United States History Student Edition

02

The Early English Colonies

Roanoke and Jamestown GUIDING QUESTION What problems did the Roanoke settlers encounter?

READING STRATEGY Analyzing Key Ideas and Details As you read, take notes about the sequence of events in the development of the Jamestown Colony and about the sequence of events in the development of the New England Colonies.

The success of Spain’s colonies in the Americas attracted the interest of other European powers. In the late 1500s, English pirates such as Sir Francis Drake had success stealing Spanish treasure on their way from the Americas to Europe. But England wanted more: it wanted its own colonies. The Mystery of Roanoke In 1584, England’s Queen Elizabeth gave Sir Walter Raleigh the right to claim land in North America. Raleigh quickly sent scouts across the ocean to find a good place for a colony. The scouts made an enthusiastic report of a place called Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. At the time, Raleigh called this area Virginia. The first group of settlers that Raleigh sent to Roanoke Island gave up and returned to England after suffering through a difficult winter. Then, in 1587 Raleigh asked John White to lead a second group of settlers to Roanoke. Shortly after arriving on the island, White’s daughter, who was part of the expedition, gave birth. Her daughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in North America. Nine days after his granddaughter’s birth, White returned to England for supplies. At that time, his

country was at war with Spain. The fighting delayed White’s return to Roanoke for nearly

three years. When he finally returned, White found his colony deserted. The only clue he located was the word Croatoan carved on a gatepost. The Roanoke colonists were never seen again.

FLORIDA BENCHMARKS

• SS.8.A.2.4 • SS.8.A.2.5 • SS.8.A.2.7 • SS.8.CG.2.3 • SS.8.CG.2.4 • SS.8.E.3.1 • SS.8.G.4.1

• MA.K12.MTR.6.1 • ELA.K12.EE.2.1 • ELA.K12.EE.3.1 • ELA.K12.EE.4.1 • ELA.K12.EE.5.1 • ELA.K12.EE.6.1

» Painting of Native American by John White, c. 1585

Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo

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