The First English Settlements (1366)

Virginia [və'd i:niə] – Вирджиния

Pilgrim Fathers – английские колонисты, первыми поселившиеся в Америке

New Hampshire [nju:'hжmp∫iə] – Нью-Гемпшир

Massachusetts [,mжsə't∫u:səts] – Массачусетс

Connecticut [kə'nektikət] – Коннектикут

Pennsylvania [,pensil'veinjə] – Пенсильвания

Plymouth ['plimə ] – Плимут

The English had visited America at different times. But they had never stayed very long. John Cabot came to Newfoundland in 1498. In 1577 Sir Francis Drake sailed along the western coast of America on his voyage around the world. In the year 1606, some English people decided they didn't like the way their king, James I, was treating them. They formed a group called the London Company and sailed for America. In April 1607 the people landed on the bank of the river which the colonists named the James in honour of their king, not far from the Bay in Virginia. A fort and a few log houses were built, and the settlement was named Jamestown. That was the first permanent settlement.

Life was very hard in the little colony. Nearly all the men had come from the well-to-do families and couldn't work. They believed the stories of the riches, as they had been told. Many people died as they hadn't enough food. The Indians gave them corn and taught to grow tobacco. And soon ships with tobacco sailed for England and returned with things that the colonists needed.

Twenty Negroes were brought to Jamestown in 1619 and sold to the tobacco planters. This was the beginning of slavery in America.

In the north-east the Pilgrim Fathers, who came there on board the Mayflower, founded another colony in Plymouth in September, 1620. The English crown supported the foundation of colonies in North America and looked upon them as an effective means of extending English influence against French and Spanish competition and of increasing their incomes.

To the end of the 17^th century thirteen colonies were established on the Atlantic coast of North America.

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