2.Colonization of the New World

The New World was a great and rich land.North and South Americas together made up an area almost as large as Africa and Europe combined.In the New World there were all those resources necessary for agricultural and industrial development：fertile land，seas full of fish，great forests，all the essential metals，and minerals，huge coal and oil supplies，and rivers rich in water power.

The ruling class of Europe fell upon this rich land greedily.Only 50years after Columbus’first voyage，the Spanish and Portuguese had overrun the vast land of what is now called Latin America.The settling of present-day United States and Canada by the English and French went more slowly，though quite cruelly.During the reign of Queen ElizabethⅠ（1588-1603），the English in growing numbers realized that the New World was their best place to make their fortunes，and to worship and live according to their beliefs.Some of them might move to America to leave oppressive political institutions，to escape burdensome church duties，to acquire large landholdings or merely to change their general pattern of living.Of course，material gain was a common factor.

In April 1607，three ships with 104English settlers arrived off the Virginia coast.They built the first successful settlement called Jamestown.The location of Jamestown itself led to much hardship and disease，and within the first 6months，about half of 104settlers died.But the first settlement，however，survived.In 1620atiny ship called the“Mayflower”sailed from England for the New World.Crowded together in the small ship were 102 passengers.About half of them were Pilgrims who were the first group of Puritans to settle in North America.During the trip the Mayflower was blown off the course and they finally landed，far to the north of Virginia，in what is now Massachusetts.Being far from Virginia the Pilgrims decided to set up their own government.They wrote a now famous agreement called the“Mayflower Compact”.In this Compact they agreed to stick together，to abide by majority rule，and to have a right to choose their own leader.This was the beginning of the US democracy.During the first icy winter in the dwelling place called Plymouth，the Pilgrims suffered much hardship and about half of them died.When spring came，the Indians began to help them.The Indians showed them how to hunt，fish，and plant.The Pilgrims had a fine harvest of corn in fall.They were thankful.They made a feast and invited the Native Americans who had helped them.This was the first Thanksgiving in North America.

Later more Puritans arrived in the nearby areas of Massachusetts.By 1679they set up four New England colonies：Massachusetts，Rhode Island，Connecticut，and New Hampshire.The colonies of New York，New Jersey，Maryland，Pennsylvania，and Delaware were called the Middle Colonies.Some of them were not started by the English colonists.New York and New Jersey were first founded by the Dutch，and Delaware was first settled by the Dutch and the Swedish.These three colonies were taken by the English in 1664.The Southern Colonies included Virginia，North and South Carolinas and Georgia.North and South Carolinas were settled by pioneers from other colonies，and Georgia，the last colony，was founded in 1733，which was named after the English King George Ⅱ.

By the mid-18th century North America had been actually divided out among the European colonialists.Most of the east coast，south of the St.Lawrence River，north of Florida and stretching inland as far as the Appalachians in the west was in the hands of the British，each with a governor，under British rule.