Failed Colonies in the Americas! We all LOVE FAILURE!

Fort Caroline


1.    What insights do you gain from comparing the French and Spanish accounts of the 1565 attack?

The French account was that all their men were off somewhere else, unable to fight, and they were only left with women and slaves. The Spanish account was much more positive since they won, and they also brought God into their reasoning.

2.    How do they decide what is ethically and politically acceptable in their actions and in the actions of their enemies?

The Spanish were pretty religious and quoted the Bible, saying “triumph which our Lord has granted us, and which will be the means of the holy Gospel being introduced into this country” and their purpose was to be “enlightened by the Holy Spirit.” They executed all the Lutheran captives because they believed the Lutherans to be from the devil; if captives were Roman Catholic, they were spared.

Fort Caroline and Ajacan


3.    What do the settlers see as the strengths and weaknesses of their colonies?

Famine and death were major problems, and weather crippled them greatly. A small strength was that they could convert natives.

4.    Which do they ascribe to external factors? To themselves?

External factors were weather, geography, and the natives. They, however, had a lack of food and struggled to stay alive.

5.    Evaluate the colonists' planning for the settlements. How do they adapt to unforeseen problems?

They didn’t really plan at all, and they ran out of food after awhile. Then, they couldn’t get anymore because they had been refused funding. Negotiating with Indians helped, however.

6.    How did colonists' relationships with the Indians affect their fate?

The Indians had helped the colonists with getting food and such, but when the Indians wanted something in return, the colonists had nothing. This led to the Indians having negative perspectives and opinions on the colonists.

7.    How did their perception of the natural environment affect their fate?

Their perception of the natural environment was wrong, and it surprised them a lot, making it hard for them to adjust. The winter was harsh and killed a lot of colonists.

8.    How did the leadership in each colony affect its fate?

The colonies needed strong, reliable leadership or else it would fail, resources would be wasted, and capture would be inevitable.

9.    What is critical for a successful colony?

Food, water, shelter, resources, good relationships with the natives, and survival/defense are critical.

Fort Caroline and Roanoke


10. To what extent did the colonists prepare for failure?

The colonists were pretty much like, “Failure? What’s that? Pshhh, not us.” They were wrong and so so unprepared.

11. How did the colonies end?

They were either destroyed by Indians or blended in with Indians. Either way, the colonies’ ends involved Indians.

12. How might these accounts differ from those of successful colonies?

Successful colonies further developed and were successful, with no capturing involved.

Fort Caroline, Ajacan, and Roanoke


13. What might have saved these colonies?

More abundant resources and better planning skills might have saved them.

14. What might a prospective settler learn from these documents?

They might learn to plan ahead and what to not-do.

15. How did European rivalries affect the fate of these colonies?

European rivalries caused everyone to hate each other, so there were a bunch of conflicts. They ended up conquering and destroying each other.