Before the arrival of the English, the Spanish influence in the New World extended from the Chesapeake Bay to the tip of South America. Spanish possessions included the developing cities of Mexico, Peru, and Cuba. Along the northern edge of Spain’s land were small missions and “presidios” or fortresses that stretched from the Atlantic coast, ran along the Gulf of Mexico and extended into the plains of Texas and the Rio Grande River valley. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh took on one of the first English settlement attempts. He set up a colony of about 100 men on the east coast of North America, on land he named Virginia after Queen Elizabeth I, who being unmarried, was known as the “Virgin Queen.” These settlers only lasted for a year before returning home. Then, in 1587, Raleigh made a second attempt at settling a colony at Roanoke, Virginia. The supply ships sent to the colony never arrived and in 1590 when help did come, evidence of the existence of the entire colony had disappeared except for the word “Croatan” inscribed on a post.
The first settlements from North America were immigrants from England. They sailed on the ship, they searched for a long time, where to moor the ship, until they came across a convenient bay. The ship "Maуflower" sailed to its native shores, and the passengers remained on the island without shelter over their heads, with minimal supplies of water and drink. The cold winter was approaching ... Many of those who arrived did not live to see the spring: inexperience, a large number of children and women not adapted to the harsh conditions of survival - all this affected the life of the colony.
