The failure of Virginia

• The first colonists left England too late to reach Virginia in time to plant crops. Seawater also was let in which ruined the food they were carrying with them
• Due to food being ruined, colonists had to depend on local indian tribes for food
• There was poor leadership in the expedition, as Richard Grenville did not get along well with Ralph Lane, the governor of the colony
• The leader of the second expedition, John White, abandoned the colony in 1587
• The poor leadership in the expedition meant there was no single person who lead everyone, leading to confusion during the trip
• People on the expedition lacked experience. Merchants and landowners lacked the ability to do manual work, while soldiers could not farm the land
• A lack of strone being bought meant that a stone fort was never built, meaning the colonists were more vulnerable to an attack
• In 1586, Algonquian Chief Wingina led an attack on colonists. They were angry about their constant demand for food and the diseases which they bought
• Winginas attack was defeated but led colonists to have to abandon Roanoke
• It is believed that a second expedition was wiped out by an Indian attack led by Powhatan
• Attacks from native americans may have also led to colonists becoming slaves of local tribes or becoming part of the tribes
• The threat of the armada meant that less ships were able to come to the colonists and restock their supplies. The colonists were given less help and were at a higher risk of attack
• The colony was a failure but was a template for future successful settlements, such as in Jamestown in 1607
• By the end of the 1600s, 13 colonies were set up in the East of the New World, each with their own government