3.4 Attempted colonisation of Virginia

Question 1

What are the main reasons why the colonisation of Virginia failed? (5)

Answer 1

• Lack of food
• Poor leadership
• Native American relations
• Lack of experience and skills
• War with Spain

Question 2

How did this factor affect the failure of colonising Virginia?

Lack of food
(2)

Answer 2

• Leaving too late to plant crops → abandoned colony due to inability to provide for selves - 1586.
• Damage to one of the ships caused food to be ruined by seawater → dependency on Natives due to inability to feed selves.

Question 3

How did this factor affect the failure of colonising Virginia?

Native American relations
(2)

Answer 3

• Attack led by Wingina and other chiefs due to constant handout requests from settlers → crisis caused by failed attack forced colonists to abandon Roanoke - 1586.
• Second colony abandoned → either colonists wiped out by attack led by Chief Powhatan or overthrown and became slaves / assimilated into other local tribes - 1587–90.

Question 4

How did this factor affect the failure of colonising Virginia?

Lack of experience and skills
(3)

Answer 4

• Merchants and landowners lacked capacity to do manual labour → inability to provide for selves.
• Soldiers could defend but lacked farming skills → vulnerability due to dependency on locals to provide.
• Lack of stone for stonemasons to build with → settlers vulnerable to attacks.

Question 5

How did this factor affect the failure of colonising Virginia?

War with Spain
(1)

Answer 5

• Threat from Armada meant few ships could visit or resupply colonists → colonists increasingly isolated and vulnerable.

Question 6

How did this factor affect the failure of colonising Virginia?

Poor leadership
(2)

Answer 6

• Greenville (Expedition leader) hot tempered and had bad relations with Lane (Island governor) → those involved had little direction or purpose, attributed to abandonment? - 1586
• Both colonies abandoned.