LO+Weekly+Journal+Entries

8-30-09 Even though Spain was one of England’s biggest competitors it was not the main reason that England started to colonize in the New World. Ultimately the English began colonizing in the New World because they wished to incur new opportunities, more wealth, and have some independence from the English crown. Even though they failed in finding gold and their survival rates were low, they had spent to much money and time trying to get to America that they were not going to give up so easily. For a lot of people the conditions of living in America would be better than living in England in the long run. During the seventeenth century England was amidst a depression. There was over population in the country and poor people were just wandering in the streets. Many of the wool manufacturers were struggling and out of business. The enclosure movement also hurt a lot of people. This movement was when areas for farming were fenced off rather than having communal farming plots. Peasants who could not afford to buy out these lots were hurt because they were left unemployed. All of these disadvantaged people in England turned to the colonies for a fresh start. There the English had more job opportunities and they could have hundreds of acres of land to them selves. Even though the going was rough in the colonies when they first started settling, it was better than what they left behind in England. When Spain first started going to the Americas in the fifteenth century they were very prosperous in finding gold. They came back with shiploads of gold and various treasures. The English learned of this and realized that they too wanted in on the gold hunt. They received a charter to travel to America from the Virginia Company. The men traveling to the colonies were gentlemen that wanted to strike it rich here and were not used to doing things for themselves. They sailed over in three ships because they expected to fill all three with gold and riches. When they failed to find any gold in the region that they were in they soon realized that they also neglected to take proper care of themselves and find and adequate amount of food. It was hard for them but they soon learned how to provide for themselves. They did not go back to England because they had put forth so much effort in planning the trip to Jamestown that it would be an embarrassment to go back empty handed and they would not give up. In the New World many people could have some freedom from the English crown without being completely separated from them. With the colonies being so far away from England people in the motherland often forgot about or neglected the people over seas. The colonists then had the freedom to do what they want. They could practice their own religion without being ridiculed and they could farm where they wanted or work where they wanted. In was a fresh start for many people and they would do what it takes just to get away from complete and total control of the king. Although Spain did show the English how much wealth they could get in the Americas the English went over there for their own reasons.