It’s All Began There…

Only an extremely lazy and ignorant person knows nothing about Christopher Columbus, a courageous man and a useless governor of Spanish colonies in the New World, who managed to discover a new continent which is proudly called after another famous discoverer Amerigo Vespucci. The New World was called America in his honor.

Many of European powers were lucky in turn to explore new and rich lands of the New World. Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Russia succeeded a lot in exploring these new but attracting lands. Colonists from Spain, France, Holland, England and other countries came to the New World for many different reasons: trade, freedom of religion, political freedom and economic reasons.

The British were the most successful and efficient in colonization of the New World. Great Britain started its colonial history with its first British colony that was called after the king James. They founded 13 colonies along the eastern coast of North America.

Text B: Reading for meaning.

Jamestown – the First British Colony

At first, the crew of the British ship “Mayflower” was enjoying good and quiet weather at sea. People were full of hopes and dreams on the best possible future. On the way to the New World too many storms were taking place in the Atlantic Ocean and during one of them the main beam of the ship collapsed. There were also some leaks on the ship. Several members of the crew even expressed the wish to return back to England, but the rest insisted on going further.

Eventually, in May of 1607 one hundred and five people from the British ship ‘Mayflower’ landed on the most unacceptable, swampy and unsecured land. Many people of the crew were pilgrims and they decided on changing their lifestyle by immigrating to the New World in a life expectancy of freedom of religion and better life.

As the Pilgrims² looked around the shore, they were watching their new country covered with dense and wild forests. Endless lawns were covered with thousands of bluebells, chamomiles and forget-me-nots. Many of swamps around the place were distributing such disgusting smell which could not encourage new colonists. The whole place seemed extremely strange, savage and unfriendly. But looking behind, the Pilgrims could watch only the great and endless ocean separating them from the well-known civilization.

Colonists started building their houses and soon after noticed that they had been watched by Native Americans. This was the first meeting with people who eventually received the name of Indians. At first Indians and colonists managed to cope and live together peacefully. Indians were much surprised of many things never seen before like riffles, alcohol liquors, leather boots and watches. In their turn new colonists were carefully and friendly instructed on using many herbs, shown eatable plants and berries never seen before. Despite of different gods and cultures the British and Native American kept living together peacefully.

Then the first winter arrived and it was very severe and frosty. The colonists were not properly organized and prepared for such an unusual and severe winter and many of serious problems began starting with unseen before deceases and sickness. Another and the most hard difficulty was in a shortage of food that eventually led to death of an overwhelming number of colonists. By the end of the first winter only 50 colonists survived.

Later on when the survived colonists wanted to leave the Jamestown Colony for good, a supply ship with a new governor Lord De La Ware (compare Delaware) arrived to the American continent and initiated the colonists to stay in the colony and organize the colonial establishments up to the better standard.

Captain John Smith was appointed to the Council of Jamestown in 1609. Since that time the council policy in Jamestown became hard and strict and due to it the colony could survive. The colonists constructed and fortified the fort to prevent any attacks of the Native Americans; soon the first Anglican Church in America was built. The colony was expanding in size and improving its living conditions. Colonists began to feel their muscles. Colonists started cultivating tobacco and since 1609 the colony was exporting tobacco to England.

Comprehension check

Answer the questions about the colonists

1. Why did these people immigrate to America?

2. Why did they go to this particular country?

3. What were the initial difficulties in the colony?

4. Did the first colonists have any money problems?

5. Did they miss anything about their life in England?

6. How do you understand the sentence “Colonists began to feel their muscles”?

Using Charts

Writing practice:

By the beginning of the 18^th century, the majority of American colonies were populated by people of different origins and religious groups. First of all these people had a wish of building a church of their own choice and having freedom of religion. Using the presented chart compose some sentences about religious and population content of the American colonies.

FOUNDATION OF RELIGION IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES
DATE	RELIGIOUS GROUP	LOCATION
1607 1619 1620 1628 1634 1639 1648 1652	Anglican Church Islam Congregational Church Dutch Reformed Church Catholic Church Baptist Church German Lutheran Church Quaker Church	Jamestown Colony Virginia Colony Plymouth Colony New York Colony Maryland Colony Rhode Island Colony Pennsylvania Colony Pennsylvania Colony

MODEL: First representatives of Islam started arriving to the United States in 1619 from prestigious English towns and villages in a hope to build a church of their religion. Majority of these people were descendants from India, Ceylon and African countries. The first Islamic followers settled priory in Virginia Colony and were living among other settlers who were mostly representatives of Anglican Church of England.

ROLE PLAY

1. You’re a survivor of the first severe winter in Pennsylvania. A supply ship from England has finally reached the land, and the captain has suggested taking some of colonists back to Germany if they wish to return. You have to give an answer in few hours. As you think about your decision, consider both the troubles and possible advantages you might face if you stay in the New World. In a group of three students, act this scene where you, your partner and the ship’s captain discuss whether to stay or leave.

2. This time you write a letter to your relatives in England. You write a letter as a Jamestown colonist. In the first paragraph, you have to write about the problems and difficulties you have had, when in the second paragraph, you must list and outline the opportunities you still hope to find in the New World.

Grammar in Use

Simple Past and Past Progressive

1. While they were sailing up the west coast, they ran out food.

1. Bering became ill while they were crossing fierce flows of the straight.

Simple Past and Past Perfect

1. When Bering arrived home, he had been away for over two years.

1. After they had returned from the first expedition, Bering planned a new journey to America.

Exercise № 4. Using combinations of Past Simple and Progressive tenses answer to the following questions in written form.

1. What happened when the Jamestown colonists were on the way to leave the New World for good?

2. What might happen when the colonists were trading with Native Americans?

3. What happened on the ship while the Mayflower was sailing west to the New World?

4. What were the first meetings with Native Americans like?

Compounds and Dictionary work

Words can be combined to make new words. Look at the examples and note the different spellings. There are no special rules for making and spelling compounds.

Model: Life lifestyle, life expectancy, life insurance, life experience, life-size, lifelong.

Now, decide on how many compounds you can make by combining a word from column A with a word from column B. use your dictionary to help.

Country, Home, Colony

Food, governor, dance, house, man, side, town, woman, wide, computer, appliances, made, work, sick, plant, proud, town, less, Council, regulations.

Numbers and Dates

Notice how English and Americans say and write dates:

• the seventh of May;

• January the eleventh;

• 23 December, 1607

Now, practice in answering to these questions verbally.

1. What’s date today?

2. When did your English classes start?

3. What are the most important dates in your life?

4. What are the most important dates in your country?

5. When did Christopher Columbus discover America?

6. When was the first British colony established in the New World?

Notice and practice the format of date’s presentations:

In British English, people always say ‘and’ after hundreds.

For example, three hundred and forty two.

In American English, people usually drop ‘and’ after hundreds.

For example, three hundred forty two.

Now, practice in answering to these questions verbally.

1. When were you born?

2. When did you start studying English?

3. When did the British establish their first colony in America?

4. When was your dad born?

5. When did you graduate from the school?