Big Chief Elizabeth Review

Giles Milton offers up an account of the early days of English exploration and its halting attempts at colonization in North America, in his third “non-fiction” offering, entitled Big Chief Elizabeth. The book centers largely around the determined efforts of Sir Walter Raleigh to establish an English colony in the New World during the Elizabethan era of the late sixteenth century. but provides plenty of background on the exploits of other famous and not so famous English explorers of the era as well. The book's opening chapter briefly mentions the excitement occasioned by John Cabot's seemingly successful voyages during the reign of King Henry VII, upon which English claims of sovereignty over North America were based. This is followed by a more detailed account of an ill-fated scheme launched, by wealthy London merchant Richard Hore, who attempted to duplicate the accomplishment of fellow Englishman William Hawkins. Sir Hawkins had returned from a voyage to South America, with a Brazilian savage in tow which, “caused a sensation in Tudor London, especially when he was ushered into the commanding presence of King Henry VIII.”1 Hore was convinced that thousands of curious Londoners would eagerly line up and pay handsomely to view such an exotic creature, netting him and his investors a fortune. He had little trouble finding men of means, eager to invest in the venture, but the plan failed miserably. According to the author, this was because in large part of Hore's poor planning, as well as the ill-preparedness of most of his gentlemen companions for the hardships of such an arduous journey.

The adventurers soon find the harsh environs of the North Atlantic a very difficult place to scrounge up a meal and after they are stran...

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... Revealing that the British government and the Virginia Company had known all along that the settlers from the “lost colony” of Roanoke were slaughtered, save for a few lucky ones, by the direct order of Chief Powhatan. Supposedly Powhatan had told this to Smith and showed him relics which had belonged to the company, just before he was saved from death, by Pocahontas, and Smith secretly forwarded to the court of King James. This is but one of the theories presented by Kupperman and others as a plausible, perhaps even likely explanation for the colony's disappearance. There is a huge difference though between historical conjecture and verifiable facts and good history deal with fact, not fiction.

Works Cited

Milton, Giles. Big Chief Elizabeth: The Adventures and Fate of the First English Colonists in America. New York: Farrar,Straus, and Giroux, 2000. 8. Print.