Chapter 2- Britian

England

A second great power with religious tensions; Henry VIII created the Anglican Church after separating from the Catholic Church. England colonized later than Spain, and religious persecution depended on who held the throne.

England and Ireland

England sought to conquer and pacify Ireland, using methods later repeated in New World colonization and comparing the “wild Irish” to Native Americans.

England and North America

Under Elizabeth I, England turned its attention to the New World, but early attempts at colonization were unsuccessful, including the Roanoke Colony.

Spreading Protestantism

The Reformation increased hostility toward Catholic Spain, leading England to oppose Catholicism and the Spanish Empire while seeking wealth, empire, and greater status among European nations.

Social Crisis

England struggled to keep up with population growth, while enclosure movements created large numbers of poor people, making America a refuge for England’s “surplus” population.

Masterless men

America was seen as a place where settlers could escape Europe’s economic inequality, as unemployed men were viewed as a danger to society and sought freedom through economic opportunities.