Essential+Question+1

Between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, Spain proved to be the sole European nation to control the exploration of the Americas. The competition between Spain in England was a chief reason that the English decided to colonize and endure the brutal process of the Jamestown settlement, however, other factors such as the idea of independence, and the yearning desire for wealth seemed like the most probable reason for the settlers to undergo their hardships.

The principle attention of the settlers when colonizing Jamestown was to obtain tons of gold. They made their long trek in the mindset that all their problems would be solved because of their found riches. The Virginia Company was even created for this one ambition. So you see this deep aspiration for gold was the key factor that drove them towards their settlement. Yet after landing on the James River, they realized that there was no gold to be found and this conjures that question, “what gave the settlers motivation after finding this unbearable news?”

The answer is their hope for independence in the new world. The people of England had grown tired of their king and wanted to become free members of society. After moving to the new world, a white man was allotted 100 acres to do with as he pleased. Not only would they be free, but they would also be considered high class men of their society. The fact that these people went through all of this for freedom proves that settler’s way before Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson wanted to create a free nation from England.

Regardless of Spain’s competitive force in colonizing the Americans, England’s overall effort in colonization was because of their desire for independence and because of their yearning want for riches.