Expansion into the Americas

This section explains the expansion into the Americas in the16th and 17th Century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, England began its transformation into a global empire, spurred by exploration, trade, and strategic competition with Spain. This era marked the initial stages of English colonisation in the Americas.

The Role of Queen Elizabeth I and Walter Raleigh

• Queen Elizabeth I and her ministers were keen to challenge the dominance of Spain, the most powerful empire of the time.
• They supported Sir Walter Raleigh in his efforts to establish a colony on Roanoke Island (in modern-day North Carolina) during the 1580s.
  • Roanoke was intended to serve as a strategic base for English attacks on Spanish territories in the Americas.
  • However, the colony faced significant challenges, including hostile relations with local Indigenous peoples, supply shortages, and poor leadership.
  • By 1590, the colony was mysteriously abandoned, earning it the name the "Lost Colony."

Despite its failure, Roanoke symbolised the beginning of English ambitions to colonise the Americas.

The East India Company and Early Colonial Charters

• In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter to the East India Company, establishing its monopoly on trade between England and Asia.
  • This was a significant move, as it laid the groundwork for England’s economic expansion beyond Europe.
  • The company was privately funded, and the government held no direct shares, allowing merchants to take the lead in colonial ventures.
• Under King James I, the focus shifted back to the Americas:
  • 1606: A Royal Charter was granted to the Virginia Company and the Plymouth Company to establish settlements in North America.
  • The Jamestown Colony, founded in 1607, became England’s first permanent settlement in the Americas, despite initial hardships like starvation, disease, and conflict with Indigenous peoples.

The Pilgrim Fathers and Plymouth Colony

• In 1620, a group of religious dissenters known as the Pilgrim Fathers set sail aboard the Mayflower.
  • Seeking freedom from religious persecution, they established the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.
  • The colony’s survival was bolstered by assistance from local Indigenous tribes, who taught the settlers vital survival skills.
  • Plymouth became a model for other English settlements in the Americas, fostering ideals of self-governance and community.

Colonial Expansion in the Caribbean

• The English also turned their attention to the Caribbean, a region coveted for its agricultural potential, particularly in producing sugar.
• In 1627, King Charles I granted the Earl of Carlisle ownership of the West Indies, including the island of Barbados.
  • Barbados quickly became a profitable colony, exploiting enslaved African labour to cultivate sugarcane.

Consolidation of British America by the 18th Century

By the early 18th century, Britain’s colonies in the Americas had expanded significantly:

• The thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America, from New England to Georgia, formed the backbone of British America.
• These colonies thrived economically, exporting goods such as tobacco, rice, and furs to England.

Wars and the Growing Cost of Empire

The British government increasingly found itself engaged in wars to protect and expand its American colonies. These conflicts included:

• The Anglo-Dutch Wars (17th century), fought for dominance in trade and territory.
• Conflicts with France, such as Queen Anne’s War (1702–1713) and later wars, aimed at securing control over North America and the Caribbean.

These wars were expensive, and by the mid-18th century, the British government decided that the colonies should help fund their own defence.

• In 1765, the Stamp Act was introduced, placing a tax on legal documents, newspapers, and other items in the colonies.
  • This attempt to make colonists contribute financially to the empire led to widespread resentment and unrest, sowing the seeds of rebellion.

Legacy of Early Expansion

The 16th and 17th centuries established England’s foothold in the Americas and the Caribbean, paving the way for its transformation into a global empire. However, these early ventures also revealed the challenges of governing and funding distant colonies—a theme that would persist throughout Britain’s imperial history.