Chapter 2: Britain Jamestown

Initiation: Led by Martin Luther, a Catholic priest who initiated a significant movement in Christianity.
Core Doctrine: Preached the doctrine of "justification by faith".
- Definition: Individual Christians could obtain salvation and life everlasting only through faith that God would save them.
Consequences of the Reformation: Luther's Reformation permanently disrupted the unity of Christianity in Western Europe.

Theological Mix: The Anglican Church combined Protestant theology with Catholic rituals.

Spanish Success: Spain’s successes in the New World showcased that distant lands could serve European interests, suggesting potential for extension and expansion of European influence.
European Ambition: Other European nations aimed to find their own passage to the East Indies or sought to replicate the successes in regions like Mexico or Peru.
Colonial Focus: England and France directed their colonial exploration efforts towards North America, carefully avoiding conflicts with Spain due to their conquests.

Initial Attempts: England’s first colonial endeavors proved to be both fruitless and tragic.
- Sir Humphrey Gilbert: Made an attempt to settle Newfoundland but met death before establishing a colony.
Roanoke Island: Organized an expedition in 1585 to establish a settlement on Roanoke Island, located off the coast of present-day North Carolina.

John White's Leadership (1587): 100 settlers arrived at Roanoke under the leadership of John White.
Return to Roanoke (1590): Sir Walter Raleigh returned to find the settlers had disappeared, marking the uneasy fate of the colony.

Conflict Overview: England faced Spain in a naval engagement where Spain deployed 10 ships, 18,000 soldiers, and 8,000 sailors against England’s 100 ships.
Naval Strategy: England's ships were smaller and faster, dubbed "the divine wind" for their superior maneuverability.
Significance: The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the onset of England's global naval supremacy.

Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy: England operated under a constitutional parliamentary monarchy.
Magna Carta (1215): Established key principles that cornered King John's power:
- Rights of Citizens: Limited the king's powers and guaranteed rights to citizens.
- Equality Before Law: Everyone is equal before the law.
- Parliament's Power to Tax: Emphasized Parliament’s authority, which held the power to tax.
Joint-Stock Companies: Early forms of corporations that combined wealth and lowered investment risk.
Glorious Revolution (1688): Resulted in Parliament establishing its supremacy over the monarchy.

Establishment of Virginia Colony (1607): Marked the beginnings of English colonial presence in North America.
Starving Time (1609-1610): A brutal period endured by colonists in which supplies were scarce.
Tobacco Cultivation: John Rolfe began experimenting with tobacco cultivation:
- Tobacco Strains: Rolfe created a new strain by mixing tobacco from Trinidad and Guiana, leading to increased economic success.
Significant Growth:
- 1619: Establishment of the General Assembly of Virginia and arrival of the first Africans in the colony.
- 1622: Native Americans killed 350 colonists, including John Rolfe, highlighting the violent conflicts present in colonial expansion.
- Economic Statistics:
- By 1630s: Virginia produced 500,000 pounds of tobacco per year.
- By 1670s: Production surged to 15 million pounds of tobacco per year, indicating the growing economic importance of this crop to the colony and the wider economy.