Year 8 - History
English settlement at Roanoke
European conquest of the Americas: why was its impact so devastating?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the Americas before the arrival of Europeans before examining the impact of their early settlement and colonisation, with a particular focus on England's first successful American colonies.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why the first colonies under Elizabeth failed.
Key Notes
- American colonies were a great source of wealth for the Spanish who founded gold and silver mines.
- Sir Walter Raleigh tried to persuade Elizabeth I in growing an empire to be able to compete with the Spanish.
- Elizabeth gave permission for colonies in North America such as Roanoke, Virginia.
- Poor relations between colonists and Native Americans contributed to Roanoke's failure.
- The colony of Roanoke disappeared and to this day historians do not know exactly what happened.
Vocabulary To Learn
- colonisation: colonisation is the process of taking control over another country
- courtier: a courtier is an advisor or companion to the king or queen
- rivalry: a rivalry is a situation in which two or more people or groups compete with one another
- colony: a colony is a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country
- Spanish Armada: the Spanish Armada was a large group of warships sent by Spain to try and invade England in 1588
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils think that England was a comparable colonial power to Spain in the 16th century.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
American colonies were a great source of wealth for the Spanish who founded gold and silver mines. Sir Walter Raleigh tried to persuade Elizabeth I in growing an empire to be able to compete with the Spanish.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'colonisation'
colonisation is the process of taking control over another country.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Pupils think that England was a comparable colonial power to Spain in the 16th century. Correction: English colonisation attempts began much later than Spain's, and occurred on a much smaller-scale with less government involvement.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 History guide library.