The Failure Of The Popham Colony

1085 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History of new england and chesapeake colonies

Popham Colony was an English settlement on the mouth of the Kennebec River, near the town Phippsburg; lasting from August 1607 until October 1608. It’s failure few key factors; inadequate people in power, a hostile relationship with the neighboring wabanaki tribes, and unpreparedness for a Maine winter. Two years prior to the Popham Colony attempt, George Weymouth captained the ship Archangel on an exploratory voyage to the coast of Maine. At the time, Maine was heavily populated by Wabanaki tribes. Weymouth's crew frequently reached out to the sheepscot tribe that was near where the Archangel landed. They invited sheepscot men aboard their ship for peas and biscuits. At the end of their trip, Weymouth and his crew abducted five Sheepscot …show more content…

The first ship, Richard, was lead by Henry Challons, and carried Mannedo and Assacomiot. This ship took a southern route across the Atlantic and was captured by Spaniards off of Florida. They never made it to Weymouth's designated sight. The second ship, lead by Thomas Hanham and Martin Pring, brought Dehananda. They took the designated root and made it to Maine. When they arrived, they could not find the Richard. Dehananda showed crew to the mouth of Sagadahoc River. They thought that location to be superior to Weymouth’s pre decided location and decided to change the colonies location. In December, the second ship left without setting up the beginnings of the colony, as the Plymouth Company had requested (Higgins …show more content…

George Popham, nephew of Chief Justice John Popham, was the initial leader of the colony. Popham was ‘valiant’. He established civil relationships with two wabanaki tribes, EXPLAIN IMPORTANCE OF WABANAKI TRIBES AND HOW MAINE WAS MOSTLY INDIAN land. But he was also ‘old of body, timid, lacking will and drive’. Early into the first winter, Popham grew ill and died (class notes). Pophams second in command; 24 year old Raleigh Gilbert, came into power. He diminished the previously built relationship with the Wabanaki tribes that Popham had built. “The English under another commander changed their conduct; they repelled these savages disgracefully; they beat them, they abused them, they set their dogs upon them with little restraint.” (higgins cited a thayer 127). After treating the natives so poorly, trade for food and fur was no longer an option

Show More
Related

  • Disappearance of Roanoke: The Lost Colony

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    When most people think of the early settlement they think of the first successful settlement, Jamestown, but this was not the first settlement in the New World. The settlement at Roanoke was the first attempt to colonize the New World. The settlement at Roanoke is often referred to as the “Lost Colony” because of its unusual disappearance. The reason people often do not know about the first settlement at Roanoke because it was abandoned, forgotten, and lost. The Roanoke settlement was located on an island on the northern coast of what is now North Carolina. A few more than a hundred English men first settled the colony at Roanoke Island in 1584. The conditions were harsh and between the lack of supplies and the troubles with natives of the area the settlement was all but doomed from the start. Three years after the initial settlement was founded, in 1587, more English arrived this time there were one hundred and ten colonists that consisted not just of men, but of women and children as well. Women and children were brought to the New World so that the settlement could become a fully functioning society. Of course this idea obviously did not work out as planned. The war going on in Europe between the English and the Spanish caused a delay of more supplies and people. If there had not been a prolonged delay in the resupplying process the entire course of American history may not have been what we know it to be now. If the war had started any earlier or later then people might have known more about the original first settlement of the New World. All the evidence left when people returned to Roanoke following the war in Europe was the word “CROATOAN” carved into a tree. Historians believe these to be marks left by the Croatoan Indians...

    Read More

  • Research Paper On King Philip's War

    384 Words  | 1 Pages

    1675-76, the most devastating war between the colonists and the Native Americans in New England. The war is named for King Philip, the son of Massasoit and chief of the Wampanoag. His Wampanoag name was Metacom, Metacomet, or Pometacom. Upon the death (1662) of his brother, Alexander (Wamsutta), whom the Native Americans suspected the English of murdering, Philip became sachem and maintained peace with the colonists for a number of years. Hostility eventually developed over the steady succession of land sales forced on the Native Americans by their growing dependence on English goods. Suspicious of Philip, the English colonists in 1671 questioned and fined him and demanded that the Wampanoag surrender their arms, which they did. In 1675 a Christian Native American who had been acting as an informer to the English was murdered, probably at Philip's instigation. Three Wampanoags were tried for the murder and executed. Incensed by this act, the Native Americans in June, 1675, made a sudden raid on the border settlement of Swansea. Other raids followed; towns were burned and many whites-men, women, and children-were slain. Unable to draw the Native Americans into a major battle, the colonists resorted to similar methods of warfare in retaliation and antagonized other tribes. The Wampanoag were joined by the Nipmuck and by the Narragansett (after the latter were attacked by the colonists), and soon all the New England colonies were involved in the war. Philip's cause began to decline after he made a long journey west in an unsuccessful attempt to secure aid from the Mohawk. In 1676 the Narragansett were completely defeated and their chief, Canonchet, was killed in April of that year; the Wampanoag and Nipmuck were gradually subdued. Philip's wife and son were captured, and he was killed (Aug., 1676) by a Native American in the service of Capt.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Jamestown Vs Plymouth

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    “So many therefore of these professors as saw the evil of these things, in these parts, and whose hearts the Lord had touched with heavenly zeal for his truth, they shook off this yoke of anti-Christian bondage..” (123). Also, even though the leaders of the colony of Jamestown and Plymouth were both Englishmen, they had different goals. William Bradford was dedicated to his cause of finding a safe haven where they could find religious freedom, while John Smith was more interested in finding land, natural resources for his

    Read More

  • Plymouth and Jamestown: Government, Power, and Survival

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Jamestown and Plymouth settlements were both settled in the early 1600's. Plymouth and Jamestown were located along the shoreline in Massachusetts and Virginia, respectively. Although both had different forms of government, they both had strong leadership. Jamestown was controlled by the London Company, who wanted to profit from the venture, while the Puritans who settled at Plymouth were self-governed with an early form of democracy and settled in the New World to gain religious freedom. John Smith took charge in efforts to organize Jamestown, and at Plymouth William Bradford helped things run smoothly.

    Read More

  • The Colonies By 1763: A New Society?

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    Between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans.

    Read More

  • Jamestown DBQ

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    So when, “Francis West and thirty-six man (sailed) up the Chesapeake Bay to try to trade for corn with the Patawomeke Indians..” he was looking for food to trade to last through the winter. Document D also says, “”some harshe and crewell dealinge by cutting of towe (two) of the savages heads and other extremetyes.” Now from where I come from, we don’t chop up our business partners. This shows extreme mistrust and greed, which caused them to act crazy and ruin a good opportunity at partnership. They needed the indians and their knowledge of the land, crops, and enemies. But they put a wall up in between them and sparked anger and possibly war. Document D supports the fact that they died because of mistrust. (Doc

    Read More

  • William Apess And The Mashpee Revolt

    1695 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Pequot tribe inhabited most of Southeastern Connecticut when the colonists arrived to the new world. The Pequot were among the most feared tribes in Southern New England in relation to the colonists. Actually, the name “Pequot” is of Algonquian descent and translates to mean “destroyers”. As the Pequot were migrating westward continuous altercations with the colonists arose. One incident in particular led to the murder of an English man believed to be a traitor by the Pequot. John Endicott, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, organized an attack against the Pequot in retaliation for the murder of the alleged traitor, John Oldham. On May 26, 1637 the Pequot were attacked by some colonists as well as the Pequot former tribesmen the Mohegan and Uncas. Nearly all the Pequot villages were burned and nearly all of the Pequot were killed. Some small groups did escape but most were found and either murdered or sold into slavery to other Indian nations as well as residents of the West Indies. After the “Pequot War”, the Pequot name was all but eliminated giving way to the Mohegan. The pride of the Pequot people and their immense hatred of the Mohegan tribe were very prevalent t...

    Read More

  • The Legacy of George Rogers Clark

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clark, during the 1770’s, was helping Kentucky defend itself from Native Americans. At the time, Clark was transporting gunpowder to the frontier between the Americans and the British. The Native Americans, who lived in the Northwest, disliked the Americans in the Northwest and their claim on Kentucky and with the British backing, waged war with the Americans. Clark was now in charge of defending the settlements and was promoted to major. Clark then made plans in taking British held forts in the region and persuaded Governor Patrick Henry to support him in capturing the forts. Clark had won the support of Patrick Henry, was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and was given command of the mission (“George Clark” 1). With the command of the mission, Clark had lead 175 men who traveled to Fort Kaskaskia, Illinois in six days. The fort was almost defenseless and was easily taken with Clark’s force. Clark had sent Captain Leonard Helm to capture Fort Sackville, after learning that the fort was undefended from American spies. Leonard Helm had then captured the fort, but was taken back by Henry Hamilton shortly after. Henry Hamilton, the famous British “Hair Buyer”, used militia and Native Americans to take Fort Sackville. In the winter, Clark lead a force of 170 men ...

    Read More

  • Many Differences Between Disney's Pocohontas and John Smith's The General History of Virginia

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Smith explains the hardships of the voyage in the “General History of Virginia” he and others endured. While finally landing on land and discovering the head of the Chickahamania River, The colony endured Disease, severe weather, Native American attacks, and starvation all threatened to destroy the colony. Smith talks about his accomplishments of being a “good leader” and how he helped in many ways. John Smith was captured by the Native Americans and brought back to the camp. Within an hour, the Native Americans prepared to shoot him, but the Native Americans done as Chief Powhatan ordered and brought stones to beat Smiths brains out. John Smith gave an ivory double compass to the Chief of Powhatan. The Native Americans marveled at the parts of the compass. After the Native Americans admired the compass for an hour Chief Powhatan held...

    Read More

  • The Colonies by 1763

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Between the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans.

    Read More

  • Comparing John Smith’s A Description of New England and William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Description of New England: or The Observations, and Discoveries, of Captain John Smith (Admiral of that Country), in the North of America, in the year of our Lord, 1614; London, 1616. Reprinted in: Dow, George Francis (1921). Two Centuries of Travel in Essex County Massachusetts: A Collection of Narratives and Observations Made by Travelers 1605-1799. The Perkins Press, Topsfield.

    Read More

  • Colonial Rebellion

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    The colonies did not initially desire to succeed and become independent from the British, at first they were very proud of being British. Throughout the years of being a British Colony, The mother country of Britain committed actions that the colonists could not stand much longer. From taxation without representation to quartering British soldiers unwillingly, the tension built up until the colonists eventually rebelled. Some colonists remained loyal to the crown, while others joined the rebellion. These rebellious forces grew in strength and number, when the rebellion grew too big, the Revolution sparked. No longer would the colonist be forced to the British law, the colonists were willing to fight and die for their freedom. This event was

    Read More

  • The Colonies

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    What major problems did the young republic face after its victory over Great Britain? How did these problems motivate members of the elite to call for a federal constitution?

    Read More

  • The Roanoke Colony

    3820 Words  | 8 Pages

    The Roanoke colony was located on the Roanoke Island, in Dare County. This is where North Carolina is located today. In 1584, explorers Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe were the first Europeans to set view the island. They were sent to that particular region by Sir Walter Raleigh with the assignment of exploring the extensive sounds and estuaries in hunt of an ideal location for settlement. Barlowe wrote bright information of Roanoke Island, and when the explorers returned to England a year afterward with two Natives, Manteo and Wanchese, all of London was abuzz with chat of the New World’s wonders.Queen Elizabeth, impressed with the results of the reconnaissance voyage, knighted Raleigh as a reward. The new ground was named “Virginia” in respect of the Virgin Queen, and the next year, Raleigh sent a gathering of 100 militia, miners and scientists to Roanoke Island. It was a late 16th century attempt for England to establish a permanent settlement. Queen Elizabeth 1 was queen at the time. The attempt was put together and financed by Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Sir Gilbert drowned in his attempt to colonize St.John’s, Newfoundland. His half-brother Sir Walter Raleigh, gained his deceased brothers charter. He would execute the details of the charter through his delegates Ralph Lane and Richard Greenville. Greenville was a distant cousin of Raleigh. Raleigh’s charter specified that he needed to establish a colony in the North America continent, or he would lose his right to colonization. Raleigh and Elizabeth hoped that the colony would provide riches from the New World and a location from which to send privateers on raids against the treasure fleets of Spain. Raleigh never had visited the continent of North America, although he did lead e...

    Read More

  • The Success of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    America. In 1607, a group of merchants, known as the Virginia Company, settled at Jamestown, Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay (Divine, 72); while Puritan leader John Winthrop, stationed himself and his followers at Massachusetts Bay in 1630. (Divine, 90) Although both settlements started off relatively the same, the greater success of one over the other has caused continuous debates between many, including the descendants of these early Americans. Some might argue that the Virginia Colony was more successful than the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of the Virginia colonists’ motivation and interest in profit (Divine, 76). However, when efforts for income proved futile, this and survival became the colony's only interests. Therefore, Massachusetts proved itself to be the stronger colony and the most successful, as a result of its community development and social advancement, its economic growth, and the positive influence the government had on the Massachusetts Colony.

    Read More

More about The Failure Of The Popham Colony

Open Document