England’s Entry into North America: The History of the First English Expeditions and Settlements in the Western Hemisphere

Written by Charles River Editors

Narrated by Victoria Woodson

Nearly 20 years before Jamestown was settled, the English established one of the earliest colonies in North America around the Chesapeake Bay region, until the colony had over 100 inhabitants. Like other early settlements, Roanoke struggled to survive in its infancy, to the extent that the colony’s leader, John White, sailed back to England in 1587 in an effort to bring more supplies and help. However, the attempts to bring back supplies were thwarted by the Spanish in the midst of the Anglo-Spanish War going on at the time, and it was not until 1590 that White reached Roanoke again. What White found when he came back to Roanoke led to one of the most enduring mysteries in American history. Despite the fact he had left over 100 people in Roanoke in 1587, White returned to literally nothing.

Jamestown is fondly remembered today for being the first permanent English settlement in the colonies, but it was not fondly remembered by those who lived and died there. The English quickly learned it would be difficult to establish a permanent settlement because of the poor weather, the swampy terrain, the hostile natives living nearby, and the general inexperience and ineptitude of the English settlers. During their first winter, everyone nearly starved, and more than half of the settlers died. By the end of the winter of 1609-1610, known as the “starving time”, barely 10% of the settlers were still alive. 

Though the Virginian colonists had difficulty in the beginning, by the late 1620s the Chesapeake area was thriving, having become a haven for those seeking economic opportunity in the new world. Pressures in England were growing as King Charles I was on the throne. Though Charles I himself was an Anglican, many suspected him of Catholic sympathies, a suspicion not alleviated by Charles I marriage to a French Catholic princess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles River Editors
• Release date: Aug 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798368918938

Reviews for England’s Entry into North America

[Camille Stratton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an interesting book. It was different to hear about each colony based on founding dates. Most books group them based on the reason behind the founding i.e. economy (sometime broken down into gold/ timber/pelts) and religious ideology.

Like most recent American histories there is a bias of not judging the Indians (or non whites) because they didn't understand, but we should judge the White European because they should have known better. Suggesting that the Natives (or non whites) lack the same level of intelligence as their white peers. I find this abhorrent but expect it of modern American scholars and they don't do it in to obvious a way.

The Charles River Editors also leave out any mention of indenture servitude, which is odd as most colonists came over as indenture servants. After listening to the last chapter, I assume, this choice was made because they don't want to have to explain the commonalities between slavery and indenture servitude. And that the first legal slave in the British colonies, John Casor, was an indentured servant whose contract was owned by a black man, Anthony Johnson. If they leave all that out they don't have to decide whether to tell this scholarly history or tell the culturally approved 1619 story that has been thoroughly debunked by the most eminent scholars. Both stories fall directly into their narrative timeframe and locations therefore one would expected one of them to appeared in this text.