Tuesday 13 October 2015

Isobelle - Jamestown






America shall be as a divinely ordained "city upon a hill" - a beacon for the rest of the world to follow
- John Winthrop 1630.

For the first couple of British colonies arriving in The New World (Jamestown, New England Puritans & Pilgrims) those on a colonial mission felt as if they were 'transplanted' English-men. The colonial regime of British Kings and those who served under him, the Empire and Lord were looking for new lands; to conquer, civilise and make their own. Wood and naval ability aided those in pursuit of this. Captain Newport and his crew departed with a relatively small group of vessels (Godspeed, Discovery and Susan constant*) on Saturday the twentieth of December in the yere 1606**' . George Percy detailed an account of events writing 'The sixth April, about foure a clocke in the morning, we scried the Land of Virginia'.** after some trouble navigating the bay 'we launched our boat...Captaine and some Gentlemen went...discovered up the Bay' where 'we found a River on the Southside running into the Maine**'  Men including George Percy, Thomas Jacobs and Captain Newport claimed 'The Bay' and 104 settlers arrived on June the 2nd 1607.** Here, Jamestown Colony was established. This had been backed with financial help from 'The Virginia Company' in a plan procured by Walter Raleigh in 1587******under the Crown. Using indentured labour, Tobacco would be sold to the European Markets at a profit. *****



This image clearly indicates that those colonizing were extremely prejudiced and the passivity of the other was to be exploited. Children were used as a bargaining tool to keep those under colonial rule in fear and this exploitation, although clear to see in this image, is a painful reminder of such acts.
*****http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101sp06/emilyo/SlaveryinJamestown.html
****William Bradford, “The Mayflower Compact” 1620
(for) 'Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern Parts of Virginia'
(In) 'Presence of God...combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politic'
***Among those myths is the serving idea that'
Xiii Introduction : Roots of Empire : "War Is a Racket"
Stone, Oliver Kuznick, Peter The Untold History of The United States. EBury Press 2013.
**Extract from “Observations gathered out of a Discourse of the Plantation of the Southerne Colonie in Virginia by the English written by that Honorable Gentleman, Master George Percy.” 1606
*http://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Newport



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