Raleigh and Virginia Flashcards
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Background
-Walter Raleigh was born into a gentry’s family.
-He became a courtier and explorer during the reign of Elizabeth I.
-He was also a writer and historian and is associated with popularising tobacco in England
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Roles in the Virginia Project
-In 1584, Walter Raleigh was given a grant from Elizabeth I to explore and settle in lands in North America. There had already been two failed attempts.
-Because of these failures, it made any new projects attempting the same thing even harder.
-Raleigh needed to raise huge amounts of money and encourage potential English colonists to leave their homes and settle in a land many knew little about.
-Raleigh did not lead the colonists to Virginia himself. Elizabeth I did not want to lose one of her favourite courtiers whilst there was still a concern over Anglo-Spanish relations.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Significance in the Virginia Project
-He investigated, organised and raised funds for the establishment of an English colony in Virginia.
-He promoted the voyage and persuaded people to leave England and settle in Virginia.
-He appointed the governor of Virginia, who ruled in his place.
-He developed a ‘blueprint’ that was to be used for later English colonisations.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Role in Investigating and Promoting the Virginia Project
-In 1584, Raleigh sent a fact finding mission to Virginia. The explorers who went there were able to barter tin utensils and metal knives for fish, nuts and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
-The Natives were very friendly and welcoming to the English. The accounts brought back to England described this part of North America as a paradise.
-Raleigh used these findings to persuade a group of English men to make the dangerous voyage across the Atlantic. They were convinced that they would find their fortune in Virginia.
-This was important as the first expeditions had not been successful and in London, other travellers had spread rumours of fantastical monsters and brutal savages in America.
Describe the Role of Manteo and Wanchese in the Virginia Project
-The 1584 expedition also brought back two Native Americans, Manteo and Wanchese, back to England. They were very useful.
-Thomas Harriot, a mathematician, learned their language (Algonquian), and taught them English. He was then able to make an English-Algonquian ‘dictionary.
-Manteo and Wanchese also helped the first English colonist to establish contact with their people.
Describe the Economic Benefits To Be Had From the Virginia Project
-The cost of the colonisation project was enormous- there was not enough money to successfully colonise in the ‘New World’ by just trading on the voyage. However, there were some benefits:
-The colony would provide work for English cloth makers and merchants.
-Native Americans would barter things for simple English goods like woollen cloth.
-The colony could provide exotic materials such as gold and tobacco that could be brought back to England.
-Because of these gains, there would be plenty of revenues for the English government.
Describe Elizabeth I’s Backing of the Virginia Project
-Raleigh hoped that the government would fund the new colony. The queen refused.
-Elizabeth was notoriously careful with money and had financial concerns at the time such as the threat from Spain.
-She did however, suggest the colonised land be called Virginia in her honour. She also gave Raleigh a ship and gunpowder worth £400.
-Raleigh was one of Elizabeth I’s favourites, and this royal backing gave the project prestige. It helped to encourage others to invest, especially courtiers like Walsingham.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Role in Raising Funds for the Virginia Project
-Raleigh promised investors that he would take any Spanish ships that he came across, including their cargoes.
-This was important in encouraging merchants to invest. They had already seen how much Drake had brought back from the Americas in 1580.
-Raleigh also invested a lot of his own money into the venture. This was important if others were to believe that it could work.
-By 1585, he had the resources he needed.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Role in Finding Colonists and Sailors for the Virginia Project
-Finding colonists and sailors willing to cross the Atlantic was difficult. In the end, Raleigh’s colony had only 107 colonists, rather than the 300 he had hoped for.
-They were all men. Almost half were soldiers, but there were landowners, farmers, skilled craftsmen and also a mathematician.
-Many were attracted by the promise of making their fortune in Virginia.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Role in Choosing the Ships and Timing for the Virginia Project
-Raleigh sent five ships to Virginia: Tiger, Roebuck, Lion, Dorothy and Elizabeth. The Tiger was the largest and carried all the perishables.
-The ships left England on 9 April 1585. With a journey of several weeks, this was already too late for planting some of their crops needed to see them through the winter.
-The English landed on Roanoke Island in late 1585. This and surrounding areas was where the English colonists first settled.
Describe Walter Raleigh’s Role in Appointing the Leaders for the Virginia Project
-Raleigh was not allowed to lead the expedition himself. Elizabeth I considered it too dangerous to risk her favourite courtier who was needed in England as fear of a Spanish invasion grew.
-Richard Grenville was expedition commander. He was an experienced sailor and soldier; adventurous and hot headed. He was feared rather than loved and did not get on with Ralph Lane.
-Ralph lane was governor of Virginia. He was an expert fort builder, explorer and soldier who would rise to a challenge. He enjoyed hardship and had a ‘can do’ attitude.
-Thomas Harriot was a translator and cartographer. He worked with Manteo and Wanchese to learn Algonquin and formed a strong bond with them. He understood navigation and was skilled at making maps.
Explain why the Colonisation of Virginia was Significant for the Roots of the British Empire
-In the next century, the English did succeed in establishing a strong presence in North America.
-Although these early attempts to settle in Virginia failed, they did provide an opportunity to learn from the mistakes they made.
-The roots of the British Empire that developed in the 18th and 19th centuries can be found in these 16th century experiments on settling in new and foreign lands.
Explain why the Colonisation of Virginia was Significant for Undermining Spain
-Virginia provided England with a base from which to attack Spanish colonies in the ‘New World’.
-It was ideally placed- not too far from Florida and the Caribbean for attacks to be launched but far enough away to be reasonably safe from Spain.
-In the long term, England hoped to rival Spain’s overseas empire and undermine its influence in the ‘New World’. A successful colony would serve as an example for other ventures.
-It would also offer the Native Americans an alternative to Spanish domination. They could choose to turn to English settlers for trade instead or to help them against the Spanish.
Explain why the Colonisation of Virginia was Significant for Economic Benefits
-Trade was vital to the English economy. Elizabeth I hoped to encourage English merchants to find new markets as the conflict with Spain made trading in Europe increasingly difficult.
-Relying on the Netherlands as England’s main market and trade route was too risky by the 1560s.
-Many of the things supplied from southern Europe and the Mediterranean could be provided from Virginia.
-If England could control it, it would not be dependant upon Spain, France and the Italian states for fruit, spices and luxuries.
-Tobacco was the most famous new crop and brought trade opportunity to England. Sugar cane was another valuable crop to come from this part of America.
Explain how the Voyage Contributed to the Failure of the Colonisation of Virginia
-On the first voyage to Virginia, the colonists left England too late to reach Virginia in time to plant crops. Also before the colonists arrived, many were ill.
-The climate was hot, humid and mosquitoes were everywhere. As a result, the food rotted quickly.
-A breach in the hull of the Tiger let in seawater that ruined the food it was carrying, including seeds for planting. The dried peas and beans were rescued and edible but couldn’t be planted.
-They had arrived too late to plant their own crops. They could no longer establish a self-sufficient colony. They now relied upon the Native Americans for food.
