exploration and the new world

Answer: Two reasons: (1) Trade - English merchants wanted direct access to Asian luxury goods (spices, silk) without paying Italian or Ottoman middlemen, and the potential profits were enormous; (2) Rivalry with Spain - Spain and Portugal had a monopoly on New World trade through the Treaty of Tordesillas, and England wanted to challenge this by establishing its own colonies and trade routes. Other reasons include the search for the Northwest Passage and religious/national pride.

Answer: Two reasons: (1) Trade - English merchants wanted direct access to Asian luxury goods (spices, silk) without paying Italian or Ottoman middlemen, and the potential profits were enormous; (2) Rivalry with Spain - Spain and Portugal had a monopoly on New World trade through the Treaty of Tordesillas, and England wanted to challenge this by establishing its own colonies and trade routes. Other reasons include the search for the Northwest Passage and religious/national pride.

Answer: Drake sailed from Plymouth on 15 November 1577 with five ships, passed through the Strait of Magellan, raided Spanish colonies on the Pacific coast of South America, captured a Spanish treasure ship (the Cacafuego), claimed "New Albion" (California) for England in 1579, crossed the Pacific and Indian Oceans, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and returned to Plymouth on 26 September 1580. Only the Golden Hind and approximately 56 men survived. The voyage yielded approximately £600,000 in treasure.

Answer: The Roanoke colony failed because: it was poorly provisioned and lacked adequate supplies; the war with Spain diverted ships and delayed resupply missions; the settlers antagonised the local Native Americans by demanding food and burning villages; the location on Roanoke Island was swampy and unsuitable; the settlers lacked survival skills for the new environment; Raleigh never visited the colony himself and could not provide direct leadership; the 1587 "Lost Colony" was abandoned or destroyed before White could return with supplies.

Answer: English exploration affected indigenous peoples negatively: European diseases (smallpox, influenza) killed large numbers; English settlers attacked villages when Native Americans refused to provide food (e.g. Grenville burning Aquascogoc in 1585); land was taken without consent; some Native Americans were captured and taken to England; missionaries attempted to destroy traditional beliefs. However, initial contacts were sometimes friendly, and some trade and cultural exchange occurred.

Answer: A balanced answer should discuss: trade (the search for new routes to Asia, access to luxury goods, the enormous profits from Drake's raids); rivalry with Spain (challenging the Spanish-Portuguese monopoly, Protestant vs Catholic competition, national pride); the search for the Northwest Passage; religious and national motives. Argue that trade was the primary driver but that it was inseparable from rivalry with Spain - the two factors worked together to motivate exploration.

Answer: The "Lost Colony" of Roanoke was the third group of settlers sent by Raleigh in 1587, comprising approximately 115 people. John White, the governor, returned to England for supplies in late 1587 but was delayed by the Spanish Armada. When he returned in August 1590, the settlement was completely deserted. The only clue was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a fence post, possibly indicating the settlers had moved to nearby Croatoan Island. Despite searches, no trace of the settlers was ever found, and their fate remains a mystery.