Vietnam Perkasie: A Combat Memoir

The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European settlements from the start of colonization of America in the early 1500's until their incorporation into the United States. In the late 16th century, England, France, and Spain launched major colonization programs in eastern and southeastern North America. Small early attempts, such as the English Lost Colony of Roanoke—often disappeared and everywhere the death rate of the first arrivals was very high. Nevertheless successful colonies were established. European settlers came from a variety of social and religious groups. No aristocrats settled permanently at first, but a number of adventurers, soldiers, farmers, and tradesmen who arrived did (Nowell 77). Where and why they settled is due to a variety of factors from religious freedoms to economic opportunity. These are all different due to the vast colonial areas occupied and where each mother country set claim to lands in this New World. The four distinct regions were: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake Bay Colonies (Upper South) and the Lower South. By the time European settlers arrived around 1600–1650, the majority of the Native Americans living in the eastern United States had been destroyed by new diseases, introduced to them decades before by explorers and sailors(Nowell 272-273).

I will first talk about the English settlements of New England and the Middle Colonies. England made its first successful efforts at the start of the 17th century for several reasons. During this era, English pro-nationalism and the change in England's major religion persuaded many to flee for the lands of the west. At this time, however, there was no official attempt by the English government to create a colonial empire. Rather, the motivation behind the founding of colonies was for prestige and power and in corrupting and exploiting these new lands after learning especially of Spain's great wealth being amassed in gold and other precious medals in South America. Practical considerations, such as commercial enterprise, overpopulation and the desire for freedom of religion, played their parts as well. The main waves of settlement came in the 17th century ( Kwarteng 224). Many Catholics arrived and stayed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, many Puritans with strict religious views and hard work ethics stayed in New England are and prospered as farmers, shipbuilders and tradesman. As