Question/Problem 2: Describe the reasons for and the outcomes of the European explorers between 1492 and 1673.

Sir Humphry Gilbert was born about 1539 in Devon, England. When his mother was left a widow she married Walter Raleigh. Gilbert's half-brother, the future Sir Walter Raleigh, was born in 1552. Gilbert attended Oxford and later soldiered in Ireland and the Netherlands. In 1576 he wrote about his theory that North America was an island off the Asian mainland. His "Discourse in the Northwest Passage" so impressed Queen Elizabeth that she granted him a charter to discover and settle the land not already claimed by other countries. The charter left the area to be settled vague; Gilbert could settle anywhere from Labrador to Florida.

Gilbert felt that English settlement in America would achieve several goals. Colonization would make money for England. Besides that it would extend the Protestant religion as well as provide jobs to many of the day's unemployed. He thought that Engla nd would be able to get needed goods from her own colonial possessions instead of buying them from other countries. It would also help replace the trade that had been damaged by the conflict with Spain and at the same time provide overseas ports in case there was a war. Finally, voyages to North America still were to be taken with the goal of searching for the elusive Northwest Passage.

The first voyage taken by Sir Gilbert left Dartmouth in September 1578. A small fleet consisting of nine ships and 365 men was outfitted with enough provisions for a year. The trip started too late for a safe crossing and eventually turned back. The f leet returned safely to Dartmouth with Gilbert determined to make a fresh start the next year.

The second trip was undertaken in 1583. The delay was caused by the problem of raising money to pay for the trip. Gilbert was finally able to finance the trip with help form his friends. The expedition was made up of five ships including the Squirrel, Gilbert's own frigate. The ships were manned by 260 men. Gilbert brought along many goods to use in trade with the Indians whom he intended to befriend. The second voyage left England in June, three months earlier than his first unsuccessful trip.

The ships headed for Newfoundland. They headed north to avoid the possibility of a West Indies hurricane during this time of year. The ships reached land on July 30, but headed south because the coast seemed bare and not fit for settlement. They arriv ed at St. John's, Newfoundland, to find other sailing vessels anchored there. The expedition spent two weeks there before deciding to move to explore the coast. Two ships decided to head for England and not travel any farther. Gilbert continued on with the Delight, the Golden Hinde, and the Squirrel.

Gilbert's first stop was in Nova Scotia where he intended to stock up on provisions. A storm came up and the Delight struck rocks and sank. The crews of the two remaining ships searched for survivors. None were found although they spent two days looki ng. Supplies were low and winter was fast approaching. The crew questioned whether or not establishing a colony this late in the year was possible. Gilbert agreed to return to England. North of the Azores, the ships ran into more terrible weather. Gi lbert refused to leave the Squirrel for the safety of the larger ship. He would not leave the crew he had sailed with through many other storms. On September 9 the two ships were separated for a time in the bad weather but the Squirrel soon reappeared. Later that night, sailors on the Golden Hinde saw the ship again disappear. The smaller ship had been swamped by the high waves and sank.

Sir Humphry Gilbert never returned from his second voyage. Both voyages ended in failure and by 1583 England still did not have a settlement in the New World. Although Gilbert failed to achieve his goal, later explorers, including his half brother Sir Walter Raleigh, carried on his plan for establishing an English colony in North America.