Reasons for Founding the Colonies

Reasons for Founding the Colonies

Virginia 1607

105 men landed at Chesapeake Bay and founded Jamestown, made up of mostly gentlemen.

• Chose a river ('James') with a north-west bend in hope of finding passage to Asia
• To find gold
• To trade with Indians for food, who also taught colonists how to grow exotic crops

Maryland 1634

Proprietary colony owned by Lord Baltimore. Most servants (many indentured) were Protestant.

• Refuge for English Catholics who were being persecuted as James I was Protestant.
• To set up plantations.

New England

Middle class; farmers; merchants; fishermen. Fewer indentured servants as no plantations, and…