The English in America

Today in class, you have two games to play and an article to read.  

History Globe:  Jamestown Adventure 

National Geographic: On the Trail with John Smith




Jamestown: First English Colony in America 

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On This Site • American History Glossary • The First European Settlements in America • Colonial Times

Explorers had been landing in America for some time before English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But it was in that spot on the James River that English colonization began and with it, the history of America. 

James I was king of England at that time, and he had granted approval for a group of businesspeople to settle in this new land. They were part of the Virginia Company, and they got the go-ahead in 1606. By December of that year, the expedition was ready.
In all, 214 people set sail for America. They reached it on May 14, 1607. Very soon after they landed, the English found themselves under attack from Algonquins, a Native American tribe who had been living in that area for some time and who didn't exactly welcome new settlers. The English managed to drive off the attackers, who came back every now and then. The English, however, were there to stay.
Under the leadership of Captain John Smith, the English built a fort and other buildings designed to protect their new colony. They also found friendly Native Americans, like Powhatan, who was willing to trade with them. 
The terrible winter of 1609 convinced most of the settlers to abandon their new life, however. Only 60 of the 214 settlers survived this harsh winter, which was also hard on Powhatan's tribe and other neighboring Native Americans.
(It is this Powhatan, also, whose daughter Pocahontas eventually married John Rolfe.)
One of the main crops grown by the English settlers was tobacco, which they sold to Native Americans and to people back in England, beginning in 1612. Tobacco became a very popular crop because it was easy to grow and because it brought in so much money.
Once the money started flowing in regularly, the Jamestown colony grew, as did other settlements in Virginia and in other states along the eastern seaboard.
America's first elected assembly, the House of Burgesses, met in Jamestown for the first time on July 30, 1619. This group boasted many famous members through the years, including Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.
The year 1619 also saw another significant development: the first arrival of black workers on boats from Africa. These men and women were originally indentured servants, who worked a plot of land for a few years and then got to keep the land as owners. (The slave trade didn't get into full swing in this part of America until the 1680s.)
Jamestown was also the capital of Virginia and remained so until 1698. 

This article is from a site called   "Social Studies for Kids".  The article can be found online athttp://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/jamestown.htmhe

Columbus Resources

Smack-Down Paragraph

Shared Sources

Essay Outline

Project Standards

Example of body paragraph- includes elaboration

Continuing Columbus

As you work toward your goal of writing an essay to answer the question "Was Columbus a Hero, or a Villain?", make sure that you take a look at the outline.  I have made changes on it to account for the quotes you will use.  Essay Outline

Remember that you need at least five quotes that make Columbus look like a hero, and at least five quotes that make Columbus look like a villain before you begin to write.
-You also need one quote from a historian that makes Columbus look like a hero and one quote from a historian that makes him look like a villain.

You will notice on the outline it not only has a place for the quote, but it also has something called a smackdown paragraph.   This is where you acknowledge that not everyone agrees with you and why.  In this paragraph you argue against those who disagree with you.

The Two Faces of Christopher Columbus

Click on the following link for today's lesson.  Copy the graphic organizer to your Google Docs:

Christopher Columbus- Hero, or Villain?

European Exploration

Christopher Columbus

     When it comes to European Explorers, Christopher Columbus is a giant.  However, during his lifetime and even up to the 20th century, he was not given much credit for discovering the "New World".   Instead, that honor was given to Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian map maker who first realized the land was new and named it for himself.
     Today, we give credit to Columbus because his discovery truly led to the European colonization of North and South America.

Today, you will be playing some games and reading about Christopher Columbus.  Click on the following links to play:

Merchants of the Great Exchange

Christopher Columbus

When you have finished playing rags to riches and have won the $1,000,000 prize (check's in the mail),
you can watch the following video at History.com

The real story of Christopher Columbus

If you have time, there will be many videos about Columbus that automatically play after the one above, go ahead and watch a few, I think you will find that they are very interesting.