English Colonization of the New World

APUSH: Spiconardi

Reasons For Colonization

Rivalry with Spaino During the 1500’s

England was a second-rate power compared to Spain

o The Spanish Armada convinced the English they could compete with Spain

o The English wanted the silver and gold Spain was amassing

Reasons for Colonization

Enclosure Movemento The wool trade in

Europe was expandingo Larger farmland owners

enclosed their farms and evicted small farmers and tenants from the commons

o Many migrate to England’s cities

Reasons for Colonization

Enclosure Movement (Con’t)o Gin Lane (1751)

• What does this engraving from William Hogarth suggest about England’s urban areas?

Reasons for Colonization

Government Policyo Unemployed could be

whipped, branded, conscripted, or hanged

o Queen Elizabeth attempted to regulate hours and wages

o Vagrants had to accept any job offered

o Changing employment could result in punishment

Richard Hakluyt Richard Hakluyt –

Protestant minister who advocated for the establishment of colonies

Writes, A Discourse Concerning Western Planting (1584), which lists 23 reasons Queen Elizabeth should support colonizationo Read the excerpt. What

reasons does he provide in support of colonization?

Propaganda The only unclaimed land

left for the English was the middle section of North Americao Many deemed this section

worthless• Lacked precious metals• Could not sustain sugar

cultivationo Why do it?

Propaganda

• Abundance of animals and fertile soil

• Colonists could provide English with goods that were currently supplied by foreigners• Trade would be

the basis of England’s empire

Puritanism In the late 16th century, Puritanism

developedo Based on its name, what do you think

Puritanism entailed? Beliefs

o The Church of England retained too many elements of Catholic doctrine and ritual

o Rejected Church hierarchy• Independent local congregations should

elect their clergy and determine modes of worship

o Read the Bible for yourselfo Listen to sermons from educated clergyo Idleness and immoral behavior were

signs of damnation

Puritanism King Charles I

dismissed and censored Puritan writings

Puritans emigrated to the New World in order too Escape the

corruption of English society

o To worship and govern in a truly Christian manner