Why were the British successful in colonizing America?
Necessity played a large part in Europe’s colonization and exploration period. For centuries Asian goods such as silk, spices, as well as pottery had been traveling the Silk Road. Europeans had been accustomed to these goods, however, this trade was placed under a threat by the middle of the 16th century. The traditional trade routes have been disrupted by the loss of power of the Mongol Empire, resulting in the rise of the Ottoman Turks. This has led to numerous improvements in the navigation and building process of ships, which meant that traveling to further destinations for longer periods would be made possible. The potential profit benefits for securing better trade with Asia had been recognized by the European countries and new routes by sea were sought.
An Italian explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus is known to be among the first that sought a more direct and faster route to Asia by not sailing east, but west. That is how Columbus managed to land on an island in the Caribbean in 1492, mistaking it for landing on an island in East Asia. Later on, other explorers, as well as the voyages of Amerigo Vespucci, it has been added to the knowledge of the land and determined that Columbus has managed to reach the “New World”. This led to explorers being sent to the New World by European powers, such as Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England. These countries were looking to gain control over trade and riches, sharing a desire for wealth and power. However, where they differentiate is in the motives and success in colonizing, or desiring to establish permanent settlements.
During the late sixteenth century England was a Protestant country that had become embroiled in a religious war with Catholic Spain. Britain was seeking ways to weaken the economic and military power of Spain. Some of the English privateers just like Francis Drake and Humphrey Gilbert had harassed the Spanish shipping. Gilbert had proposed colonizing North America on the basis of the Spanish model, with the goal to create a profitable English empire that can also be seen as a base for the privateers. The early efforts to establish colonies failed, however, Britain’s interest in colonizing America remained strong.
England was the most successful in colonizing other lands compared to all of the other European countries. Just like them, Britain was motivated by the riches, as well as the Northwest Passage. Nonetheless, these were not the only reasons why Britain had an interest in permanently populating the New World. “In 1606, King James I granted a charter to colonize Virginia to the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company of investors who believed there was a profit to be made.” The first permanent British colony had been formed in 1607 in Virginia, more precisely in Jamestown. The first years since the colonies settled in Jamestown, had been extremely hard due to the death rates that were high because of disease and starvation, not forgetting to mention the wars that took place with the local American Indians, as well as the deficiency of gold. (“Motivations for Colonization”, 2020).
Another reason was the faith in freedom and religion, which played a big part in the settlement of these colonies. Amongst the settlers, that left England to seek the New World, many of them were separatists. Separatists believed in the opportunity to live and worship in accordance with their beliefs, opposite to the Church of England. They believed that the Church has been dishonorable and corrupt, which is why they wanted to break away from it, pursuing worshiping their own faith in the New World. Their original plan was to land in Virginia, but the ship has been blown, of course, landing them on the coast of modern-day Massachusetts.
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They could be considered the first Pilgrims, which have been followed by countless others who settled along the Atlantic coast. Britain had huge benefits from these settlements and encouraged them, receiving benefits from the vast array of raw materials found and cultivated by the colonies. The Pilgrims from England engaged in fishing, lumber, and the building of ships. Those that were located farther south provided tobacco, rice, and indigo. “Along with agriculture, fishing, and logging, New England became an important mercantile and shipbuilding center, serving as the hub for trading between the southern colonies and Europe.” (“The British Empire in North America”).
The Middle Colonies could be largely characterized by diversity ranging from religion, politics, and economy, to ethnicity. This would include modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware. While the Chesapeake region including Virginia and Maryland, as well as the lower South colonies of Carolina and Georgia, would be included in the Colonial South. Until 1670 Carolina had not been settled, with the original settlers establishing trades in the provision, deerskin, and American Indian captives with the Caribbean Islands. All this led to the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies located on the Atlantic coast, starting with Virginia in 1607, and concluding in 1733 with Georgia. These colonies included New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, as well as Rhode Islands and Providence Plantations, with the development of an own self-government system for each and every colony.
During the following several centuries more colonies have been established. Ranging from North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Most of the British colonies formed in America eventually managed to gain independence. Despite this, some of the colonies still opted to remain under the jurisdiction of Britain as British Overseas Territories. All of this worked out well for Britain with the colonies fighting and winning their independence 200 years later, benefiting financially from the relationship with the colonies.
However, there were some cons to this. There was the fall of the colonies’ economy, as most of the profit had been going back to Britain. Due to this and other economic reasons, there has been an increase in slavery in the plantations that were located in the South, as well as African slaves being taken to America to be sold. Another thing is the diseases that the British had brought with them to the faraway colonies, leading to the deaths of many people. The British also committed theft by stealing land and resources from the colonies, which resulted in the near-extinction of various indigenous tribes. The original culture of the colonies was banned, ignored, or forgotten, as they were forced to accept British culture.
Lastly, there of course were also some advantages. Such as providing the colonies with better infrastructure and development, like better roads for example. Britain also put light on the idea of democracy in the colonies, helping them to build their own, as well as improving the law systems that they brought with them. As for education, it has also been improved with the help of the British system. Not forgetting to mention that by spreading the English language they enabled people to communicate with each other using one language.
References
- Motivations for Colonization. (2020, May 19). National Geographic Headquarters. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/motivations-colonization/12th-grade/
- The British Empire in North America. Lumencandela. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/the-british-empire-in-north-america/
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