Exploration to the New World

With Queen Mary’s death in 1558,there was controversy overwhom should rule. Elizabeth,the younger daughter ofHenry claimed the throne.She was only 25 years old. However, she ruled Englandfor 45 years and had a lastingimpact on the country.

When she tookover the throne,there was majortension betweenCatholics andProtestants. Thetreasury was nearly empty,and Spain was ahuge threat.

However, she made great changes for her country:

oShe unified a Protestant EnglandoShe brought in and supported theRenaissance Age of literatureand musicoShe brought England into competitionas a world power.

oVery importantly, she wasresponsible for Englishexploration of the New World.

Sir HumphreyGilbert went out looking forlands to claimfor England. England had toget a foot inthe door afterColumbus’s discovery.

Sir Humphrey found (andclaimed) Newfoundlandfor England. Tragically, he died in a shipwreck while onhis way back home in 1583.

One of Elizabeth’s favorites and the half-brother of Sir Humphreywas Sir Walter Raleigh.

Devastated byhis brother’sdeath, he wantedto continue whathis brother hadstarted.

Raleigh sent men out tofurther explore this newland. Three attempts weremade to establish a settlementoff the coast of NorthCarolina (Roanoke Island). QueenElizabeth wanted this new landnamed after her -Virginia (thevirgin queen).

The last attempt was madein 1587. A group of settlers(men, women, and children),sailed to Roanoke to createa settlement for England.

Low on supplies, their leader,John White, headed back toEngland to stock up.

His timing wasnot good. Anaval war wasabout to breakout againstSpain. Elizabethwould not allowWhite to takea ship back toRoanoke.

Importantly for England,its navy defeated theSpanish Armada in 1588. This defeat marked thebeginning of Spain’s fallfrom world power. It gaveEngland the chance to takethe title.

Yet, White couldn’t get backto Roanoke until 1590. Whenhe arrived at the settlement,all of the people were gone.

It remains a mystery today what happened tothe settlers at Roanoke.

Seventeen years later,another attempt was madeto settle in Virginia. Thistime, the settlers chosea marshy area at the mouthof the James River. Theycalled this settlement, Jamestownafter their new king, James I.

Although this settlement almost failed too, after afew very tough years, it stabilized and became known as the first permanentsettlement for England.

It lasted until Bacon’sRebellion in 1676. Bacon burned down the settlement.At that time, many peoplehad already moved inland tobetter land and less disease.A new city was soon created known as Williamsburg. It grewto be the most important city inthe colony of Virginia.