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At Tordesillas Spain and Portugal divided the world for exploration. This took place in 1494.
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Conquistadors traveled to America in the 1500s. Bringing horses and guns from Spain. They conquered huge Native American empire.
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While the conquistadors were exploring North America, the government of Spain was beginning to establish colonial governments. To govern the vast areas of land they claimed, Spain set up vie royalties taking up most of North america.
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England did not act on Cabot's North American claim until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth built England into a sea power.
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Late in 1606 the London company sent three ships and 144 male colonists to Virginia. About 100 survived the crossing. In 1607 they sailed some 60 miles up the broad James river and built the Jamestown colony.
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Sir Walter Raleigh never returned to North America after Roanoke was destroyed, although he still had faith that England could colonize North America.
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John Smith had become an important member of the colony. helped trade for food with Indians, built houses and explored the areas.
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The London company now called the Virginia company, was determined to make Jamestown profitable. It sold stock to new settlers, offering free ship passage to those who would work for the company for seven years.
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The Netherlands, though a small country, had a large fleet of merchant ships that traded in Africa and Asia. After it declared independence from Spain, The Netherlands sought to Explore North America.
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France joined the colonial rivalry in North America. In 1624 the French king sent Giovanni da Verrazano to explore the Atlantic coast. He explored from the present day Carolina's as far North as Maine.
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As Virginians moved west, clashes with Native Americans continued. Conflicts among the colonist themselves also occurred. Settlers on the frontier land had different interests from the large landholders.
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1622 relations between the settlers and the Powhatan Confederacy had worsened. Both Pocahontas and Powhatan were dead. English farmers were taking over more land to grow tobacco, their profitable new crop.
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The majority of workers in Virginia were indentured servants. Employers hired indentured servants to work under contract for a certain number of years, usually four to seven.
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The Virginia Company offered headrights, 50 acre grants of land that colonists could obtain in various ways. The head of a family received one headright for each family member and servant he had. People who paid the passage to America for another person got an additional headright.
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England's colonies began with differing political arrangements. Some colonies were owned by individuals, others by joint stok companies.
