements in America|mostly Spanish colonies]], British colonies did play a major role in the formation of the USA.

## The first colonies
In **1585** Walter Raleigh established the first British colony on **Roanoke Island**, which was later abandoned, giving rise to the nickname **"The Lost Colony"**.
In 1607 the settlement of Jamestown, in Virginia, was established.
In 1620 English pilgrims settled in Plymouth, [[Massachusetts]].
In 1630 the Puritans settled in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 1636 Roger Williams established the colony of Providence, on Rhode Island.
In 1681 William Penn established Pennsylvania. ^a9047c

## Native help
The first colonists of Jamestown experienced severe famine during their first years, so the leader of the colony, captain **John Smith** went on to negotiate with the leader of a nearby [[Native American tribes|tribe]] - Powhatan, aka Wahunsonacock. As he was about to get killed, the daughter of the leader, **Pocahontas**, shielded him and helped with the negotiations. Soon Pocahontas married John Rolfe, and they had a son, Thomas, Later she went to England, where she was introduced to the king and given the name Rebecca.
The puritans of Plymouth were helped by the two Indians, **Squanto and Samoset**, and also their cheif Massasoit.

## The Virginia Colony
The English used joint-stock companies to finance its early settlements: a group of people would each put up a certain amount of money in return for a stated number of shares.

The royal charter was the neartest thing to a written constitution the colony had. It gave the Virginia Company of London permission to settle along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, as well as a monopoly over trade.

The English knew there people who might be unfriendly in the landing site. So instead of setting directly on the coast, they got back on board ship and sailed up a river looking for a good spot to build a fort. On April 29, 1607 they saw some [[Native American tribes|Algonquin]] on the shore, and suprisingly made peaceful contact. Soon enough, they founded Jamestown, which was terrible in everything except its militarily advantageous position.

The problem was that most of the early colonists were not accustomed to labour, so they almost died on their own. However, they were saved by the Indians who brought them food.

In 1609 John Smith was injured in a gunpowder explosion and left the colony for good. During the winter of 1609-1610, there was famine and even cannibalism. By spring some people decided to abandon the colony and return to England, but ran into an incoming ship from England, aboard which was the new governor, Lord de La Warr (from whome Delaware gets its name), with more settlers and supplies. Reluctantly, the colonists returned to Jamestown.

One group of colonists founded a town called Wolstenholme in 1618. In 1622 most of the inhabitants were massacred or captured by the Indians.

Although no gold, silver, or a passage to China was discovered, there was still hope for the Virginia Colony. Unlike the Spanish, the English welcomed foreigners into their colonies. 

Then the Virginia Company introduced the **headright system** - any man who paid his way to Virginia would get 50 acres of land for himself and another 50 acres for every person he brought with him, whether a family member or a servant. The lure of free land brought thousands from Europe to Virginia.
Some who could not pay came as *indentured servants* - that in return for their passage they agreed to work for someone for a specified number of years, usu 7, after which they were free. Most immigrants came as such.

In July 1619, Governor Yeardley and his council of 22 burgesses - representatives (2 from each of the 11 settlements along the James River) - met to make laws for the colony.

In 1612 John Rolfe introduced into the Virginia colony a different type of tobacco from the Caribbean islands. It was much milder and suited European tasted. Tobacco trade is the reason behind the Virginia Company's success.
Despite the discovery of tobacco, VC officials quarelled among themselves. In 1624, King James lost patiences with the company officials. He disbanded the Virginia Company and assumed direct control over the colony. However, the House of Burgesses, Virginia's legislative assembly, among other practices, remained in existence.

## Massachusetts
The first English in Massachusetts - the Puritans - landed on the shores of Cape Cod. The first encounter between them and the Indians was led by Miles Standish. 

In order to establish their own vision of the Anglican church, they firstly fled to Leyden, Holland, but then fled to America. 
Not all Pilgrims were Putians. 
While still on board the Mayflower, 41 men gathered in the main cabin and signed their names to a compact about the kind of government they would have, and decided to let political authority rest on the will of the people. The compact of 1620 and the Virginia Assembly of 1619 are two important landmarks in the development of the American system of government. 
The first two governors were John Carver and William Bradford.

In November 1621, the Pilgrims gathered their first harvest and invited the indians to a **3-day** feast.

One of the ablest of the reformist Puritans was a well-to-do lawyer John Winthrop. Some of his succeded in getting a charter to settle in New England, making the Massachusetts Bay Company. Unlike the Virginia colony, the Massachusetts colony had a prosperous start.

## Different settlements begin
The Puritans were a stern and god-fearing people. They, however, were intolerant, and their laws were strict. In the first decade of settlement, Massachusetts authorities were challengedby two very different but able individuals.

Roger Williams was a Separatist minister. Everyone liked everything about him except two of his opinons: 1) English settlers had no rightful claim to the land unless they purchased it; 2) government officials should leave religious matters alone. In 1636 Williams was banished and went on to establish the colony of Rhode Island.

Anne Hutchinson was an amateur theologian who was banished from Massachusetts for believing that a god-inspired person could judge right from wrong, so there was no need for a minister to explain it. She was later killed by Indians.

In 1636 Thomas Hooker and his congregation established Hartford as the Connecticut colony, which were in 1662 united together as the single colony of Connecticut.

In 1638 New Hampshire was established in Exeter by John Wheelwright.

In 1624 the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians for about 24 dollars and build New Amsterdam there. Soon Dutch traders founded Fort Orange (later Albany) at the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers.

In 1664 New Amsterdam was taken over by the English, who renamed it New York.

## Maryland
George Calvert, friend of [[The Stuarts|Charles I]], wanted to establish a colony in America for Catholics. Charles I gifted him lands in Virginia that surround Chesapeake Bay -  Calvert and his posterity would be the **proprietors** of the new colony, though a representatie assembly would be there. 
Calvert died so his son, Lord Baltimore, established Maryland in 1633. In 1649 Baltimore asked the Maryland legislature pass the Tolerance Act, which provided for freedom of worship. Capital - St. Mary's.

## The Carolinas
As a gift to his allies, Charles II gave 8 of them properitary rights to South Carolina in 1663 (North Carolina in 1653). First permanent settlement there - 1670. Charles Town (soon Charleston) became the capital.
**Rice** became Carolina's staple crop.

## Pennsylvania
Penn was a quaker, so:
- He gave the right to vote to all adult male landowners and taxpayers
- named Philadelphia "the city of brotherly love"
- 1701 Penn approved Pennsylvania's constitution - unicameral legislature
Pennsylvania was Penn's "holy experiment" - and it was successful.

# Comparison of the Thirteen Colonies
- Virginia Jamestown1607 John Smith
- Plymouth Plymouth 1620 William Bradford
- New York New York1626 (1664 English) Duke of York
- Massachusetts Bay Boston 1630 John Winthrop
- Maryland St. Mary's 1633 Geroge Calvert
- Rhode Island Providence Roger Williams 1681
- Connecticut 1636 Thomas Hooker Hartford
- New Hampshire 1638 John Wheelwright Exeter
- Delaware 1638 Wilmington
- North Carolina 1663 8 proprietors Albemarle County
- South Carolina 1663 8 proprietors Charleston
- New Jersey 1664 Lord Berkeley Salem/Carteret
- Pennsylvania 1681 William Penn Philadelphia
- Georgia 1732 James Oglethorpe Savannah