European and English Colonization in North America

Study Notes

Spain and Portugal were the first explorers and colonizers of the New World, focusing on Central America, the Caribbean, and South America leaving North America largely unexplored.
The English, French, and Dutch explored North America and sought to establish their empires.
The Mercator projection map, created for sailors, helped explorers plan their journeys and showed vast areas for exploration and potential riches.
The Mercator projection map, although distorted in the far North and South, accurately depicted the regions where Europeans were interested in exploring and claiming land.

England aimed to establish a permanent settlement in North America to solidify its presence in the New World.
Sir Walter Raleigh was granted a charter, a document authorizing him to establish a colony.
Raleigh sent expeditions to present-day Virginia and North Carolina in 1584 and named the area Virginia.
The first English colony at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, struggled with survival due to conflicts with Native Americans and food shortages, forcing the remaining colonists to return to England.
In 1587, John White and 150 colonists resettled Roanoke, with the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in North America.
White's return to England for supplies was delayed by war with Spain, preventing him from returning for three years.
Upon his return, White found Roanoke deserted, with only the word "Croatoan" carved into a post, hinting at a possible escape or integration with the friendly Croatan tribe.
The fate of the "lost colony" at Roanoke remains a mystery, with no definitive answer about their disappearance.

Early European exploration was dominated by Spain and Portugal in the 1500s.
Spain and Portugal focused on Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, leaving much of North America unexplored.
English, French, and Dutch explorers expanded their empires into North America in the 1500s and 1600s.
The Mercator projection map, created for use by sailors, helped explorers plan their voyages and identify areas for exploration and potential riches.

England established a permanent settlement in North America in the late 1500s.
Sir Walter Raleigh received a charter to start a colony and sent an expedition in 1584.
The expedition landed in present-day Virginia and North Carolina, which Raleigh collectively named Virginia.
In 1585, Raleigh sent another group to found a colony on Roanoke Island.
The colonists at Roanoke faced challenges, including conflict with Native Americans and difficulty finding food.
In 1587, John White and 150 colonists resettled Roanoke, where Virginia Dare, the first English colonist born in North America, was born.
White returned to England for supplies but was delayed for three years due to war with Spain.
Upon returning to Roanoke, White found the colony deserted with only the word "Croatoan" carved into a post as a clue to the colonists' fate.
Theories surrounding the "lost colony" of Roanoke include an escape from a Native American attack and integration with the Croatan tribe.
The fate of the Roanoke colonists remains unknown to this day.

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