h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Kyra

I just love your entry on Early North American Colonies.

As it's something I know nothing about, I may come back with a few questions, and here's the first batch:

"Powhatan's successor (since his daughter Pocahontas died in England in 1614), Opechancanough agreed to withdraw from the English settlement."

1. Are you saying Pocahontas would have succeeded Powhatan? I didn't think women did that.

"The plantation owner Nathaniel Bacon formed an army and rebelled. The rebels massacred Native Americans, occupied Jamestown and burned it, forcing the House of Burgesses to enact laws for tax reform and authorize attacks of the Susquehannock tribeThough they only attacked the peaceful Pamunkey."

2. I don't understand how authorising attacks on the Susquehannock follows from Bacon's rebels attacking Jamestown. Can you explain?
3. Who was Pamunkey? A chief, or another native tribe?

Icy

I basically just wanted to throw in Pocahontas, as she's someone most people have heard of, but that parenthesis thingie can just go, there's no need for it

Bacon's rebels wanted to force the government to allow and finance attacks on the Susquehannock by basically throwing a violent tantrum.

And the Pamunkey are a tribe

Hi Kyra

- another batch of questions, but I think this should be all I need to know:



4. Did you mean 'northern North America' was only sparsely populated by the Spanish, or 'southern North America', or the whole of North America?



5. I don't understand this sentence in the context of remarried widows. What is (was) the status quo?

....

6. I'm a bit confused by numbers. First, were there 1,200 or 1,300 settlers in 1622. Second, does the 8,500 include the 3,000 arriving between 1619 and 1622?



7. Is this the Massachussetts Bay colony?



8. Was there a reason? The other expulsions are explained.



9. Why would he purchase the land if it had already been given to him?

....

10. Do you have dates for these? Everything else has dates.

< When the Mohawks violated the peace agreement, the French destroyed their villages and the Mohawks accepted peace.>

11.Again, do you have a date?

Icy

Hi Kyra,

Did you see this message I posted last week?

I'm almost there, but I would appreciate your answers to these questions.

Icy

Sorry, I've been busy with assignments, I've barely even looked ...

Okay, here's some answers off the top of my head, if you need more info it'll have to wait til next week, sorry

4 Southern North America (Southern California and Florida, mostly, as well as a few in the middle) was populated by the Spanish, mostly. As far as I know there were none in the north. And pretty much all of Central and South America was divided between Portugal and Spain.

5 The status quo was that they couldn't inherit property or marry for their own gain ... it'd gone back to the way it was before, when the women were always subservient to the men

6 The numbers are right - there were always people joining or leaving or dying or giving birth, so it's not going to make total sense without a census, but basically ... there were 1200 - 1500 in 1622 (throughout a year that's not a great difference), and after the attack there were c. 1300 left, out of 8500 *in total* shipped over
By the way, you've lost a space in there ... the Virginia Company lost its charterand therefore funding

7 Yes

8 For being of a different faith

9 He purchased the land from the Indians, who hadn't given it to him, the king had, but it was never his to begin with

10 The Dutch created the West India Company on June 3 1621 and established New Amsterdam in 1624. ... King Charles II captured the Dutch colony (New Netherlands) and gave it to his brother, the Duke of York in 1667, who renamed it New York. The Dutch recaptured the city in 1673 but it was returned in a peace settlement in 1674.

11 No, sorry

Thanks Kyra,

I'll work that in, and I'll post here when its ready.

Icy

Hi Kyra,

The subedited version is at A22716632

Take a look and let me know if that looks OK to you.

As the Editors are pushing hard for Front Page material, I'll probably submit it on Friday, if I don't hear from you.

Remember to subscribe to the page too, so you can catch all the new conversations that will be started when it hits the FP.

Icy

*drops in from the <./>Info</.> page ...*

Having lived there for a time, I know that the city of St John's, Newfoundland prides itself on being both the oldest one of North America, as well as the most-easterly. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) Perhaps that pre-dates the early paragraph about Spanish colonists?

I'm sorry that I didn't see the entry in PR, or I might have tried to follow it. While "America" (more often known as the United States of America, kinda distinguishing it from Canada and Mexico as the end-all, be-all of North America) is large and has quite a history ... I expect some Canadian occassions were perhaps noteworthy as well.

I don't suggest a re-writing of the whole entry by any means. It is a very good piece on the early beginnings of the US. But not strictly "North America".

Just my two-pence

Thanks Nick.

Kyra, let me know before Friday if you want anything changed as a result.

Icy

A final comment, or suggestion, and then I'll leave the matter fully.

It does seem that the term "American" is almost universally understood as relating to the US. So perhaps something so simple as a title change to "Early American Colonies" ? That would comfortably leave out what-ever research that might be needed, to see if earlier or more profound activities might have occurred in the Mexico or Canada geographic areas. Stuff not within ConUS.

Good luck and

I don't agree, I think 'American colonies' indicates all of America. 'North America' is the closest I can get to meaning the area that would eventually be part of the US. Changing it would lead to more problems, I think.

I had to return for a moment. A quick search shows that Canada occupies about 9.1 million square kilometres, Mexico about 1.9 million. The continental US covers about 9.4 million, about 46% of the 'continent'. Not quite what I would call representative of "North America" as a whole. But hey, I'm only seeing terms from my perspective. I really don't know how any other folks of the world would interpret stuff from the Guide. I'm sure that you both know what is best for the guide.

and congrats on such good work.

I didn't have a problem with the way it was presented, but I think it's Kyra's call in the end. Have you managed to check it, Kyra?

Icy

Yep, I had a look. I think it's fine the way it is.

Thanks Kyra - in it goes then!

Remember to subscribe to this version, so that you get notified of any conversations started there when it hits the Front Page.

As there's a short queue, this should happen in the next few days, so don't miss it.

Icy