Historical Systems of Power Governance and Authority
Western Governors University

Prompt A

Colonialism is the settlement of foreign land through sending their countries citizens to establish a new colony for that country without the use of military involvement. British settlement of North America is a perfect example of colonialism. The Lost Colony of Roanoke was England’sfirst attempt of colonialism in 1590, but it failed because of the indigenous people.In 1607 a British company sent another colony to North America and established the first successful British colony named Jamestown. English colonization was a very interesting idea that the empire had set up to encourage settling the New World. The charter system in North America allowed companies and individuals to organize their own colonies as long as the crown received a portion of the profits. Jamestown was started by the London Company from England, a joint stock enterprise created to find gold and other riches in The America’s. The settlement was almost doomed from the beginning, because the London Company hadn’t picked skilled pioneering type men. In the first 9 months only 38 men were left alive out of 104. They starved to death even with the surrounding forest and rivers full of game. The London Company reluctantly placed John Smith in charge, and through his dictatorship commanded the settlers to work, or starve. He divided the settlers into labor gangs to build Jamestown. The Powhatan Indians were the indigenous people in the Virginia territory. The Powhatan Indians were recklessly courageous, war like, and very suspicious of strangers. John Smith was able to negotiate an uneasy treaty with the tribe. The settlers traded guns and Iron goods for corn. Corn was the saving grace for the settlement and prevented further starvation. The treatment of the Indians wasn’t always