Lost Colony of Roanoke

The first English attempt at colonization failed because the settlers were lost at sea and never reached North America. The Roanoke Colony lasted only one year because the colonists did not have enough food and supplies. Nobody ever discovered what happened to the second Roanoke Colony.

In the 15th century, Europe sought to expand trade routes to find new sources of wealth and bring Christianity to the East and any newly found lands. This European Age of Discovery saw the rise of colonial empires on a global scale, building a commercial network that connected Europe, Asia, Africa, and the New World.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REASONS: A BETTER LIFE Most colonists had faced difficult lives in Britain, Ireland, Scotland, or Germany. They came to the Americas to escape poverty, warfare, political turmoil, famine and disease. They believed colonial life offered new opportunities.

◦ England wanted to start an American colony to increase their wealth and power so that they could compete with other European countries like Spain and France. ◦ They were hoping to be able to find silver and gold in America. (This would help increase their wealth!)

Richard Hakluyt, better known as Richard Hakluyt (the younger) or Richard Hakluyt (the minister) to distinguish him from his elder cousin of the same name, was an editor, geographer, and Anglican minister. With his cousin, he acted as one of the chief propagandists of English colonization in North America.

English promoters claimed that New World colonization offered England many advantages. Not only would it serve as a bulwark against Catholic Spain, it would supply England with raw materials and provide a market for finished products.

Virginia