Virginia

• Who was responsible for leading the colonisation of Virginia?

  Sir Walter Raleigh
• Which indigenous people did the English encounter in Virginia?

  Algonquians
• When did Raleigh send an expedition to find a suitable place to set up a colony?

  1584
• Who sent a report back to England that they had found a location and named it Virginia in 1584?

  Captain Arthur Barlowe
• Why was the name 'Virginia' important to Elizabeth?

  • Symbolised the region was for the 'Virgin Queen'
  • Represented how other European colonists had not touched the region
• What did the English find the Algonquians already had when they got to Virginia?

  Organised system of government
• Who was the ruler of several settlements on Roanoke Island in 1584?

  Chief Wingina
• How did the English try to be friendly with the Algonquians?

  • Traded knives with them for meat, nuts and vegetables
  • Brought two Algonquians called Manteo and Wanchese back to England
  • Thomas Harriot learned Algonquian and taught Manteo and Wanchese to speak English
  • Harriot created an English-Algonquian dictionary to help communication
• What did the Algonquians want from the English?

  Wool
• How did the 1584 expedition raise funds for the Virginia project?

  • Raleigh promised to take the cargo of any Spanish ship he saw
  • Raleigh invested his own money
  • Elizabeth gave some financial support which encouraged other nobles to invest
  • Raleigh argued to investors that the colony would have economic benefits for England as the settlers could make products for English merchants to sell
• Why did Elizabeth not fully fund the Virginia project?

  She didn't want to bankrupt the Royal Treasury as she knew the expedition could become costly very quickly
• What leaders did Raleigh pick for the Virginia project?

  • Thomas Harriot - translator and map drawer, understood the Algonquian language
  • Ralph Lane - governor of Virginia, experienced explorer and thrived in harsh environments
  • Richard Grenville - commander of the trip, was feared, did not like Ralph Lane
• How did Raleigh organise ships for the Virginia project?

  • Obtained five ships: Tiger, Roebuck, Dorothy, Lion and Elizabeth
  • Tiger carried valuable resources like fresh food and seeds
• How did Raleigh organise recruiting colonists for the Virginia project?

  • Intended to recruit 300 but only had 107 by 1585
  • All colonists were men that possessed skills such as farming and building
• How did Raleigh organise timing for the Virginia project?

  • Ships set sail 9th April 1585
  • Set off too late to complete the voyage and plant the necessary crops to survive
• Why was the colonisation of Virginia significant for taking power away from Spain?

  • England could attack Spain's colonies from Virginia
  • England wanted to rival Spain's supremacy in the Americas, an English colony would increase its influence and trade with the indigenous people
  • England wanted to create an empire as powerful as Spain's
• Why was the colonisation of Virginia significant for boosting the economy?

  • Merchants wanted new groups to trade with as conflict with Spain prevented them from trading wool in the Netherlands
  • Climate of the Americas was similar to the Mediterranean so England could grow things like spices and fruit so they wouldn't have to trade with Spanish-controlled colonies
  • England would gain access to valuable, rare raw materials like tobacco and sugar which were growing in popularity in England
• When did the Virginia colony project fail?

  1586
• Why was the colonists' experience part of the reason the Virginia project failed?

  • Too many craftsman and not enough farmers
  • Bakers and weavers could not use their skills as their raw materials did not exist in Roanoke
  • The Tiger held their gunpowder which impacted their ability to fish and hunt
  • Colonists became reliant on the Algonquians
• Why were the indigenous people part of the reason the Virginia project failed?

  • Algonquians believed the English had supernatural powers to kill them however in reality the Europeans had brought diseases the Algonquians had no immunity to
  • Chief Wingina grew tired of the English and by Spring 1586, he had persuaded other chiefs to attack settlers
• Why was the reality of Virginia part of the reason the Virginia project failed?

  • Colonists believed there would be an abundance of precious resources but there was none

  Colonists did not work well together:

  • Farmers were unwilling to work for the upper classes
  • The merchants did not want to do manual labour and wrongly assumed the indigenous people would work for them
• Why was the initial voyage part of the reason the Virginia project failed?

  • The English arrived too late to plant crops and had to rely on the Algonquians for food
  • Colonists could not cope with the different climate so many fell ill on the voyage and food supplies rotted
  • The Tiger became damaged so seawater ruined the colonists' food supplies and crops