Brief biographies from American history, for the fifth and sixth grades : $b Required by the syllabus for elementary schools of New York State Education Department — John Shaqi
Brief biographies from American history, for the fifth and sixth grades : $b Required by the syllabus for elementary schools of New York State Education DepartmentTurpin, Edna Henry Lee
History
Brief biographies from American history, for the fifth and sixth grades : $b Required by the syllabus for elementary schools of New York State Education Department
Turpin, Edna Henry Lee
United States -- Biography
Several expeditions were sent out under this grant, or patent, as it
was called. The first, in 1584, consisted of two vessels under Captains
Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow. They reached the coast of North
Carolina and cast anchor on the island of Roanoke, which they claimed
in the queen’s name and for Sir Walter’s use. The name Virginia
was given to this land in honor of Elizabeth, the virgin queen. No
settlement was made at that time but the next year seven vessels under
Sir Richard Grenville were sent out with about a hundred colonists.
They entered Chesapeake Bay and James River and explored the country.
Homesickness and hardships discouraged these colonists, and when Sir
Francis Drake came to the settlement, after his expedition against the
Spaniards in the West Indies, they embarked with him and returned to
England. A few days after their departure, reinforcements and supplies
sent by Raleigh reached the deserted colony.
About this time tobacco, introduced into England by Lane, Hawkins, or
Drake, was brought into use by Sir Walter Raleigh. Tytler says, “There
is a well-known tradition that Sir Walter first began to smoke it
privately in his study, and his servant coming in as he was intent upon
his book, seeing the smoke issuing from his mouth, threw all the liquor
in his face by way of extinguishing the fire; and running down stairs
alarmed the family with piercing cries that his master, before they
could get up, would be burnt to ashes.”
In 1587 another colony of two hundred and fifty men under John White
was sent by Sir Walter Raleigh. That summer a child was born to Eleanor
Dare, John White’s daughter; this girl, the first English child born in
America, received the name of Virginia Dare.
Fears of the Spanish invasion which threatened England kept Sir
Walter for several years from sending aid to the colony. When at last
ships reached Roanoke Island the colonists and all signs of them had
disappeared; on a tree was found carved the word “Croatoan,” but what
this meant no one ever knew.
Raleigh now gave up his patent to a company in London, from which
he was to receive one-fifth of gold and silver found in the lands
discovered. He gave up his colonizing plans in order to fight the
Spaniards. The queen, however, would not consent to his going, as he
wished, on the English expedition to seize the Spanish treasure-fleet.
His place was taken by Sir Richard Grenville, the story of whose
gallant death is told in Lord Tennyson’s ballad, “The Revenge.”
Later, Raleigh sent out an expedition to the interior of South America;
he believed that in Guiana was situated El Dorado, a fabled land of
gold and treasure. He himself on a later voyage went four hundred miles
up the Orinoco River and brought back some gold and the first mahogany
wood seen in England. He wrote an account of his “Discovery of the
Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empire of Guiana.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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